Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-05-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington. Mdg 18Th.

A family picnic party, distributed
in three carriages, left the White
House Saturday morning. Two
nurses sat on the front seat of the
first carriage, holding two round fac
ed babies, who looked as though just
rudely awakened. Benjamin Harrison
Mckee, as a very young gentleman
who had been forced into public life
at too tender age, looked serious
and absorbed. Mary Mckee, as an
infantile society leader called up too
early, to plunge again into the mad
vortex, impolitely yawned and finally
refused to be comforted. Grandfa-
ther and Grandmother Harrison occu-
pied back seat. In the second car
riage was Secretary Window and in
the third Secretary Rusk.
In half an hour all the party had
crossed the gang plank of the I. 5.
S. Dispatch. Benny Mckee and the
president crossing hand in hand. In
few moments the starting bell was
rung and a three days cruise COM
menced. The presidential party will
probably return tomorrow.
Private Secretary Halford did not
90 to sea, but took advantage of the
absence of his chief to 60 to Atlanta,
where his wife and children are visit
ing. The regular office seekers did
not turn up on Saturday or to-day.
The office seeker is a reading animal
we'll abreast of the day and he keeps
tack of the presidents movements.
On Saturday the usual crowd of tour
lists came, took the presidents alb
sence as an injury and that of Secre-
tarv Halford as an insult, and had
revenge in securing the rooms open
to the public. A large party of Co
lumbia College students, unable to
see the president cheered long and
! loud for Mr.. Harrison, and then for
Mr.. Morton, seemingly under the i'm
presssion that Mr.. Morton also lives
in the White House. After trying to
think of some one 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 the president and Mrs. Harrison
to hastily do little spring cleaning.
The carpets have all been taken up
and the curtains removed. Carpets
will not be put down again until fall.
An imDortant movement in the clean :
ing line has been the removal OF near
lv ten tons of old printed matter.
Government reports of no import
ance to any one living and stores OF
newspapers that nobody is able to ac-
count for, were brought forth from
the garrets and consigned to the junk
shop.
The appointment of Mr.. Palmer OF
Chicago as government printer IS
generally regarded as an eXceilenG
one. Mr.. Palmer has been printer,
book binder, editor and congressman.
He is essentially a practical man, and
onlv such a man can handle the un-
wieldy business of the government
printing office. There is no bureau
of this government that compares
with it in the amount of petty patron
ace 20 be distributed and the number
of peculatiors to be eradicated. The
cheapest sort of congressman general
" control the appointments and fol
years it has been radically political
office. A large minority of It's en-
ployes are an Arab race, generally
holding positions by the entire family,
and willing to turn to be either demo
: Gratis or republicans at a moment
notice and without ruffiing feather
Add to these facts that the public
printer must needs look to the mex
, session of the senate in December
for confirmation and you will see nov