New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-12
THAT AIR OF MYSTERY.
PASSION FOR sECRETIvENEss IN THE PREsr.
DENT AND ALL HIS CABINET-TIE PUBLIC
MUST NOT KNOW WHAT is GOING on.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1

DENT AND ALL HIS CABINET-THE PUBLIC
MUST NOT KNOW WHAT is GOING on.
BIT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.1
Washington, April 1.-THE sacred fires OF re
form do not burn brightly-except In the dark
That. at least to be the opinion of the present
Administration. There is air Of mystery sur
rounding most Of the Departments NOWADAYS which Is
almost tragic. The public not know what Is
going II Is considered highly improper TO answe
inquiries, and public officers who do expose Their
selves to the danger Of dismissal in favor of O.
Greet and mystery loving successors. The PresIcn'
no longer be- seem even by members Of Conress.
except on certain days and at specified hours. His
private secretary knows absolutely nothing d. not
know Saturday last whether the Prsiden'
was going to New.York to Wilmington.
The heads Of Departments invisible on two
days OF the week. thus Initiating their chief secretary
Carlisle has given orders that cmpl@e OF ths
Treasury Department must speak to newspaper repre-
sentatives or be heard through the pres upon pain
OF instant dismissal. The PostmastcGeneral at
tempted the other day to keep from ne pnohc inc
names OF postmasters appointed cad day' "a pro
ceedlng that gave Use TO storm O'pro'eS's ne o'u
not dare to face very long; still, 'hc intention 10
surround his Office with mystery al 10 perform the
public business behind closed docs ana III darRness
apparent
That passion for secretiveness broke ont again to
man the nature OF tn. charge filed against Il con
s'ituent OF the Congressman and an omcehoder.
Just think Of that And Mt many squares away
and only few days ago, an OLD empioye OF 'he
Governments of thirty ycars'standing was bounced
most unceremOnlously for o other reason than That
he had refused TO comm,aicate TO the chief OF his
department charges made against an ohceholder IN
q letter which he had dcry reason 70 regard as
private and unofficial oe Surely. consistency Is
great virtue but II isyt possessed by the different
members OF the Admis Stration
And Their there is hat dear old spirit OF mystery
which al all times roods over the Department OF
state Here was NJ, BlOunt about to start on mis-
sion 10 Hawaii. Oud such mission remain
secret for more TIM twenty-iour hours 'oud the
distinguished cnvy have left Washington without
scores NJ kurneI," "majahs" and tedges instantly
heine aware Of tie fact and bemoaning his departure
Could he travel long In state. accompanied by sec
retary dc luxe and divers members OF his family and
bona N oscon the vgiant eve Of the Western press'
could he sn( In Chicago and depart from that home
NJ puhl,cy without account Of that portentous
evon. holnraashed Immediately over hundred wires
IA tbe Turtles. corner OF the land Could he finally
embark AT san Francisco q steamer specially pre-
parcd for MIN and his suite" and could he land at
uonouluin the dead Of night, 60 about In disguise
among te islanders without this becoming at once
Known .. ,,., ,,..h, a. ,or a.
ne lin Of Mr.. Bount's departure II refused All and
every Attenuation concerning his " mission ~ wenI
30 farm its delightful secretivencss that refused 10
toll zen the Hawaiian Commissioners here what Nf.
Hlowt expected TO do and 10 this day the Colp
mis.oners officially unaware that Mr.. Blount has
nn,. TO Hawaii OF course every Administration
suers in It's first months OF power from TINS disease
~ secretvene,s bu, it is doubtful whether any 40
ever went quite so far in this regard as the
resent one. 1t may well give rise TO the inquiry
shetter this is to be dark lantern Administration.