The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1893-01-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.

!; From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. Jan 20, 1893.
, Editor Adcertassr:
Il Republican officials, par;icularl
I those who have been in office, in th
departments, for eight years or more
are In state of mind. They dom
I like recent indications of a change
, In the Civil Service law. Civil Ser
vice Commissioner Roosevelt, in hi:
anxiety in behalf of the Republican
office holders, even took the trouble
to 60 over to New York for the pur.
pose Of sounding President-elect
! Cleveland on the subject. The i'm,
mediate cause of this panicky feel
ing on the part of those who felt their
positions on Uncle Sans pay roll to
be safe were two bills introduced in
the House one by Representative
Martin, of Indiana, providing that
from and after the first Of next July,
all appointments in the Government
service should be for the term of four
years and that each official so ap-
pointed should be eligible to one re-
appointment, but no more that all
appolntments-here comes the part
that has upset the nerves of those
who have been feeding at the public
trough so long that they thought it
belonged to them-who have been in
Government employ for eight years
or longer shall be Ineligible to reap
pointment, and the other providing
for the suspension of the Civil Ser
vice law, 20 far as it relates to ap-
pointment. and removals, for a per-
iod of one year from the beginning of
each Presidential term. Representa-
tive Dc Almond, of Missouri, the au-
thor of the last named bill, says in
preamble thereto, that no administra-
ton can fully and satisfactorily carry
its policies into execution if a large
portion of the subordinate officers are
hostile to such policies.
The largest appropriation bill
the Sundry Civil-has been COM
pleted. 1t is sl5,OOO,O0O less than
the estimates submitted to the House.
The Diplomatic and Consular bill is
also complete. 1t carries 100000
less than the estimates. The Demo-
cratic word-economy-is be-
ing lived up to as much as possible.
Senator Sherman's ability to look
,ut for number one has made him e
very rich man, and not small part
# his wealth was made out of Wash.
ngton real estate. Several years ago
,e bought on speculation a large
'iece of unimproved ground on the
of the city, and recently
! water main was laid along the front i
# the property and bill amounting {
o about 500 for the special tax pro-
'ided by law was sent to Senator
sherman. Instead of paying this bill !
is private citizen without an official {
pull" would have done, he appealed c
o the local officials to remit the tax 1
N the ground that the land was un-
and would remain SO, as it e
vas his intention when he purchased t
t, and still is his intention, to sell it q
o the Government to be used as a
'ark. Ii the Senator proposed Civ n
ng this ground to the Government 4
here might be some justice in his d
'ot paying this Waterman tax, but n
S he expects to sell it Cat big profit, r
'resumably) he should be made to f
'ay all the legal taxes on it, just as c
he most obscure individual would d
ave to do. a
The makihgevf She joint resolution I
rovidins-foir TIA t:s .ffestinh- of the C.. |h