The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-08-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.l
Washington. ID. G. Aug.

From our Regular Correspondent.l
Washington, ID. G. Aug. 12. 'S9
Hon. Samuel Sullivan Cox, NOR,
widely known perhaps, as "Sunset
Cox, the popular democratic Represen
tative from New York is in Washing
ton. He has just returned from an
extended toir OF the four new State,
which he was 80 influential in making
by passing the omnibus enabling acl
through last Congress. He is enthu
siastic in his praise of the people anc
prospects of the new States. He says
he talked no politics while out there
but having an old time habit of keep
ing his eyes and ears wide open hi,
observations lead him to believe ,that
Washington will certainly go demo
cratic, and if the opinions of well
informed people count for anything 30
will Montana.
The telegraph companies so far have
the best of the very interesting fight
which is progressing between them
and the Government represented by
the Postmaster General, who is by law
authorized to set the price to be paid
for official messages. The old con-
tract being suspended the telegraph
companies are compelling the Govern.
ment officials to pay cash for all their
messages, and at transient rates too.
The Postmaster General wants them
to accept rate of one mill per word,
but the telegraph comanpies say it il
not enough.
The administration is, so to speak,
on the wing just now, and little is be-
ing done in any of the departments
outside of routine business. The sew
eral secretaries fit in and out of town
in sort of Jack % lantern style that
is somewhat bewildering to the fellow
who tries to keep track Of them.
As result OF an investigation, the
town is talking about what verita-
BILE "death trap" the building occupied
by the Government printing office is ;
it is badly ventilated, it's sewerage is
something awful to think about, and
it has not one fourth of the fire escapes
needed for the large number OF EN-.
ployees. Notwithstanding all these
drawbacks the Public Printer says that
more than one 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 danger
GUS building.
Secretary Noble has surprised a
good many people here, notably the
officials in the Pension Office, by order
ing the commission engaged in the
investigation of the re-rating of PEN
sions to continue that investigation.
He was not satisfied with the prelimi-
nary report made covering two months,
December 1888 and May 1889, and
wants a thorough investigation for a
period of twelve months. The Secre-
tary refused to give out the prelimi
nary 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 engaged by
the Northern Pacific Railroad to look
after their legal interests in this city at
a salary of $25.O00 year.
Frank Hatton is going in tooth and
nail in his fight on the civil service
law. His largest aud most startling
charge is that copies of the questions
to be asked at examinations 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 made
against this humbug, and if Hatton
can prove it, it will go far towards
getting the absurd law repealed.
The Navy department has appointed
a court of inquiry to investigate the
recent accident to the cruiser "Boston."
1t seems about that time that some-
thing was done to make the officers of
the Navy exercise little more care in
handling the few war vessels we have.
Hardly week passes that the news.
papers are not called upon to chronicle
some accident, that from the stand.
point of 'land lubber," might have
been avoided.
There is no truth in the report sent
out from Washington that the French
cook recently discharged from the
White House was to bring suit against
President Harrison for wages during
the summer. 1t has always been Gus
tomary to dismiss the French cook at
the White House during the summer
months when no entertaining is done,
and the same course was followed this
year.
The people of the country are lust
TO realize the scope of the
slien contract labor law consequently
.he Treasury department is being
Hooded with complaints from all sec.
ions of the country asking inyestiga-
ions of alleged violations of this law.
Indian Commissioner Morgan issued
circular to inspectors in the Indian
'ervice instructing them to see that
indian traders are men of good char |
scter. II these traders are at present
men of good character msuy of them
iave been sadly maligned.
The Capital is now at Bar Hsrbor
Maine, from whence several Presiden-
ial appointments were announced by
telegraph Saturday. They were all
inder Mr.. Blaine's department