San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-05-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent. !
WAsHINGTON. Man p, lN93.

partment requiring newly appoint
ed chiefs of divisions to take non
competitive examination, merely
to test their general knowledge
and intelligence. Several Of the
Democrats appointed chiefs of di-
visions by Secretary Carlisle have
simply through lack of ordinary
intelligence failed tie make even
fairly creditable showing in these
examinations and the examining
committee has been compelled to
report them unfit for the positions
they have been selected to fill.
Did Mr.. Carlisle make other and
better selections in place of these
men? Not bit of it. He simply
exercised his authority as secre-
tary and issued an order changing
the making it read that chiefs
of divisions in his department may
be excused from taking the depart
mental examination at the discre-
ton Of the secretary of the treas
ury- The result of this order will
be that the incompetent Demo-
Gratis will draw the salaries of
chiefs while their work will in
reality be performed by a COmpe-
tent Republican clerk under them.
No ObSerTant man doubts that re-
forms are needed in the civil SER
vice, but he who thinks that they
will be made by this administra-
ton is doomed to disappointment.
The Geary exclusion act is to be
dead letter, Notwithstanding the
Supreme court decision, until Con-
gress meets, if not longer, it having
been decided by the cabinet to
spend what money is now availa-
bic, as well as the $4,000 that will
become available July |, in prose-
cutting and depOrting those China
men who are in America, in ViO-
latiOn of the anti-ChineSe law of
1884, and to let the unregistered
Chinese alone.
There is much speculation as to
the intlences the administration
brought to bear upon eX-Secretary
Fairchild to cause him to with
draw his resignation as chairman
of the committee recently appoint
ed to investigate the New York
custom house, after having twice
refused in writing TO serve on the
committee. Mr.. Eairchild has lost
friends by allowing himself to be
cOerced into doing something that
it is we'll known he did not wish to
do.
The Democratic commissioner of
pensions seems to Lack the courage
of his conviction. \ few days ago
it was stated by his close friends
that he had concluded that the
medical boards should be made up
hereafter entirely of Democrats.
There was such a unanimous kick
against the manifestly unjust pro-
position that he made haste to
make a half-hearted denial OF
his intentions to put it
into effect. He does admit
that he favOrS such a policy, but
says that when the sentiment of
the locality in which the boards
do their work, favored minority
representative on the board, he
would appoint one Republican and
two Democrats. If there is COM
munity in this country in which
public sentiment faVOrs making
these boards political machines
composed solely Of the member of
one party it is good community
for fair minded men to get out of.
The Spanish Infanta Eulalie
and her suite are in Washington,
and so far everything attending
their entertainment has moved
smoothly and apparently satisfac-
tOrily to the Spaniards and to the
administration. The royal party
paid their respects to Mr.. and Mrs.
Cleveland by making an official
call at the White House Saturday
morning. In the afternoon of the
same day Mrs. Cleveland, accom-
panied by Mrs. Carlisle, Mrs. La
mont, and several other ladies re-
turned the courtesy by calling on
the Infanta at the hotel where she
and her suite are quartered in
royal style. Tomorrow evening
Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland will en-
terrain the nations royal guests at
a State dinner in the White House,
the other guests being the mem
bers of the cabinet and ladies Of |
their families, members of the Su-
preme court and their wives, and
all of the members of the Senate |
and House committees on foreign |
affairs who are at present in Wash
ington. Thursday the Infanta will
go to New York to accept the So
cial attentions of the "four hun