Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-08-17
WASHINGTON.

hon. Samuel sullivan COX, more
widely known perhaps, as "Sunset"
Cox, the popular democratic Repre-
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 pros
poets of the new States. He says he
talked no politics while out there,
but having an old time habit of
keeping his eyes and ears wide open
his observations lead him to be-
lieve that Washington will certainly
go democratic, and if the opinions of
well informed people count for any
thing so will Montana.
The telegraph companies so far
have the best of the very interesting
fight which is progressing between
them and the Government, represent
ed by the Postmaster General, who
is by law authorized to set the price
to be paid for official messages. The
old contract being suspended the
telegraph companies are compelling
the Government officials to pay cash
for all their messages, and at tram
silent rates too. The Postmaster
General wants them to accept a rate
of one mill per word, but the tele-
graph companies say il 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 sort of Jack o. lantern
style that is somewhat bewildering
to the fellow who tries to keep
track of them.
AS a result of an investigation, the
town is talking about what a verita'
BILE "death trap" the building &C.
cupied by the Government printing
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 fol
the large number of employees. Not.
withstanding all these drawbacks
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 dangerou;
building.
Secretary Noble has surprised 6
good many people here, notably the
officials in the Pension Office, by
ordering the commission engaged il
the investigation of the re-rating o
pensions to continue that investiga
ton. He was not satisfied with thu
preliminary report made covering
two months, December 1888 anC
May 1899, and wants thorough in
vestigation for a period of twelve
months. The Secretary refused t,
give out the preliminary report blu
promises that the entire report shall
be given to the press as soon as it i
completed.
1t is stated here that EX-Attorne,
General Garland has been engages
by the Northern Pacific Railroad t.
look after their legal interests il
this city at salary Of $4,000 a yeal
Frank Hatton is going in tooth an
nail in his fight on the civil serviC
law. His largest and most startlin
charge is that copies of the question
to be asked at examinations in tn
city have been furnished befor
hand to such applicants as were will
ing to pay the price asked for then
e This is the most serious charge "
made against this humbug, and
= Hatton can prove it, will go far t,
wards getting the absurd law repea
ed.
The Navy department has appoin
L ed court of inquiry to investiga
y the recent accident to the cruise
"Boston". 1t seems about time tn
something was done to make the of
: GERS of the Navy exercise little mo
@ care in handling the few war vesse
we have. Hardly a week pass
that the newspapers are not Gale
D upon to chronicle accident, tha
from the standpoint OF Gland lu
ber," might havesbeen avoided.
- There is no truth in the repo
sent out from Washington that Il
French cook recently discharg,
from the White House was to bril-
sniff AGAINST President Harrison T.