The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-15
TONGUE CANNOT TELL.
The Appalling Office Seeking
Pressure Upon Senators.
BEGGING FOR BREAD AND BUTTER.
Dreadful Ordeal-Secretary Alger Be-
lieves In n Code OF Attire-Respect For
Oficiai Etiquette-Mark Hanna's Good
Nature Exempliaed.

WASHINGTON, July Especial. ALI
the senators are glad the end of the session
has come and that they are able to get
away to their homes. This is as true OF
the Democratic and Populist senators as
of the Republicans, but the last named are
the most wearied ones. In addition to the
responsibilities of legislation and the need
of sticking close by the senate chamber
throughout all the long consideration OF
the tariff, they have had the Office seekers
to struggle with. and in this respect have
been at terrible disadvantage compared
with their friends, the Democrats and
Populists.
Pathetic Work.
"Tongue could never tell how glad am
to get away from Washington, said one
Republican senator to me. Ever since
we came here last March my heart has
been growing heavier and heavier. At
times it has seemed to me 1 could not en-
dure it. mean the pressure from the Of
fee seekers. 1t is not that they made go
much extra work for me that complain,
though that was no small matter, but IL Is
hard TO have 100 men hanging TO your
skirts, expecting and begging you to do
something for them, to get them work that
will save their families from starvation,
and not to be able to place more than one
or two of the whole lot. In addition to
| the scores who come here and labor with
| us in person, there are hundreds more who
send us their appeals by mail 1t Is sad,
pathetic work. One has to harden his
| heart over and over again every day. One
| Is compelled to turn people away empty
| handed when every impulse of ones ma
ture Is to do something for them 1t Is .
dreadful ordeal to pass through, especially
| II a man Is tender hearted and sympa-
thetic, and l am free to confess that I
never want to experience it again.
| This senator went on to explain that In
| nine cases out of ten the men who were
begging him to do something for them
were men who in the campaign last year
had gone into the work heartily and effec-
tually. They had given time and effort
to the cause. They were deserving OF rec
ignition, and it was shame they could
not DO provided for The trouble was sim
ply that there were too many of them
that there were not places enough to GO
round. Never before in the history OF the
government perhaps has the Office seeking
pressure been as great as during the last
few months. 1t really seems to the men
who have been in the thick OF 1t that
something should be done-either all offices
should be put under the civil service, sc
that there can be no scramble, or the civil
service protection should be taken away
so that there will be enough places to en-
able the successful political party suitably
| to reward its retainers. AS 1t Is now, the
politicians fall between the two stools
They have just enough patronage to giv'
out to whet the appetite, but not enough
to satisfy It,
Too Much Reform.
It is pretty hard to tell at this time II
which way an effort will be made TO cor
rect the evil. Every one recognizes tina
things are highly unsatisfactory as the.
now stand. Shall we have more civil serv
ice or less of it? The tendency appears t.
be in the latter direction. There is yer.
strong feeling that the application OF civi
service reform theories has been carried
too far. For some time it has been under
stood that as soon as he could get aroun'
to It the president would rescind in par
| President Cleyeland's "blanket" civi
service order. Certain things he woul'
restore to their original status and thel
) apply the civil service reform theory
= soon as some of tho inconsistencies hat
l | been eliminated.
= Secretary of War Alger is already note
as stickler for official etiquette and prop
er dress in government circles Many for
eigners visiting Washington are surprises
at the lack of dignity which obtains Il
presidential circles. They marvel tina
: | there is no code of attire for White Hous
visitors. The only requirement. OF tina
7 | sort recognized here Is that at evening re
ceptions or at dinners every gentlema
must wear q dress coat. Even this Is no
always observed l have frequently see
senator's and members of the house, TO sa
= | nothing of officials from tho executiV
= branch of the government, at the pres
= dents evening reception clad In ordlnar
. | coat and waistcoat. Secretary Alger thlhh
members of the cabinet at least should st
| an example of punctiliousness in dress
He saws members of the cabinet should nc
90 into the presidents presence in linen
crash suits or without gloves or wearln
any sort of an old hat Some of Mr.. A
gers cabinet colleagues laugh and joke
good deal at his expense because he has 81
a out as reformer in this particular, pt
:. the doughty secretary of war takes the
;, chatting good naturally and holds II
:, ground.
:, Gray Suit at Funeral.
General Alger and Secretary Gage al
- the best OF friends, DuJ tne ioribol We
- very much shocked when the money men
d Der of tho cabinet appeared at senate
r. Harris funeral in the senate chamber
! few days ago wearing suit of gray mi
j. terial. Mr.. Gage was present In his OH
: cial capacity. He had driven to the VIM
House and accompanied the president
Z, the capitol. Mr.. Alger thought this WI
h showing too little respect for the presidei
: and the senate, to say nothing OF the dea
); statesman. Mr. Gage explains that VINE
: he left home In the morning he forgot a
t. about the funeral, and, as he lives ava
!. out at Chevy Chase, some five miles frol
, his Office, did not have time to go non
= and change his raiment.
Senator Hanna, who has had more TO
with the Office seekers than any other sci
ator, was in the marble room one ga
when the card of oolored applicant WI
"a handed him by n page.
IS "Tell him won't see him-won't s.
!, anybody. l am tired out and near
d dead" exclaimed the senator The pai
= stood stock still. He evidently knew Se
- ator Hanna and his ways. The boy sto'