Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1889-05-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
iFrom Our Regular Correspondeni.l
WASHINGTON, May 10, 1889

II the selection Of Messrs. Roosevelt and
| Thompson is as agreeable to all parties
and factions AS il would seem to he from
the comments Immediately following the
announcement Of the appointment of the
two new civil service commissioners, these
gentlemen must have been born under luck v
planets. Especially in this time in the ease
of Mr.. Roosevelt. The New York Press,
representing the spols system, goes into
scstaeies over his nomination. IL an
nounces that he is mo mugwurnp." and
conveys the idea that he is u merry, rol-
| licking brgand Of n spokesman. The New
York Times, on the other hand, congratu-
lates Mr.. Harrison upon the appoint mcnt
from its own standpoint. II states that
Mr.. Roosevelt recently advocated the ap
peintnent of Post ma ster I'ierson or one "i
his trained subordinatss as post master at
New York. la fact, il pronounces him an
out and out civil service reformer.
All this simply means that the factions
are not exactly sure what course Messrs.
Roosevelt and Thompson will pursue, and
don't want to attack them until they do
know. IN six months you will not find
both Of the New York journals ! have
quoted pr,ising Mr.. Roosevelt. lie cannot
satisfy both, that much is sure.
II Mr.. Lyman ren,ains, the civil service
commission is now complete. In Messrs.
Thompson and Roosevelt the commission
certainly has two members of unusual e,lu-
cational training and ability. Mr.. Thomp-
son was for several years an educator, aud
Mr.. Roosevelt has had AN extensive literary
training. Both are mcn to whom fortune
was kind at birth in giving wealth. Both
have been well-known leaders in their re-
srective parties.
The appointment of Frank W. Palmer of
Chicago as public printer meets with u
kindly reception. The selection was, of
course, not IA matter Of surprise, inasmuch
as all the earlier candidates in the field
pulled off the track aud surrendered two
weeks ago. Mr.. Palmer is probably by
training lac hest fitted candidate for public
printer that has ever been presented. lie
unites AN extensive experience of public life
with thorough knowledge of the printing
business. Besides being "a good printer and
presslnan and IA first-class editor. he is even
n practical book binder. lie enters upon
his duties under favorab BILE circumstances.
II he does not become a more popular
ofic>sI than his predecessor. he will he n
poor one indeed. Public Printer Benedict
has been particularly unfortunate in this
respect. Without any experience in high
public office, he has never been able Ia take
advice. lie may have meant well, but he
has certainly succeeded only in getting him
self warmly disliked. His taking on would
be more regretted if he had been endowed
10y nature with more agreeable maj nner-
and lessNclf-suiIeiency.
\ strenuous effort will he made by the
civil service commission toretain the power
in the census bureau. Nearly 900 clerks
will be- employed in the work for two years
or over, and there is considerable interest
i,lt in the distribution OF that amount of
pie. Personally the superintendent of the
census, Robert W. Porter, seems to he in
favor oi placing the bureau under the civil
service rules as "a means of defense. Al
though the appointments will not be made
for months, he finds himself already he
sieged night and day ior positions.
The Woman's Press association Of this |
city has met one Of its usual failures in the
project of raising money to place por- |
trait Of Mrs. Cleveland IN the White House. |
The scheme has been formally abandoned. |
The opposition of Mrs. Cleveland herself is |
given as the main reason, but the indiiier- |
ence "f the public is quite as potent a bar !
rier. somehow Americans sign such sub /
scription lists reluctantly, and this not So
much from mcanncss as because the busi- |
ness is over,lone. Even in the case 81 ten. |
Grants tomb at New York We havea -trik |
ing instance 81 this.
The Woman's Temperance union, then
at high tide financially, with unit tiring energy |
secured n sufficient sum to place = portrait !
of Mrs. Hayes in the executive mansion. |
The managers of that enterprise did not /
hastily attack another such undertaking !
After President Garfield died many Ohio !
ladies agitated the proposition of placing |
his widows portrait beside that Of Mrs. !
Hayes. The plan miscarried. The fem-
nine public thought that the esteemed lady |
had received ample testimonial in the large
fortune that had been raised for her.