The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-12

be Pensioned After Certain Term oil
service-Senator FsIackburn's Chances
OF Re-eleetiOn--Ex Attorney General
Tompkins' Expianationt
Special to the News and Observer.
WASHINGTON, d. G. Nov. II.
The defeat of Brice for the Senate will
cause Washington to lose its most
princely entertainer When elected to
the Senate, MIR. Brice rented the ". ".
Corcoran mansion, closed up all the en-
frances except the one approached by
carriages, seeming thereby to say that no
visitors except those in carriages were
expected. He spent So, 900 in changing
and improving the house before he moved
into it. The women of the family led
the ''swelP' set, sparing no expense
to Guido all Others. After bit there
was no competition. The Brices led.
Other folks were satisfied to follow afar
off. In their drawing room, as you
would say in North Carolina, or salon
as they say in Washington, the nota-
bles-I mean the very great notabes
only-in politics, the drama, art, music,
the church were entertained in
more than royal luxury. During
each winter, in addition to the
great receptions and dinners, the
Brices gave entertainments of high or
der such, for instance, as paying Pad
erewski 81 900 to play two pieces on the
piano. That was high, but Brice cares
not rap for expense where his wife
and daughters are concerned. He looks
less | Ike statesman than any man in
Washington. He has bad face and red
hair-not the frank, honest, friend
ly red hair, but that curly
red hair that makes you think Of
poodle. He is money maker. That is
all. Shrewd, smart, quick, he looks
every inch the gambler. If he had not
been big gambler, that is "a ortunate
Spectator, he would have been cheap
John faro bank man. He is bound to
gamble, and the other fellow is
the one who loses 1t was his
speculative nature that carried him into
politics. He had no convictions upon
public questions, no views to carry out,
no desire to serve his country. His wife
and daughter wanted the pleasures o.
residence in Washington on scale sec
ond only to a residence in the White
House Could he give it to them He
had never failed to get what he wanted.
He would try. He tried and won. Luck
went with him. He has had the posi-
ton six years He was willing to gam
BILE on it again, but his speculative
instinct warned him not to put
up too much on the game.
His friends say that he saw bow
the drift was and put up just enough
money to prevent his campaign going by
default, and that he won money through
Others betting on the result. Shouldn't
wonder if he did.
There is gentleman in this city who
was at law school with Brice. seal was
nsver very bright Ib was an easy
thing for me to lead him at the law
scnool, and little did | think then
that hs would ever be in the
United States Senate. / thought he
might make money, but that was all,
and / wasn't certain he would make It
on large scale. He took no interest in
the debates or any literary exercises or
contests between the students. He
learned corporation law and wasn't dull
And yet here be is, with money to burn
and having Senatorial honors, and the
rest of Us who stood ahead of him in
the class Flooding away and finding it
hard work go make buckle aud tongue
meet
NOBODY will ever know whether the
insinuations that filed the air about
Brice and the Sugar Trust had any foun
dation, but there are plenty of people in
this city who will always believe that
Brice and German, Aldrich and Quay
managed the sugar schedule in the in
terest ofthe sugar trust. However that may
be and however innocent Mr.. Brice was,
there is no doubt that the suspicion that
attached to him and German, not only
helped to defeat them, int was like a
cratic party in every State in the Union.
Nobody will regret Brice's departure un
til Foraker comes in his place, and tn. n
everybody will regret it.
Commissioner Lcchran's suggestions
that the old clerks should be pensioned
meets with universal approval here
among the clerks. | will be laughed at
in North Carolina for saying it, but, |
am fully of the opinion that the time
is not far distant when every clerk in
the departments here will be pensioned
after a certain term Of service. For
years this has been agitated by the
civil service clerks, and experience has
taught me that in the long run
either Congress or the President gives
the clerks everything they W. Mt.
Toe argument the clerks make IL that
if they give their best years to the ser
vice of the government to its civil de
parsments way shouldn't they be pen
stoned as well as those who serve the
government in the army and navys They
think this is poser. A pension as nat
urally follows Che 'civil service reform"
plan Of appointment and retention in
office as night follows day. 1t will come