The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, ! March Is, '93.

Il
eral offices will soon begin to moult
their Republican plumage and take
on a beautiful Democratic iris in
stead. We may expect shortly to
see the FURNISHED dove of patronage
shine and simmer with true spring
time splendor. One by one the anx-
ious watchers by the outer gatle will
hear, a sound or catch reckoning
gesture that delights them. One by
one they will vanish from the sad
eyed legion to reappear anon with
chest thrown out and eye serenely
poised and forehead furrowed by
the cares of state. They will filter
into office as it were. Then they
will cultivate hauteur and nurse
scorn of office-seekers; assume .
pride that will set upon them with
about as much fitness as the trou
sers of a baseball king.
But, after all, these offices have
been held before. They are not
miraculous windfalls, heavenly visi-
tors, mamma dropped from the skies
and awarded only to the favortes
of the gods. They are plain, human
offices, yielding from 81. 500 year
(about what good carpenter can
mske) to 81, 900 or 4, 800 1.-THE wages
of a first-class Carnegie mechanlc).
They have beautiful and high
sounding titles, to be sure. Fourth
Assistant Secretary of the Thing
umbob" or Deputy Chief of the
So-and-so Division" carries lofty
suggestion, and it is a great thing
to feel that one is saving or helping
to save the country.
There Is, however, great wisdom
in becoming modesty. Pride goeth
before fall, in politics as well as
morals. Time with its Christening
influences will at last make all
things clear. The boss of the waste
paper bureau will find that Congress
does not tremble at his frown. Sew
eral other officials will have great
white light let in upon them. The
establishment will shake down as it
were and routine do its deadly work.
The first bewildering sunburst of
promotion will fade away, and the
brotherhood of humanity will exist
once more in Washington.
There was a time, not long ago,
when to be the private secretary of
the Executive meant to be mes.
senger, copyist, or clerk, confiden-
tial and valuable but of no great
Importance. To-day private Sec
rotary is a man of power and influ-
ence, whose favor is courted and
disapproval feared. 1t has become
position of honor and trust. He
Is expected to ward off bores; to see
that persons entitled to attention
are given it; that matters of moment
are not neglected; that enemies are
placated with honor and no offense
given to friends. Great credit is
due to Lamont for the present i'm
portance of this position. Before
his time the post has been occupied
by able men, but he widened the
sphere of usefulness and elevated
the duties. Maj. lIalford main
tanned the standard in his execution
of the position for ex-President
Harrison. During Lannon'S last
year of service the salary was in
creased to S., 900 on the Presidents
recommendation.
Six days has he labored and on
the seventh he rested and did not
go to church The labor at the
White House during the first weeks
of new administration is enor-
nous. There is apparently an in
creased number of applicants. They
come and pass interminably, each
tackled to the side Of a Congressman.
Congressman Springer appeared in
the throng the other day. He
sought little further information
from the President regarding the
chances of ex-office-holders. He
got it. He left with the general air
of man who has had information
pressed into him with a hydraulic
ram.
The assertion that editors are not
to be generally recognized by the
new administration is true. Mr..
Cleveland believes that his prede-
cessor suffered through the charge
of having subsidized the press, and
he does not intend to run the same
gauntlet. The decision is also to be
made particularly applicable to
newspaper men who desire to be
postmasters in their own towns.
Out of the discomfort and death
consequent upon the meteorological
conditions prevalent here on March
4th, has arisen national outcry for
change of the inaugural date.
There is much clamor for the Oft
proposed reform and perhaps the
next Congress will reach the conclu-
sion that constitutional amend
r,oo@ eboulJ % oDoo 10 ,tfad 70