The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-08-17
Washington Letter.
From our regular correspondent.


Cox, the popular democratic Rep
resentative from New York is in
Washington. He has just returned
from an extended tour of the four
new States which he was so in
fiuential in making by passing the
omnibus enabling act through the
last Congress. He is enthusiastic
in his praise of the people and
prospects of the new States. He
said he talked no politics while out
there, but having an old time
habit of keeping his eyes and ears
open his observations lead him to
believe that Washington will cer-
tainly go Democratic, and if the
opinions of we'll informed people
count for anything so will Montana
The telegraph companies so far
have the best of the very interest
ing fight which is progressing be-
tween them and the Government
represented by the Postmaster
General, who is by law authorized
to set the price to be paid for Off
cial messages. The old contract
being suspended the telegraph
companies are compelling the Gov
ernment officials to pay cash for all
their messages and at transient
rates too. The Postmaster General
want them to accept a rate of one
mill per word, but the telegraph
companies say it is not enough.
The administration is, so to
speak, on the wing just now, and
little is being done in any of the
departments outside of routine
business. The several secretaries
fit in and out of town in a sort of
Jack o. lantern style that is some
what bewildering to the fellow who
tries to keep track of them.
AS result of an investigation,
the town is talking about what n
veritable "death trap" the building
occupied by the Government print
ing Office is: it is badly ventilated
its sewerage is something awful to
think about, and it has not one
fourth of the fire escapes needed
for the large number of employees.
Notwithstanding all these draw
backs the Public Printer says that
more than half of his time is taken
up in hearing applications from
men and women who are willing
to take the chances of working in
this dangerous building.
Secretary Noble has surprised
a good many people here, notably
the officials in the Pension Office,
by ordering the commission en-
gagged in the investigation of the
re-rating of pensions to continue
that investigation. He was not
with the preliminary re-
port made covering two months,
December 1888 and May 1889, and
wants thorough investigation for
a period of twelve months. The
Secretary refused to give out the
preliminary report but promises
that the entire report shall be
given to the press as soon as it is
completed.
1t is stated here that EX-Attorney
General Garland has been engage
ed by the Northern Pacific Rail-
road to look after their legal inter-
ests in this city at salary of $780,
300 a year.
Frank Hatton is going in tooth
and nail in his fight on the civil
service law. His largest and most
startling charg in that copies of the
iuCopicho W NC uohco du tlle eh-
in this city have
been furnished before hand to
such applicants as were willing
TO pay the price asked for them.
This is the most serious charge yet
yet made against this humbug, and
If Hatton can prove it, it will go
lar towards getting the absurd law
The Naval department has ap-
pointed court of inquiry to in
vestigate the recent accident to the
cruiser "Boston," 1t seems about
lime that something was done to
make the officers of the Navy ex-
arcise little more care in han
ling the few war vessels we have.
a week passes that the
newspapers are not called upon to
chronicle some accident, that, from
he standpoint of wand lubber"
might have been avoided.
There is no truth in the report
sent out from Washington that the
French cook recently discharged
rom the White House was to
,ring suit against President Har-
.isOn for wages during the summer