Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1895-11-07
WASHINGTON Letter

Washington Letter
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON. D. c., No, ember 4th, 1895
Straws show the course Of diplomatic
events as we'll as the way the wind
blows. Great Britain wants the United
States for an ally, not an enemy. The
British ambassador has proposed to
Secretary Olney that the United States
act jointly with Great Britain to pro-
tect the lives of British and American
citizens temporarily residing in Turkey
where things are in dangerous and
uncertain condition and the proposition
is now being considered by President
Cleveland. The making Of such a prop
osition at this time, when U, S. Sena-
tors and others are predicting war be-
tween the two countries, means great
deal more than appears on the surface.
This is fully shown by the activity 1t
has caused among the diplomatic repre-
sentatives in Washington of other Euro
bean nations. Great Britain is not the
only one of them which would like to
have the United States for an ally.
Before that proposal was made Sena-
tor Morgan, of Ala, chairman of the
Senate Committee on foreign relations,
and one OF the best informed men in
the country on our foreign relations,
said about thew enezuelan complications
"Great Britain is in no position to use
coercion or threats in her policy towards
the United States. She has resorted to
a very different policy in later years,
and she now seeks her ends by negoti-
alton. She finds that alliance and
cooperation is better policy to use
toward us. 1t works better than the
policy she used in 1912 and before and
during the revolutionary war. She has
changed her tactics, She has 80 many
., ,essions near our coast that war
would be great disaster to her, because
no matter how much our commerce or
our cities might be injured by her navy
the conclusion of the war would see
Canada and the islands off our coast in
the hands of the United States"
The recommendation that Congress
provides for the establishment of civil
pension list, which was made in Com
missioner Lochren's annual report, is
warmly endorsed in Washington, where
about one family out of every five has
member or members in government
employ and the most of the rest hope to
have, if nowhere else. But there are
numerous reasons why the idea will have
a rocky road in Congress should the
attempt be seriously made to push it
through. There is nothing hazardous
about being in government employ, I'M
less employed in that wing of the Gov
eminent Printing Office which was con-
demned by the grand jury the other
day; therefore it is difficult to show eny
good reason why the government should
in addition to paying from 20 to 80 per
cent more for from 20 to so per cent
less time than is paid by private estab-
lishments for the same grade of work,
pension the old employees when they
get too old or infirm to work. 1t can
not be denied that many men who have
given the best years Of their lives to
work for the government are dependent
practically upon charity when they are
dismissed for inability to do their work,
but whose fault is it? The liberal sal
aries they have made have either been
thrown away through their own bad
habits and associations, or have been
spent in maintaining al appearance for
their families not warranted by their
income. In neither case is there either
justice or equity in holding the govern
ment responsible. Washington has
hundreds of government employees who
have grown wealthy by saying and in
vesting their salaries. The pay Of
few government employees ls less than
Children Eyv for