Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-01-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

md increased their total vote over
their vote of two years before. The
newspapers, he says, carried the news
that Kansas populists had been ex
tinguished, but the newspapers, he as
sures you, are very unreliable. Fur
thcr, Mr.. Simpson says the popuiisu
are going to hold the state and to grow
stronger instead of weaker.
The special house committee ap
pointed TO make inquiry as to the pub.
lie buildings in New York have just
make report which contains some
surprising and interesting information
as to the amount OF federal business
transacted In that city. 1t Is excelled
In that respect only by Washington and
does more federal business than all
other points in the country combined.
Of the revenue from customs more than
two-thirds of the whole comes from the
New York custom house, and OF the
total immigration four-fifths enters
through the New York harbor The
transactions of the New York sub
treasury nre nearly twoand one
half times more than those OF
all the oLher subtreasuries In the coun.
.ry. The postal revenues amount Ia
nearly 81, 500, 900 annually and return .
net profit of over 81 900, 900. Six thousa
and employees and officials are employed
In New Yors In doing the work Of the
government Tie public buildings
there are condemned by the committees
as being utterly inadequate and unfit
for the work to which they are put and
1t Is recommended thMAsw oEAbe
supplied. AS an ~
of proper facilities
that in the centri -....-ssta,ossss :
some 300 employees are constantly en-
ployed in rooms twelve feet below ths
sidewalk, with no light from outside
and in an atmosphere sitting and fonL
a favorable report has been made oS
the senate committee upon the pllI In
troduced by Senator liansbrough 70
employ the balance OF the appropria'
ton OF $40, 900 made for the erection oi
! a penitentiary at Grafton. n. d., In ths
| construction OF an institute FOR tn'
feeble minded upon the penitentiarJ
site. and to then convey said inst'tun
TO the state OF North Dakota.
The public Partnership has not ys
been changed and +. w. Palmer hangs
on there. much To his surprise and graf
| ifcation. 1t is said the president wanu
to reappoint ex-Public Printer Ben
edict, but Is confronted by his owu
rule against reappointing men who
held Office under him before. lie may
COMPROMISE the matter by appointing
brother OF Mr.. Benedict, who was CHIEF
clerk Of the Office during Cleyelands
former term. NJ. b. McAbee OF Chi7
cago app ears otherwise TO be the lead
ing candid ate for the position. lie
used to be an employe OF the office, bu I
was cut off by ). j. Rounds There
having been no change in the public
printership, of course no changes have
been made among the other officials
and the employees OF that bureau, and
90 per cent of them are republicans.
The reports as to the mental break
down Of the venerable General N. +.
Banks revives interesting recollections
Of him here and OF his career as q pub
lie official. He came into congress for
the first time in 1883, was elected
speaker in 1855, after the celebrated
contest lasting two months, reelected
In 1855; was governor of Massachusetts
in 1887. 1858, and 1859; served in the
army from 1861 to 1864; elected to con.
gress again in 1864, in 1865, and again
in 1870 His last appearance In the
| q
first congress In 1890 He was then
feeble and acted little strangely, being
given to aimless walks and distracted
manner. lie made a very eloquent
speech In the house In 1891 in favor Of
pensioning Mrs. General Fremont. It
was his last public speech. He is poor
mani n spfse NE nsny I'd nd
dollars he has received from the gov.
ernment in his lifetime as compensa-
ton for his public services. His frst
government position was as clerk in
the Boston custom house nearly tifty
years ago, and he has been in public
position most of the time since then.
Representative Picller OF South Da-
kota is very comfortably established
with his family in pleasant apartments
near the capitol. Being an ex-Iowa
man himself, it is not strange he should
select another ex-Iowa man for his
clerk, Mr. Bailey, formerly Of Upton.
1t is a rather odd state OF things that
subordinate officer should receive more
than his superior. Yet there are a
number of such cases. Thus, the coll
lector of customs OF New York receives
$500 year salary, while his
superior, the secretary OF the treasury,
has bnt ss, 900, and with ten times the
work and responsibility and social OBJ
legations. The secretary OF war gets
only $4,000, but the major gene, nls In
the army get moro than double, and
with very little TO do. The secretary
of state, too, has but IS, 900, while nu,
nerous ministers aud consuls get twice
As much and more. So, too, tho prcsi-
aent OF me United States has salary
of $50, 600. but the compensation of the
consul generals to Paris and London 10
$4,000 and $4,000 respectively. The
fact OF the matter Is that government
salaries are based upon no Just prin-
eiple at all. and have little regard to
Importance or arduousness OF the
duties TO be performed.
At Paris. KY, last week died Pres
ley Simpson, one OF the three last sur
vivors OF the war OF 1912. He was u
resident OF this city for long time.
In the war of 1912 he was one of tho
soldiers comprising the force that was
got together to defend Washington
from the attacks of the British. He
was clerk In the sixth auditors Office
in 1927 and held tho position until
1881. lie was member of the Metho-
dist church for seventy-seven years.
The marriage Of Senator Faulkner To
Miss Virginia Whiting, will take place
1T Hampton, Va, on the Sd of January,
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