The Washington critic., 1889-05-14
MATTER WORTH READING.

Two notable public men who met in
the corridors of the Fifth Avenue Hotel
q night or two since, SAYS the Grdphic,
were Ex-Governor Charles Foster OF
Ohio and ex Congressman Jay Hubbell
of Michigan. They arc both small in
stature, stoutly built with great CO.
pacity for work and long political eX-
perieDce. Their chance meeting drew
out an interesting disclosure of the in.
consistency of an eminent civil service
reformer. In 1873 Mr.. lIubbell, as
chairman of the Republican Congress
sional Committee, prepared q circular
to Office. holders asking per cent con
their salaries. He submitted IL to Gov.
rnor Foster for criticism, who took it
TO President Hayes and Carl Schurl,
then Secretary of the Interior, for their
examination. II was indorsed and ap
proved by both, and rs Schurz was the
most tinicky member of the Cab
met, the Congressional Committee
thought they were all right
and sent out the circular. In
1880, and again in 1882, circular, iden.
teal in language word for word, was
sent out. In the latter year IL was male
the subject OF n great hue and cry by
the so.called civil service reformers,
chief among whom was Carl Schurz.
The latter denounced the circular in
interviews, writings, and speeches, but
was careful not TO tell any one of his
own responsibility for its original prep
aration. Mr.. Hubbcll tells good story
about the late Senator Zach Chandler
which occurred at this time, Chandler
was chairman of the Republican Ma
tional Committee. lie had approved
the circular and was In measure re-
sponsible for II, as the money came to
his committee in the end Hubbel was
being savagely attacked, and he thought
Chandler ought to come forward and
share the blame. He told Chandler as
much, when the old man replied "Why,
you are under the load now, Hubbeil,
and cant get out. What's the use of
two of us getting under it?'' Hubbell
didn't press the matter any further
Something About TON" Reed.
A quaint character this Tom Reed is
He hasn't the arts of u politician at all,
and his friends, when he first ran for
Congress, in 1876, thought he was fool
i9h ~ giving VIZ " Sio"ih5 'uiu iuNi"
tive law practice for the chances of
public life. Yet he has succeeded in
making a name and place for himself
among the leaders of political thought
in this country. He has had some hard
fights to keep his seat. The district
which he represents is dangerously
close one, and, though lie has been
elected six times, the margin of his ma
iorities has been occasionally rather
dangerous. One time he slipped in by
a little less than one hundred votes,
There is one town in his district where
Tom Reed has not received many vote:
for the last few years. That town Il
Brunswick. When Arthur was Prcsi
dent nearly every man in the town rec
commended certain Republican fol
postmaster. Half dozen of dissatisfied
people suggested another name. Ton
Reed, in bis usual way, didn't Civ,
much attention to the matter, and wher
| the Postmaster General asked which o.
the men should have the place Tom
carelessly named the fellow who had the
least backing. That made the Bruins
| wickers mad and they swore they woult
not vote for him again. They KEEP
their promise at the following election
81 4
Then Tom Reed got mad, and It wa
not long before he had chance to re
taliate. The Brunswickcrs wanted som,
old cannon for a soldiers monument
and the committee wrote 10 Mr.. Reed
asking him to get them some from tn
War Department. He responded in
way that almost paralyzed the Bruins
wickcrs. Here is what he said:
"Gentlemen-I am not in the ole
junk business this year.
| Yours truly, T. B. REED"
! don't know whether the war be
tween Tom and the Brunswickers il
over yet or not
When Benjamin Butterworth of Ohit
was Commissioner of Patents it wa,
thought he would develop into one o
the strongest patent lawyers In thi
country when his term expired. Hi
constituents, however, called upon hin
again, and he returned TO Congress
where he is serving his fifth term. III
is a tall man, with well rounded form
rather positive face and restless gra,
eye, denoting activity and strength, II,
isvery ambitious, and had not McKin
ley from his State been candidate TO
Speaker he would have been. Blu
there are too many great men in Ohi'
for the offices to reach them all, ant
Mr.. Butterworth has suffered in tn
present shuttle. He is thrifty indi
vidual, as well as an able man, and h,
/ hoc muda n Unn1 1pal of mnnnv aipp
he has been in Congress. He does no
spend much time in his old home, Gin
cinnati, but has u pleasant place jus
outside of Washington. He is presi
dent of the Central American Tele
graph and Telephone Company AM
other important interests which pa
dividends. He is popular man il
Congress, and would be more so If h
were less ambitious. saw him witt
everal other Buckeyes at the Gilsey. -