The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-14
LIVE WASHINGTON TOPICS
Progress Being Made in the Matter
Of the Helena Mill
tary Post.
In Petty Spite Harrison May Eek.
tend tho Civil Service
Classification.
As to the Admission OF Territories-Soms
Good Election ktories Told BY
Various Eongressmen.


schoheld and the qnnrtermaater general, to
whom was submitted the report of the mill
tary commission that recently visited Hell
ena to select a sito for military post. have
both approved tho report of the commits
sion. The paBeta in the case are now in
the hands of the secretary of war. Ii is
presumed that before he taxes action ON
the report he will consult tho Montana del
egation in congress. Messrs. Dixon and
Power have already assented to the report
of the commission.
| 1t ia said on the best of authority that
| the president has made up his mind to put
| the large force in the government printing
office under the protective wings of the
civil service rules. This means that the
president proposes to dump upon the ad-
ministration of Mr.. Cleveland about 1000
republican employees, some Of them bitter
and offensive partisans, and many of them
wholly incompetent and holding their
places solely by political influence with no
| regard whatever for merit or qualifica-
ton. II the president should take this
step he will simply show to the country
how small man he ie. 1t would be as fair
and just to extend the civil service rules to
|
ernment departments as it is to take in the
| force at the government printing office, for
| more than two-thirds of the employees at
| that institution are laborers and watchmen.
| Members of congress of both political
parties are being flooded with letters and
| petitions for the admission OF the terri
tories, and delegations are beginning to
arrive in the city to press the matter. New
| Mexico presents the somewhat anomalous
situation of being urged for admission by
both political parties. Hon. l.. Bradford
Prince, the republican governor of the ter
ritory. and Hon. G. H. Gildersleeve, ex-
! chairman of the democratic territorial
committee are both in the city urging upon
each of the parties to which they respectively
belong the political benefits to be derived
by the admission of New Mexico as a
state. Nearly all the prominent men of
/ both houses have been seen by these gem
| tlemen. and while Gov. Prince has insisted
that the admission of New Mexico would
result in a gain of two more tepub blican
| United states senators. Mr.. Gildersleeve
| has with equal pertihacity pointed out to
| the democrats the unbroken successes of
that party in returning Delegate Joseph to
| congress for eight years, and assuring the
| leade.s that the democratic supremacy in
the territory would only be accentuated by
| the admission of New Mexico as state
| Both gentlemen agree however, that any
enabling act submitted to the voters Of
] New Mexico would fail of appt oval which
| contained any provision the effect of which
would be to prohibit the teaching of
Spanish in the public schools. The bill
now pending in the senate has this objec-
| tionable provision, but in the evsnt of its
passing that body. Delegate JOSEPH will
make a strong effort to have it stricken out
| in the house.
Representative G. A. o. Mcclellan, of In
diana, is quoted as telling Il story to illus
| trate the character of the campaign of the
| republicans in his state. and the personal
popularity of Postmaster General Wanna
| maker.
Just before election day." he SAYS,
| POSTMASTER General Wanamaker came to
| Auburn to make speech. He was an
nounced III all the papers and on handbills
| posted all over the town. procession, to
be headed by brass band. was arranged to
escort him from his hotel to the opera
| house. Do you want to know how big the
| procession was? First came the brass band.
| and then two gentlemen walking with the
| postmaster general between them. These
| tn ee persons constituted the entire pro-
cesson, ana you would never have known
| from all that WAS observable, on the streets
| or anywhere eise, that a cabinet officer was
| in town.
Capt. Boptelle says this recalls an ex-
perienos he had i'll New Je, soy when he
went with Mr.. W. W. Phelps all the way
from Seaneek to Atlantic City to bear Mr..
| Phelps company while he announced that
| he would not be "A candidate for the senate
| against Gen. Sewell. There was big
/ btass band at the station to meet us and Il
procession to the hall, and the procession
consisted of the band, MIR. Phelps. myself,
| and two others.'
/ The funniest nfter election story ia told
by Representative Hopkins, of Illinois. In
| his district is the little crossroads post
Office of lyauhoe. over which, il Cleveland's 8
administration, German democrat pre-
sided. When President Harrison came
into power Mr. Hopkins had the deiu oct at
succeeded bv n Teutonic republican, who
died about year and IL hall ago His wife
was thereupon appointed postmistress. On
the day after election the German democrat
appeared at the postot1ice,
cleveland has WON he said with ac-
cents of the fatherland and OF triumph de-
/ lightfuliy mixed The postoilice is mine"
The widow, knowing that Cleveland had
! been elected, and uisuspeotingly believing
/ that her official career was ended, did not
object when her predecessor brought u big
wagon and cRrted the entire contents Of the
postotdce over to his store. lie has been
acting MS postmaster ever since.
Mr.. Hopkins reported the facts to the
| posttice department and an inspector has
been sent to convince tho enterprising
democrat of the error of his way.
Stin indiotiug woodruff
IIrILE Rock, Doc. l3,-The circuit court
grand jury to-day found three indictments
| npajuat aN-Statn 'Irananrar William, IL