Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1895-06-20

AldOAua OialmS Cdoo 40 AoAuI'I 'oeoAi0o
by most people, and was doubtless dis
cussed at the Cabinet meeting previous
to the Inauguration of all this activity.
It isn't then question of sympathy, as
many seem disposed to think, but Of
plain every day dollars and cents. The
United States must officially take pre-
cautions to prevent violation Of the
international Neutrality Laws, or find
itself called on to pay big bill Of dam
ages if Spain succeeds in subduing the
revolt. The administration thought it
wise to take those precautions, but no
body in Washington appears to believe
that any Of our officials on board the
cruiser Raleigh, now in Florida waters,
the revenue cutters, or Oh shore will
strain their eyes or sit up o'nights to
find and arrest Americans upon filibus.
tering bent. Those officials are all
Americans, and doubtless to man their
sympathies are with the Cubans. OF
course if they see any violation Of law
they will be prompt in making arrests.
It gets more and more difficult to get
anything tangible out Of the silver news
which is brought to Washington. Tie
assertions of every individual appear to
be based upon bis hopes, and those OF
men equally trustworthy are directly
opposed to each other. For instance
Secretary Carlisle.who has just returned
from Kentucky. says the administration
men will control the State Convention
which meets next week, while Senator
Blackburn writes that the freesilver men
will control 1t. Both cannot be right.
Judge Springer, who seems to take
as naturally to his judicial duties as
though all the years he speut in the
turmoil Of the House had been passed
on the bench, is in Washington on bus
mess. He says of his new home: VIM
dian Territory is improving very fast in
every way. White people Of good
class, honest and Industrious, are pour
ing in rapidly, and the towns are grow
ing and developing along the same lines
of municipal progress that we see in the
various states ofthe union. think the
report of theDawes commission has been
largely responsible for this. Every body
realizes the ultimate destiny Of the ter
ritory. Sooner or later it will become
state, and even now in population,
wealth, area, and resources it has all
the prerequisites Of statehood" When
asked his opinion of the silver move
ment, Judge Springer assumed his most
judicial cast Of countenance and said
something about it not being proper for
Judges to express opinions on such sub
jects. Well, WE'LL things change and
men change with them, Still, it is diff
fcult for Washington newspaper man
to realize that "Bill" Springer hesitatcs
to express an opinion upon anything.
There is one thing about putting the
Government Printing Office under the
civil service rules, which has been &C
compllshed notwithstanding the oppo-
sition thereto. If the rules are proper
ly enforced the Public Printer will have
more time to devote to the legitimate
work Of his Office than he has ever had
before. Uuder the old method of max.
ing appointments the greater part Of
the Public Printers time was taken up
by listening to the friends Of Applicants
for appointments. This W as particularly
true when Congress was in session, and
the greatest test of the new system will
be when Congress reassembles. OF
course on general principles there can
be no valid Objection to making appoint.
ments anywhere solely on merit. But
accusations of favoritism havebe en- made
in other branches of the Government,
and tits not probable that the Public
Printer Will succeed in escaping similar
accusation. Some shrewd friends of
organized labor predict that the change
is the first step towards the end of the
reign of the Typographical Union, which
has controlled the Government Printing
Office since its establishment. They
think that under the new rules non
union printers are certain to get in and
there will be no way to either compel
them to join the union or to get out as
they will be protected by the civil ser.
vice rules.