Mohave County miner., 1889-05-25
WASHINGTON EErTER.
Correspondence OF the hsEER.
EAsursaToS. Nav "a. IRga

iCosfespondence OF she AskERs
WASHINGTON. May 10, 1880.
| A family picnic party, distributed In
three carriages, left the White Houss
Saturday morning. Two nurses sat on
the front seat Of the first carriage holding
two round faced babies, who looked q,
though Just rudeiy awakened. Benjamin
Harrison Mckee, ~ very young gentle
man who has been forced into life a. Z
too tender age, looked serious and alb
sorbed. Mary Mckee, AZ an infsntile 10
ciety leader called up too early, to plunge
into the mad vortex. impolitely yawned
and finally refused 70 be comfortcd
Grandfather and Grandmother Harrison
occupied the back seat. In the second
carriage was Secretary Window and In
the third Secretary Rusk.
In half an hour all the party had
crossed the gang plank Of the U. =. s
Dispatch. In q i.w moments the starting
bell was rung and three days cruise
commenced. The Presidential party vii
probably return tomorrow.
! Private Secretary Halford did not gc
sea, but took advantage Of the absence oi
his chief TO go to Atlanta, Ga, where hi,
wife and children are visiting. The reg
ular Office seekers did not turn up on Sat
urday or to-day. The office seeker is Q
reading animal, well abreast OF the day
and he keeps track of the President,
movements. On Saturday the usua
crowd u tourists came, took the Presi.
dents absence 40 an injury and that o.
Secretary Haliord as an insult, and had
revenge in securing the rooms open te
the public. A large party Of Columbia
College students, unable 10 see the Presi
dent, cheered long and loud for Mr. Har.
rison and then for Mr.. Morton, seemingly
under the impression that Mr.. Morton
also lives in the White House. Afte,
trying to think Of someone else to cheer
and failing, the boys let out three lusty
cheers for their college and drove off
Advantage is taken Of the absence Of
President and Mrs. Harrison TO hastily
do little spring cleaning. The carpets
have all been taken up and curtains re.
moved. Carpets will not be put down
again until fall. An important move.
ment in the cleaning line has been the
removal Of nearly ten tons Of old printed
matter: Government reports OF no inn
portance to anyone living, and stores Of
newspapers that nobody Is able to &C
count for, were brought forth from the
garrets and consigned to the junk shop.
The appointment Of Mr.. Palmer oI
Chicago as Public Printer is generally re-
garded as an excellent one. Mr.. Palmer
has been a printer, bookbinder, editor
and Congressman. He ia essentially a
practical man, and only such a man can
handle the unwieldy business Of gov
eminent printing office. There is no bu.
reau Of this government that compares
with it in the amount Of petty patronage
to be distributed and the number Of pc
culations to be eradicated. The cheapest
sort of Congressman generally control
the appointments, and for years it has
been radically political Office. A large
minority Of its employees are an Arab
race, generally holding positions by the
entire families, and willing to turn to be
either Democrats or Republicans at a
moments notice without ruffiing feath-
er. Add TO these facts that the Public
Printer must needs look to the next
session of the Senate in December for
confirmation and you will see how anx-
ious a summer he will pass. Thus,
though his selection comes, under the
circumstances, rather early, Mr.. Palmer
wishes it were later in the season.
The appointment Of Captain Meredith,
the other Chicago candidate for Public
Printer, TO be head of the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing, is expected this
week. OF course il will raise a howl
among candidates from other States, but
Illinois will be content, at least for few
weeks.
Mr.. Thompson, the new Democratic
member OF the civil service commission
has been sworn in, but Mr.. Roosevelt,
the Republican, has not gone through
the ceremony. Mr.. Roosevelt is very
wealthy and it does not make much diff.
ference to him whether or not the first
weeks salary lapses. This is pleasant
variation Of the office seekers usual
course, for 1t is generally difficult 10 keep
man from being sworn In before his sp-
pointment is finally signed. The APP
pointment Of Messrs. Thompson and
Roosevelt appear to be satisfactory to all
parties. Both claim to be civil service re-
formers, and Mr.. Roossvelt's New York
second would support his allegation, al
though the spoilsmen Of his party are no
less jubilant over bis appointment than
are the reformers. / suppose there are
mental reservations in all this. Exactly
what either of the new commissioners
will do is more or less of q question, and
both wings are willing to conciliate and
await their movements.