Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-28

oIicer huNlNg CNdfge or Such matters
His recommendation goes long way in
securing the cficc. without it the ap-
pllcant is almost sure TO go to the wall.
There are to-day in the Treasury Depart
mcnt enough applications for Office TO fiji
freight train, and they still pour in
upon the department TO give these ap-
plicatioEs careful consideration would re-
quire years Of steady work. Nevcrthe-
less changes are constantly being made.
but the prizes are as few and as far
between as those in a Havana lottery
The same strain is felt in the Inferior
Department This department covers the
Pension. Land. Census. and Patent
Offices. employing thousands OF men
ana women. The most Of the
employees are protected by the
ciyil-scrvice rules. There are hum
drcds, however. who are not. An army
Of women are seeking these few places.
When a vacancy occurs nearly every con-
gresham I'm the House is importuned to
go to the front on behalf Of some appli-
cant Those who make a business Of
seeking Offices instead of attending TO
their congressional duties with rare eX-
ceptons appear 10 be as unsuccessful as
others There are REPRESENTATIVES who
ramp the departments SO continuously
that IL Is hard TO find them when their
vote Is required 20 make a quorum Very
few rmOvals are made IlOke Smith
moves cautiously and is not disposed
to make any of his bureaus even Temporal
rily inefficient for the benefit of office
seekers As for the registers OF land
offices. surveyors, Indian agents. ana
other places I'm distant States, they are
appointed by the President
The War Department. I'm comparison
with others, has very little patronage TO
distribute For that little. however there
IS constant fight Colonel Lamont is
emlnently practical and distributes what
ever he has promptly and graciously.
VERY LITTLE.
The Department Of Justice has also
little patronage. The United States dis
trict attorneys are appointed by the Presi-
dent usually. but not necessarily, on the
recommendation Of the AttOrney-General.
These district attorneys select their own
subordinates.
The once Department fairly
swarms with applications for Office. 1t
employs hundreds Of clerks In Washing
ton alone. The most Of them are under
the ciyil-scrvicc rules. The main pa
tronage is in fourth-class post-oiiices.
These directly irterost all Democratic con-
gressmcn. Robert 4. Maxwell. the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster-Gcncral,h has charge
Of these Offices. They were formerly with
in the gift OF the First Assistant Postmas-
ter-General. 1t was IN their distribution
that Adlai Il. Stevenson and James ).
Clakson made their reputation as heads
men.
Some congressman make bitter COM
plants against Mr.. Maxwell but the re-
cord shows :, d he wiclds the axe as skill
fully as did even Stevenson or Clarkson
The latter did business by spurts. Days
would drag 10y without removal, and
anon hundreds Of heads would fall into
the basket within twelve hours. Maxwell
works the guillotinc steadily. The aggre-
gate shows that he has made more re-
movals since ne has been I'm office than
Clarkson made in the same time. The pres
sure however, Is so great that Cissats-
faction siill exists. IL threatened 10 show
itself in the Democratic caucus on the
night Of January 5th. \ Democrats rep
resentative had "a resolution prepared as
scrting' that II was the sense Of the eau
Gus that every fourth-class post-ofiice in
the country should Toe filed by a Demo-
crat before March. The friends of the ad-
ministration. 1t is said. got wind of his
purpose and the caucus adjourned be-
fore n could present his resolution. If
attended TO their duties as faithfully as
Maxwell there would be fewer complaints
Congressman Wilson. of Washington.
whose cry OF cuckoo in the House has
won him the sobriquet of 'the cuckoo con-
gressman," tells a singular story of an
interview with postmQster-Gcneral Bis
sell Entering his office last week, Mr.
Wilson said. General, l am here in be-
half OF a postmaster in my district. II
is vital matter. tie is in great distress.
and 1t is in the power of your department
to relieve him"
What can | do?' Mr. Bissell replied.
you can accept his resignation" Mr.
Wilson said. He resigned last August,
and the office has not yet been filled. He
has lost one opportunity to go into busi-
ness because his resignation was not ac-
cepted lie has another chance 10 make
a living, and he not only urges, but de-