Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-03-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Special Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON. d. c., March 1s, '97.

| "0o "ho was iduilldT Win the eX
elusive frigidity which prevailed il
and around that establishment dur,p,
Its occupancy by Mr.. Cleveland com
ment upon this change. The crow d.
which have hocked to the White Hous,
during the past week have not beer
treated as unwelcome intruders, but al
friendly callers And all this without
any gush on the part of President Nc
kinley, or of Mr.. Porter, his secretary
Senators and Representatives are once
more treated as tough they had an
equal share in running the government
In fact, 80 far as appointments are
concerned President Mckinley has lei
1t be known that they will have more
than an equal share. While it has
been virtually decided that only those
appointments will be made at once
which are considered absolutely neces
sary, the information has been given
to Senators and Representatives that
the state delegations must get together
and agree upon the applicants for the
prominent appointments before they
will be made, and 1t has been strongly
intimated that the division of a state
delegation will be fatal to an appli.
cant's chances. Beyond appointing
the assistants to the membe of the
cabinet, the Ambassadors and more
prominent ministers. and fillh va.
cancies. there will be very few appoint.
ments made for several months to
come, as President Mckinley is more
intent upon giving the country pros.
perity than upon filling few offices,
aud until the work of the extra session
is completed he will devote his best
energies to the entire country rather
than to the comparatively few who
want Office.
There is almost or quite quorum of
the next House already in Washington.
The Republican caucus for the nomi-
nation of officers will be merely rati.
fication meeting, as it is an absolute
certainty that Speaker Reed an all the
other officers will be re.nominated.
Chairman Diugley says there will be
no delay in reporting the new tariff
bill to the House at the extra session.
Speaking Of the reported intention of
the committee to provide In the new
bill that the duties therein sheald 90
into effect upon the day the bill, is In
troduced, Mr.. Dingley called attention
to a constitutional barrier to make
law retroactive, and said that the most
the could do was to provide that the
higher duties should be paid upon all
importations which might be in bonded
warehouses at the time it becomes
law.
Senator Hanna gives his private sec.
retary, S. A. Perkins, who entered
politics as President of the Republican
College League few years ago, and
who was on duty at the New York
headquarters of the Republican Ma.
tional Committee duriag the late cam.
paign, $4,000 year, probably the lar
Iest salary drawn by any private sec.
-etary in the country.
Secretary Long this week issued ad
7ertisement for proposals for furnishing
J, 100 tons of armor plate for the Illinois,
The Alabama and the Wisconsin, the
price for the same not to exceed $500 q
on, as provided ty act of the last Con.
yress. The bids will be opened in April
Ind they will be looked forward to
With much interest, because of existing
ioubt as to whether there is solid foun.
iation for the talk about new bidders
this field, and whether the
Carnegie and Bethlehem Cos will bid. |
1t seems that most people failed to
ealize the enormous extensions of the
,ivil service rules made under the last
administration. Every day intelligent
nen can be heard expressing their sur
rise on this subject after they have
allied at oneiof the big departments
o make enquiries about places. Stated
n brief, excepting the assistants to
members of the cabinet. their private
ecretaries, Ambassadors and Minis
era, laborers and scrubbing women
nd postmasters, the heads of half a
oxen bureaus such as Pension, Edu.
alton and Labor, the entire line of
overnment employees are embraced in
he classified service which is con.
rolled by the civil service rules. Along
bout next summer, after the tariff bill
as become law and more pressing
,atters have been looked after, 1t will
OF be surprising II President McKin-
~ overhauls some of those civil ser.
ice extensions made by Mr.. Cleveland
nd considerably modify, il he does
OF rescind some of them outright.
here is hardly doubt that some of
ne extensions have proved more bene.
cial for individuals than to the gov
rnment service.
The following Senators have been
ppointed a steering committee with
uthority to decide what shall be done
the committee vacancies
nd other questions: Allison, Hale. Al.
rich, Cullom, Davis, Sewell and Car.
VI. The silver Republicans and Popu.
SITS wanted the Democrats to join with
lem IN recognizing the Senate COM