San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. z, '95.

When the manager Of big bust.
ness establishment neglects his
duties the bad example is quickly
followed by those OF his subordi-
mates who have an opportunity to
do so. This government is the
biggest business establishment on
this continent, and the president
Is its general manager mismanager.
He has been since March 4, 1S9 3.
AS one gentleman put it in a con-
versation today, "this administra-
ton ought to be known in history
as one of vacation and inc8pacity."
No reasonable man objects to the
president and members Of the cabi-
net taking a vacation, just as most
other men do occasionally, but
when there is more time de-
voted to vacations than to work it
would seem to be time for congress
to act, and to prescribe precisely
the time the president and men,
bers of his cabinet may take off,
and continue to draw their pay.
Take this year, for instance. Mr..
Cleveland has been absent from
Washington more than half the
time, and about the only member
Of the cabinet who has not taken
almost as much time away from
his duties is Secretary Morton, and
he has probably remained in
Washington more because he could
better follow his greatest pleasure,
keeping before the public through
newspaper interview upon finance
and almost every other conceiv-
able subject-here than when
junketing around in some obscure
part of the country. The only
reason that so little has been said
about this continuous absenteeism
is that most people have arrived
at the conclusion that the less
time the President and members Of
his cabinet put in at their desks
the less harm will be done to the
country's interest. While that is
true, they should not be allowed to
draw salaries for doing nothing.
One of the odd phases OF the
Maryland campaign is that while
the German Democrats continue to
assert that Mr.. Cleveland wants
the German ticket to be elected, Mr..
Cleveland and all the members Of
his cabinet maintain dead silence
on the subject, and the most prom
inent official that all Of the coax
ing and begging Of Senator Cor
man and his friends has been able
to get upon the stump in Maryland
was Dominic Murphy, subordi-
nate OF the commissioner of PEN
sions. Your correspondent makes
no pretense Of being In the conf
dence of Mr.. Cleveland, or
Of any member Of his cabi-
net, but he knows that In the
past neither Mr.. Cleveland
nor the members OF his cabinet
have hesitated to speak out In
favor of the Democratic ticket In
any state where it was thought
| such speech would aid in bringing
out the party vote. If they really
wish German to win, why do they
not speak out for the ticket? Why
didn't the members OF the cabinet
who refused to make speeches for
Germans ticket temper that re-
fusal with a few words in favor OF
the election Of the ticket? The
answer to these questions may not
be that Mr.. Cleveland wishes the
Gormanites to be defeated, built
certainly looks that way at this
writing.
Secretary Hoke Smith has gone
to Georgia again. 1t is said that
ex.Speaker Crisp's announcement,
when he was in Washington the
other day, Of his intention to make
some free silver speeches in Geor-
gia had something to do with the
secretary's present trip.
It is evident that the admins
tration does not feel any more cor
dial toward Mr.. Castle, the new
Hawaiian minister to the United
States, than it did toward his pre-
decessor whose recall 1t so uni Justly
demanded. Mr.. Castle arrived in
Washington a few days ago. He
called at the state department. to
see Secretary Olney about arrang-
ing date for officially presenting
his credentials. When Mr.. Castles
card was taken in to Secretary
Olney he sent word to him by a
messenger that he was busy and
could not see him, but that he
could call upon diplomatic
day, which is set apart for receiv-
ing all mem bers of the diplomatic
corps who care to call upon the Sec
rotary but the calls upon that day
are as a rule more of a social than
an official nature. OF course the In
cident was discussed by members
of the diplomatic CORPS and especi-