The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-03-10
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
The once Seekers are Numerous-some
Of the Claims.

The ONCE Seekers are NumerOus-Some
of the Claims
Special HERALD correspondence.
WAsHrNaroN, March 9.-some one writ
ing about the United States says that its
population is about Gj,0OOOOO, mostly Office
seekers, and every change Of administration
gives additional weight to that assertion.
This city now contains more oflice-seekers
than it has ever held within its confines; more
than the great numberthat iiocked here eight
years ago when the first Democratic presi-
dent for "a quarter of century was inducted
to Office for now there are three distinct classes
Of individuals who are desirous Of working
for Uncle Sam. The first class contains those
who were in office under Cleveland before and
now want their old positions. They base their
claim largely on the fact that they were turned
out by the Republican administration, and
so their inference most naturally is that they
are entitled a second trial and with the adj
vantage Of having once been through the mill
and the disadvantage Of again asking such a
favor they plod along doing their utmost to
succeed
! In the second class is the great body Of
| the Democracy who have worked and voted
as Democrats all their lives and never
sou ght office before" so now they really
can see how they can be turned down. They
are continually on the search for their Senator
or Representative; have great lists Of endorse
ments and recommendations,and will take you
into corner and privately present their claims
| in a mysterious manner, winding up with
the injunction to say nothing about it just yet.
They chafe at the delay, and can't see why
it is that every clerk in the various depart
ments is not turned out the day following
the Inauguration.
The third class, is perhaps the most
troublesome, and probably the most
numerous. 1t contains all the voters Repub'
licans and Mugwumps- who voted for Mr.
| Cleveland at the last election. A great
number of these come from the Western states
notably Illinois and Wisconsin-which
though hitherto in the Republican column
were carried for Cleveland in 1892. They
have been encouraged by the appointment OF
Judge Gresham to the Secretaryship of State
aud finding themselves in a position which to
them seems exactly similar to that Of the
Judge they are sanguine that their services
will be similarly recognized.
They do not come in the usual humble
way begging for the favor, but demand a
| berth, and good one too, as just and well
earned reward for their descrtion from the
party with which they had so long been
affiliated.
One need not stop to reflect that the claims
of these new converts to the principles OF
Democracy meet with great opposition from
the old time and life long Democrats, and
every position secured by the former will
cause much dissatisfaction among the latter.
In these young days Of the new administra-
sion, the applicants are all happy and hopeful;
of course they must wait few days until
their little affair can be taken up, but it is
sure to come. But as the days lengthen into
weeks and the weeks into months they go the
rounds of the mill with heavier footsteps, and
with hope almost dead This is no place and
the present no time for the seeker after politi
cal preference so that if any of the deserv.
ing Democrats of Shenandoah are packing theii
grips with view of coming to Washington
to get place in Government employ, they
had better tax e the advice of the HERALDand
come prepared to make long stay. A. B.