The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04

their stationery and postage when they
write to the President. but they would
serve themselves as well and secure results
just as quick by making their congress-
man their agent in Washington, and in so
doing they would also relieve the White
House Of what has become a real burden
on the clerical force. The President. OF
course. never sees this correspondence.
President Cleveland was not favored with
many communications from old soldiers.
except occasional 'rossts" on account of
kis pension vetoes.
A local banker who was asked why Wash
ington which is almost exclusively resi-
dence city and kept up so largely by the
regular monthly disbursements by the gov
eminent to its tens Of thousands of en-
ployes should feel the effects Of hard times,
replied Il suppose it is because the clerks
are obliged to send larger amounts than
usual to friends and relatives at a distance
and are therefore obliged to economic in
their personal and household expenses. And
then again a great many hundreds, and /
might say thousands of our government
clerks got stuck with real estate three or
four years ago and have been obliged TO
use up all their surplus in meeting deferred
payments. Real estate is q good thing to
deal in on a rising market, because then
there is a chance TO get in and out, but
when the turn is the other way the money
invested remains dead until another boom
starts again. Anyway, times are hard in
Washington. The president of a large ice
company told me the other day that he had
several customers who were well to do but
temporarily property poor and obliged to
curtail expenses, who took cents worth
OF ice a day and wanted two deliveries"
The follower Democrats, who occupy i'm
portant positions in the government serv-
ice, have developed the most extraordinary
caution since the change of administration
With many Of them this habit of vocal
suppression has already become a second
nature and as Colonel Sterret Of the Gal
weston News remarks, they are afraid to
open their pores for fear of letting an opin-
Ion escape" They remind the colonel of an
exceedingly cautious man down in Texas,
who was so careful to avoid expressing an
opinion that his acquaintance would lay
any money that no living man could entrap
him into going on record with an UNDECIDED
statement. One day 'tenderfoot' came
along and made a bet that he could do
what everybody else failed at He got ac-
quainted with the cautious man, and one
day sauntered up to him as a bunch of
newly-sheared sheep passed by. Them
sheep look as though they had been
SHARED. said the ''tenderfoot." The eau
tious man inspected the sheep for a minute
or two and then drawing his pipe from
his mouth. observed, with great delbera-
ton, Yes, it appears so" and then after
a full half-minute pause, during which
time the "tenderfoot" could with difficulty
restrain himself from throwing up his hat
he added: Yes, it appears so, from this
side" The "tenderfoot" gave up in despair
after that. Some of the followers could
give the cautious man from Texas cards
and spades. The thing that they do
see is the side of their bread which is but
tered -
Senator Chandler is one Of the most in
teresting characters in Congress. He is an
unfailing source Of amusement to his
friends and evaporation TO those against
whom he happens to be directing his ener-
gies. He has a marvelously acute detective
instinct, and gets on track of more jobbery
in public matters than any man who ever
held seat in Congress, and he has a prac-
teal way of getting after schemes and
schemers. Before he entered the Senate,
twelve years ago, he had served a term as
secretary of the navy, under President Ar
thur and had previously held important po-
sitions in the navy and treasury depart
ments and in the intervals, when he was
not holding office, he was in the enjoyment
of a large and diversified practice which
brought him in contact with all phases of
governmental business. He is consequently
splendidly equipped with exact information
about departmental workings He is a hu-
man prod and every time he jabs he draws
blood. He has been unusually quiet this
special session of Congress owing to his in
To Sc
sage of the tariff bill by the introduction of
distIacting propositions, but when the tar
If is well out of the way he will resume his
occupation of promoting gayety and dis
comfort. Senator Chandler is sixty-two
years old, but does not look to be over fifty
or fifty-tive. He is one OF these why, tough
little men who seem to be able to endure
the work and the storms that would break
down men of twice their physical strength
and size, and who do not show the wear and
tear of years ordinary fellow mortals do.
In speech he is sharp and rasping aud his
mental machinery works with electric
quickness. He has an calculated and hair
trigger tongue.
The Postoffice Department is the largest
business branch of the government About
S93,0O0000 is required to run it annually and
the amount is increasing year by year The
increase in eleven years is nearly $40 600 COO
the appropriation for 1856 having been
slightly under $5400O,OOO. During the fiscal
year beginning the LIST of the current July
provision Is made for the expenditure of
$l6,25O0o0 for salaries of postmasters, S10.-
100000 for clerks and postoffices, ST. GOO for
railway postal clerks $l2, 500, O00 for the free
delivery system SOS, 50O0 900 for the trans
portation of mails over railroads and So
3lQ for he maintenance %
or lines which carry mail in regions not
\ uaversed by railroads The foreign mail
service cost about 81. 100000 and the rent of
buildings for postoftices $1,6OOOOO. Stamped
envelopes and newspaper wrappers cost
@SSO000 postal cards S1S60OO and postage
stamps about 100000. The government
does business on large scale in the mat
Ter OF giving the people a convenient and
expeditions mail service
w. G. NICHOLAS.
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