Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-10
CHANGES IN THE OFFICES.
They Are Not Made Fast Enough to
Suit the ssOuts,
THEY eRUMBLE AT THE DELAY CAUSED BY THE
CAUTIOUS MANNER IN WHICH REMOVALS AND
APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE By THE ADMINS
TRATIoN-BUT THE WHEELS DO NOT REyoLyE.

IkAIloN-BuT THE WHEELS DO NOT REvoLvE-
The ofice-seekers are doing much erumblino
about the slowness with which the administra-
ton Is moving In the matter of appointments
There is disappointment and dissatisfaction.
heartburning and all that, but withall the most
that the President and his cabinet officers are
cautious in their selections and slow in making
appointments. The criticism is negative, COM
planning Of what is not being done.
Politicians OF experience in affairs at WASH
ington understand very clearly that the policy
of wearing the office-seekers out is being fol-
lowed, and that it is meeting with success The
announcement that Mr.. Harrison made before
he came here to the effect that the men want
ing place would advance their cause none by
coming to Washington and staying here to pes
ter and importune, is becoming appreciated in
its full force.
Not much will be done as long as the crowd
stays, nor will any inducement be held out to
bring them back when they have once departed
At this time neither the President nor his sec
retaries are devoting the thought to individual
cases'that the parties interested fondly imagine
they are.
IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
The cabinet officers have their regular de-
partmental business to attend to after the
hours they give each day to receiving visitors,
and they are obliged to take up these matters
Of appointments largely in the order of their
importance from a business standpoint
They cannot consider much the personal
convenience OF the candidates or be influenced
by their impotence. The only branch Of the
service where there is any real activity in ap-
pointment is in the Post-Office department, and
there the activity is confined to the
fourth-tlass postmasters. These are small
matters individually, but amount to a great
deal collectively. The demand is in all cases
for prompt change, and with more than forty
thousand OF them to fill, decapitation and ap-
pointment must of necessity be rapid. As to
these offices, moreover, the Recommendation of
THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN
representing the district; or, if it is not repre-
sented by republican. the recommendation Of
the recognized party leaders is sufficient
to secure the appointment. The republi-
can congressman, as soon as they can
decide what they want, are sure
of their recommendations being followed. In
this way the fourth-class post-offices may be
filled acceptably and with speed. But this is
not the case as to the other offices. What the
otfice-seekers have been clamoring to have
done in four weeks will hardly be accomplished
in that many months.
INTERNAL REVENUE OFFICES
There is a clamor for the various internal
revenue collectorships, great and small,
throughout the country, and the Congressman
are active in their efforts to get the changes
made promptly. In these appointments. as in
those of the fourth class post-offices the recon-
mendations of the Congressman will be fol-
lowed chiefly. But here the convenience of
the Office must be considered, and the appoint
ments cannot be made at once.
On the first of May the collectors issue the re-
tail license stamps throughout the country.
This is an immense work, thousands of stamps
having to be signed. The collectors have to
begin their work about the 18th of April and
continue it until the 9th of May.
If a collector were removed after he had begun
this work and before the LIST of May all the
stamps signed by him would be of no value,
and the work would have to be done over
again.
For this reason the policy of the Treasury
department will be to make no changes in these
places from this time until after May /.
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS CABINET OFFICERS
are considering the selections for the more i'm
portant appointments with great care and de-
liberation. The desire for haste is not per-
mitted to interfere with their calm judg-
ment. The smaller matters will have to
come later. and in measure will
depend upon the greater. The President re-
ceives more appeals during the two hours each
day he gives to visitors than he can begin to
consider during the rest Of the day. As mat
ing upon him. Any indication on
his part Of activity in making appointments
would help the office-seekers here and deprive
him of the opportunity he requires to consider
carefully the papers before him. Though about
the same number of people are seen by him each
day, the wearing-out policy is having its
effect 1t is only when assembled in the
small space in the White House that the num-
Der of office-seekers looks big now-this is COM
paratively speaking. On the streets and in the
hotel lobbies may be seen the evidence that a
mighty big per cent of the candidates
HAVE ALREADY DEPARTED.
They all leave their papers, and most of these
the President yet has to examine. The petit
tons and endorsements he has to look over,
present many rival claims for the same places,
and complicate the situation dismally. The
President has a way of his own for over
coming this difficulty, and each day he
stores himself with information and impress
sions that will be of assistance to him at the
proper time. He is most expert exam-
liner, and in all the cases where he is especially
interested or perplexed he questions all the
callers on the subject, one side or the other,
i'll a way to acquire the information he wants
and the petitioner is not especially anxious to
give During the two hours each day that he