River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondence
Washington. April IL, 80

Washington, April II, 80.
Secretary Blaine laughed heartily
when gentleman asked him if there
was any truth in the story that he in
tended shortly to retire from the Cab
met, and for an answer passed his
hand around the gentleman's arm and
conducted him over to look at the in
terror changes that are being made in
the old Seward mansion, near the
White House, preparatory to its occu-
pancy by the Blaine family next fall.
The Democratic attempt to make it
appear that the relations between the
President and Secretary Blaine are not
harmonious has proven dismal fail
ure. The opinion here is that the
whole story was concOcted and written
in the Office of the New York paper
which printed it as special Washing
ton dispatch. What makes this opin-
ion all the stronger is that this same
paper in its editorial columns has been
predicting just such state of affairs
ever since the fourth of March. 1t
is very strange that such a startling
discovery should have been made by
only one correspondent, out of hum
dreds prowling around Washington
seeking news for their papers. Unless
something that is at the present time
entirely unlocked for shall occur, Sac-
rotary Blaine will continue to look
after our foreign affairs until March
1898, if not longer.
So few appointments have been
made by the President this week that
a suspicion has been created among
the crowd of office seekers here that
the slow pace has been adopted for the
special purpose of firing them out.
The result is that many of them have
gone home leaving their papers on file,
believing that to be the best policy.
The President informed a Democrat.
ic Senator that it was his purpose
whenever he had to appoint Demo-
crat to office, such as one member of
the Civil Service Commission and the
Interstate Commerce Commission, to
insist upon his being a protectionist.
This decision has created panic
among the free-trade Democratic as
pirants, chief among whom may be
mentioned ex-Secretary of the Treas
ury Thompson, who wants to serve his
country as Civil Service Commits
sioner.
1t is stated that at the State Depart
ment that an understanding has been
reached with England and Germany
whereby it is agreed that pending the
termination of the coming Samoan
conference at Berlin the three treaty
powers-England, Germany and the
United States-shall each keep only
one war vessel at Samoa.
The Agricultural Department has
concluded the series of experiments,
commenced several years ago. on the
manufacture of sugar from sorghum,
and Prof. Wiley, who has been in
charge of them concludes that the
manufacture on small scale can be
made commercially successful.
1t is stated positively in quarters
where it would most likely be first
known. that Col. Duffield, of Michi-
gan, has been selected for the place of
Solicitor General. IL may be some
time, however, before the appoint
ment will be made, as the present So
licitor General-Mr. Jenks-has been
requested to remain in office until the
Government telephone cases have been
disposed OF by the Supreme Court.
The President has been thinking of
taking a short vacation in order to get
some much needed rest but he has f.
nally decided not to leave Washington
until the 29th instant, when he goes to
New York to take part in the Centen-
NAL ceremonies. The President and
Mrs. Harrison will be the guests of
Vice President and Mrs. Morton at
Rhin check, their country residence,
near New York city, during the cele-
bration and for a week afterward.
The daily official mail at the White
House has gradually dwindled down
until now it averages about seven hun
bred letters, nearly every one of which
contains an application for Office.
The story going the rounds of the
press about Gen. Harrison offering the
postmastership of Lexington. Virginia,
to the widow of Gen. "Stonewall'
Jackson is such a beautiful one that it
seems a pity almost to spoil it by say
ing that it is not true. But so it is.
No such offer has ever been made or
even thought of by either the Presi-
dent or Postmaster General.
There is nothing mugwumpish about
Secretary Noble. 1t having been
printed that he issued an order to pre-.
vent Commissioner of Pensions Tan
ner from discharging incompetent
Democratic employees in his office, the
Secretary has declared himself on the
subject in a manner that leaves no
doubt of his being in perfect accord
with the Corporal.
The Correct / ime.