Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-06-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Lion onr RegnIar Correspondentl

When Commissioner of Pensions
Tanner came on from Brooklyn to as
sumo the duties of his position, he
brought with him an ex-employee of
the New York custom house, who was
promptly installed as his confidential
clerk. In former administrations, the
private secretary to the commits
sioner has been quite humble individ-
ual, who has simply drawn his salary Of
81 800 per annum and occupied the
back ground. But Capt. George B.
Squires had a soul above all Of this and
thirsted for power. He had not been
in his Office thirty minutes before he
was Colonel.
And then began two months of the
administration OF the private secre-
tary". No caller need see the Commits
sioner. 1t is only necessary to obtain the
ear Of the private secretary for any
action, when, presto, it was done.
Claims were made special without the
formaity of complying with the De
partments requirements. Scores of ca
SEES were pushed through by the dough-
ty Colonel. The rag tag and bob tail
of the clerical force who faWned upon
the new autocrat were loud in his
praise, and in return were promised all
sorts of fayors by him. They were TO
be assistant chiefs of divisions and spe-
cial examiners galore. He was made
commander of G.. a. r. post, and his
deluded followers tried to join the post
in body This cheerful lot of hyenas
had but one WatchWord, George.
And George might have waxed long
in the land, if he had not commenced
tosign olicialletters George B.Sqmres.
Private Secretary and write in the first
person and become personally response
bic TOR great amount of gratuitous in
formation. The annuities Of official cor
respondence must be observed. and
when, for the first time in Department.
al history the private secretary usurped
the province Of his chief, old fashioned
people were shocked.
Without warning, George was last
Thur5dayremoycd TO an inferior posi-
ton iU the land o.iee. and his heelers
were lett to mourn. it was the short
est and most brilliant administration
that ever graced a Bureau. In its
meteoric career it recalls the kaleido-
scopic reigns during the French revo-
luton. tits now even said that the
chief supporters of the late dictator
will be removed and indeed two were
discharged on Saturday.
The local press has contained no
word of the inner history Of this case.
Indeed, the star exercised itself to give
the public the Impression that Com
missioner Tanner was most reluctant
to part with his confidential clerk.
This is the course Of the Washington
papers in every cass. Never since the
time of Don Piatt has there been a
Washington paper shat has rad the
courage t9lead the attack against any
abuse Hcrchmce after some outside
paper has led the way and everyone is
abused the Washington paper uay be
ledto reluctantly follow the lead.
yhe clique that irat reyeale5 the
croobedues5 Of the Washington amc-
duct construction found that ths city
newspapers turned a deaf ear to their
stog-, As usual the lr5t revelation
reached the pubic through the CORES
ponG.uts oi the cut Of town papers. /
Aggressive General Boynton, or the
Cinciunnati's Commercial Gazette. |
sent out the first statement Of the sean |
dial. Even then The local papers follow
ed the dictates Of the wac department |
officials and Qooh-poohed it. That |
didn't effect the Generals perseverance,. |
lie hammered away until official inves- |
tigation had established the existence |
Of a gigantic sWindIe. To-day there is
going on an Investigation Of the aims
house officials. The charges are serious
and the defendants make only feeble |
protest. Yet not one word editoially |
has been sad by any Washington paper |
And this is ole of the reasons why !
Washington people read out of town
papers to get the news.
The average postmaster becomes so !
attached to his Office that it is impossi- |
bic to separate him and the object of his
affection. While this is an honorable |
love, and does credit to the post-masters
unselish generosity, it may lead its
victim into devious paths. Several |
Commissioners have been withheld !
for few days when they got into the
hands of the man about to be deposed. |
The climax seemed reached Saturday
when telegraphlc notice was given the
Department 10y Texan who was re-
Gently appointed that he had not re-
ceived his commission. On inspecting
the records it was found that the
original commission had been mailed
him May 1G, and the duplicate June Z.
Z