Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13

the District almost one whole yeaf. yet during
all that long period they had procured no Office
yet. They had kept boarders. for which they
had received only S13 week for each boarder
They had been compelled, it seems, to hire o
man at $40 a month to wait on the boarders,
yet neither her husband nor her son-in law had
received any office yet Hearing that two Sec
retarles were to be nominated that day she
modestly insisted on her husbands being
clerk under one Of them. The President told
her that he had nothing to do with such ap-
pointments, which he left to the secretaries to
make. 1t seems from the best information
could obtain that women belonging to this Dis
trict and parts Of Maryland and Virginia near
Washington come here constantly soliciting
offices for their sons. husbands and other rela-
tives. That they have often succeeded is evil
dent enough to the public injury and to the in
jury Of the public officers themselves" A vast
deal Of personal Inconvenience to the Presi-
dent would, he says, be avoided il the rules Of
Jefferson and Madison were adhered to. These
required all applications to be in writing to the
President or Secretary having the appointing
power.
Visits to Mai. Lewis the second auditor. the
President, Levi Woodbury., then q Senator
from New Hampshire are described. and he
notes that at the latter rooms, one only, a
governor, refrained from laughing, and he
gives a reason that there were number of
members of Congress there and his nomination
for some little Office was pending and his fears
were reallZeu IOr not long alterWard dis nOml-
nation was rejected. nr..
AN EVENING WITH THE PRESIDENT.
After describing journey to New York,
stopping in Baltimore and Philadelphia, men,
tioning that the passage money was only
$1,000 but handling trunks and refresh
ments it costs SIS between the two cities
Soon after his return he spent an entire even
ing with the President and conversed on the
colony of Liberia. He says the President
dwelt on the subject for IN hour and was quite
eloquent on the prospect of Virginia sending
her slaves to Liberia land becoming a great
manufacturing state and at length assuming
her OLD supremacy, standing at the head of the
Union in numbers and wealth" The President
owned thirteen slaves, bought to prevent them
being carried south and he appeared entirely
willing to set them free and let them emigrate
to Liberia. He seemed to think that the Union
would be lost forever or if divided it would be
by the Alleghenies. He then reviews the course
of the President and his trials the faults of his
cabinet officers being charged to him and the
necessity to form new cabinets. who, with one
exception. at once proceeded ''tO help them
selves and their poor, needy, greedy depend
ents."
SUPPLEMENTARY OFFICERS.
He alludes to the many supernumerary Off
GERS about the Capitol, and SAYS it is a mystery
to him why Congress permits them to throng
their lobbles and the rOtunda. 'West Point
Academy was once useful. but X the cadets are
to accumulate as they have of late years il may
lead IN the end to an aristocracy in this cOun-
try. All the officers of the government in the
city. ne says, must amount to q thousand at
least and their salaries support all the state
governments in the Mississippi valley.