The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-09
Those Who Look for Offices and the Men
Whose Ears They Want Most.
A MEDLEY IN WASHINGTON MAY DAYS
The Capital City of tho Girentest M
sion on Earth Presents Equally
tic Beauty und to tho Student
Of Human Nature.
written for the Sunday Virginiau b,
Amos. J. Cummings)
Washington. d. c., May

The long winter has gone. The month
OF blossoms mas returned. Washington
IS again one great bowl of vivid verdure.
Its soft ba.my atmosphere is once more
laden with perfume. It's magnolia and
tulip trees arc in bloom. Its newly
leafed trees again shadow its smooth
avenues. and it's parks and circles are
freshened with roses and beds OF rare
flowers.
All is life aud animation Sparrows
tWttter in the marble plinthS of the
Corinthian columns adjoining tine Capt.
tol, and robins dart here and there over
the bright green sward below the mar
bic eSplanadc. The aeoian notes of the
red-winged blucl1bird float above the
Botanic Garden. and the hoarse saving
Of crows is heard as they wing then.
fight from their feeding grounds along
the East Potomac 30 their roosts in Viz
GINA Grim beetles, ugier Than he'll
GRANTEES, fly TO the city from neigh
boring swamps and encircle the electric
lights at night, casting onl.nous shad-
ows over the pavements.
Natures spring awakening spurs
whcelmen to renewed activity. With 500
miles of asphalt aud ma cadanized roads
at their command. they shoot over the
ground like swallows on the wing. 6 iris
and boys, women and men, they troop
around the street corners in p!atoons
and divisions. At night from the plat
eau at the Capitol their tiny lights glranl
in all directions. They sprinkle Penn
syivan.a avenue like fire flies. lis side
walks are carpeted with shadow fret
work by the brilliancy Of the electric
light; delicate brilliancy, thinning every
fresh twig and leaf In the foliage above.
THE FESTIVE OFFICE SEEKER.
Nor is nature along animated. Up
from the South. East and West springs
the offce-Seeker. Like the swamp beetle
he has seen the etfulgence of electric
lights reflected on the sky, anu he IS
here crcling around the flame. smuggling
his wings. He makes fully as much
noise as the crows and blackbirds, and
is quite as active as the robin and spar
row in gathering Straws TO thatch his
nest. Yet his presence has not restored
the era Of prosperity. The omiEous sign
FURNISHED rooms to let" is more thick
~ sown than ever. There are more
houses to let and for sale to-day in
Washington than ever before. The
ofiice-seeker is poor. Fifty cents Ia
night seems to be his limit. y few of
the wealthy are quartered at the hotels,
which are full to overlooking, but the
vast majority are seeking the chea pest
lodgings.
Most OF the choice places are already
pre-empted, and there appear to be no
others. The civil service law stands like
q stone wall confronting the army Of
place hunters. They cannot get over
1t, under it, or around II. at places the
wall is weak, and appears TO be giving
away. The most Of these weak places
are said TO be In the Treasury Depart
ment, where favoritism under the late
administration held high revel. The first
beneficiary is the Union soldier. who was
sent to the rear months ago under va
rious guises and preteXts. He is again
marching to the front and resumng his
place In line,
Things are different in the \ De-
partment. There Governor Long of
Massachusetts, presides with true digni-
ty. attending to the duties devolved up
on him, undisturbed by the Splashing
In the pool of politics. With the apos-
tie of civil service rs his assistant the
rules are not apt to be disturbed or the
law violated.
In the War Department Governor AL
ger Of Michigan, receives his friends
with urbane smiles. He has a rusty
lieutenant in the Hon. George D. Meikel-
john, late a member Of Congress from
Nebraska. a popular man in the
House, Mcikeliohn is particularly ac-
ceptablc to members OF Congress who
have dealings with the war Depart
ment. The plunS in this department.,
( however, are very few. and are mostly
gathered by army officers.
GRIM JOHN SHERMAN.
Grim John Sherman, patient, tena-
cious and brainy, sits upon the tripod in
the State Department. The smaller con-
s ouldtSS, WHICH WS1e pSINulSllcS
Of the Secretary Of State. arc now
choice tidbits Of civil service reform.
Where vacancies occur, under Presi-
dent Clevelantl's order Of 1896 they arc
filled either by promotion o" transfer.
Aside from this, persons who have been
IN the service have preference New
applicants are examined in the State
Department with special reference to
their fitness for the Office 1t is under
cover Of these examinations that the
spokesman may gather small harvest.
= In the Department Of Justice spring
opens brightly for MI. Joseph McKenna,
the Attorney General. Here the places
are very few indeed. The new Attorney
General is greeted by scores Of his late
Congressional associates. and they al
ways leave him with cherry feeling
The spolsmen heseige him night and
day with varying results.
NJ Cornelius n. Bliss, with Gladstonian
face, occupies q corner Of the patent
Office building as Secretary OF the Intc-
rior. The rush upon him for places has
been unprecedented. Under his prede-
cessors Tcorgians had overrun the de-
partlnent, and We're in Il strong ma lori
~. The conditions, 1t is said, warrants
ga extreme changes. a score Of old sol
5t t,Fa4f .E4I, tg t1