Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-11-02
BRIGHTENS
THE TANGLE IS BEING STRAIGHT
ENED OUT.
Straight.Laced civil Service-Why
The Information Regarding
Credibility OF Pension Applicants
Is ConfIdential.

One wan came 10 the Democrats
The Information Regarding
Credibilisy OF Pension Applicants
Is Confidential.
President Cleveland is again at the
White House. He is in robust health
and, like all other Democrats, in Dem
ocratic skies. This has been a good week
at the headquarters OF the Democratic
Congressional committee. From every
direction comes news of q decided i'm
provement in business and consequent
ly in Democratic prospects. Even in
New York city, where it looked for a
time as though five or six seats in the
House were to be presented to the Re-
publicans by running two Democratic
candidates in each district, the tangle
is being Strengthened out, thanks to
the hard work of Senator Hill and
Faulkner and the good advice of
President Cleveland, and the election
of Democrats from all the city districts
made certain. off the election could
be postponed thirty days." said men,
Der of the Congressional committee.
1t would add at least thirty to the
Democratic majority in the next
House."
Postmaster General Bissell has the
right idea Of the postal service. Speak
ing OF an order sent out by him this
week, calling the attention of postal
employees to that portion of the civil
service law which prohibits forced
political contributions from Federal
employees, he said: "The Post Office
department is business, not political
institution. 1t has been my endeavOr
to conduct it on business principles, so
as to give the people the best possible
mail facilities. We do not want the
service crippled or interrupted for
political advantage" Those are ideas
that will make voters among business
men.
Chief Clerk Daniels, of the Interior
department, who has just returned from
North Carolina, is regarded as high
authority OH the politics of that State,
and his view of the situation there
widely differs from that which Populists
and Republicans are giving out. He
says: The Republicans and Populists
have affected q fusion, so far az formal
ity goes, but many in both parties
repudiate it. Together they have H.
600 more votes in the State than the
Democrats. and the problem 10 to mass
them. If it could succeed they would
carry the State, but it is not universal.
My own opinion is that the Democrats
will carry seven districts certain, and
that their chances are the best in the
two doubtful districts. The legislature,
which will elect two u. S. Senators,
will surely be Democratic on Joint
ballot. The Democratic judicial ticket
will, think be elected, although that
isn't certain as Democratic control of
the legislature" Members of the DEM
ocratic Congressional committee re.
gard the predictions of Mr.. Daniels as
very conservative.
Mr.. W. A. Croffut, a well-known
journalist, who was lately dropped
from the pay rolls of Uncle Sam, has
turned Democrat after losing his office,
thus differing from those who have
pretended to turn Democrat to keep
their offices. He is now on the stump
in Chairman Wilson's district, His
reasons for becoming a Democrat, as
told by himself, are good ones. He
says: 81 went to England. l found
that in that country under free trade
they had lower wages than here. l
then thought the protectionist policy
good thing. l then went to Germany,
where they have our policy OF protec-
ton. found that wages were lower
there than in England. 1 then went
to France, where they have a high
protective tariff, even between differ
ent divisions of the country, and where
1 found wages still lower than in Ger
many. l began to think then. saw
that tariff did not regulate wages.
saw that something was wrong. l
found that it was in the protective
system, and that is one OF the many
reasons why have changed my views
and am now Democrat"
Commissioner OF Pensions Lochren
says of the bureaus letter to post
master. which the republicans have
printed as campaign document: "In
adjudicating pension case it always
has been the practice OF the bureau to
call on postmasters in the locality
where the affiant resides for informa-
ton as to his credibility. Postmssters
sometimes object to giving this in.
formation, particularly when the in
formation is derogatory to the character
OF the affiant. without some assurance
that their communications will be
held confidential. 1t was in answer
to an inquiry from Postmaster F. X.
Sparkling, at Granville. Ohio, as to
whether such information would be
held as confidential that the letter
which is being given publicity was
written. No similar letter has been
sent out, unless in answer to eimilar
inquiry" No comment is needed.
Somebody seems to have mixed those