The Red Cloud chief., 1897-04-30
WASHINGTON NOTES

Setils 10 nave begun III Ueiu earnest
President Mckinley has had alongc con.
ference with the members OF the civil
service commission, and, while it can.
got be officially stated that the con-
ference related to q modification Of the
extension Of the rule made by Presi.
dent Cleveland, there are excellent
reasons for believing that he did, and
that President Mckinley has about
made up his mind to modify those
rules to a considerable extent, on the
general ground that some Of those ex-
tensions are calculated to injure the
government service, rather than to
help IL. Two mombers of the cabinet
have taken this stand In connection
with the investigation now being on.
Quoted by a senate subcommittee COM
posed Of Senators Pritchard, OF y. c.;
Elkins, of w. Va, and Chiffon, Of
Texas. Secretary Wilson appeared
before this subcommittee and adj.
vOcated the exemption Of the agents
and inspectors of the agricultural de.
partnent from the civil service rules,
because age and experience were Just
as necessary as technical knowledge,
to properly I'LL these places. He cited
an instance. He applied to the civil
service commission for a man to fill a
special place, and the commission sent
him a boy 22 years old, who had the
technical knowledge to pass the ex-
animation, but was entirely lack in the
experience needed TO perform the work.
He added that President Harrison had
left the civil service law in good con.
ditiOn, and that he would like TO see IL
restored. Secretary Gage wrote a let.
ter to the subcommittee, expressing
the opinion that modification Of the
civil service rules might be made with
advantage to the public service, and es-
pecially recommending that deputy
collectors Of internal revenue should
be exempted. Representative Dorr,
OF W. Va, has gone still futher, by in.
Producing a bill to repeal the civil ser.
vice laws. 1t Is too early to predict
how the war will end, but the fight Is
getting lively all along the line.
There Is much gossip as to why
President Mckinley changed his mind
about sending Judge Day TO Cuba as a
special commissioner, and nominated
him to be first assistant secretary Of
state; also concerning the nomination
OF Ex.Congressman Bellamy Storer, of
Ohio, to be minister to Belgium. 1t is
SAID that one of the reasons why Judge
Day did not go to Cuba was that his
going there had been SO widely adver.
tised that President Mckinley con-.
cluded that he would be unable to
learn anything us full or new by goisg.
Officials will not discuss the matter,
but rumor says that the announcement
of the intention of the administration
To send Judge Day to Cuba was made
to throw the Spanish officials off their
guard, and that another man was sent
n has about completed q thorough
investigation of the situation on the
Island without making use of any
official credentials from this govern.
ment. MIR. StOrer's nomination ends q
situation that was equally disagreeable
To President Mckinley, his Ohio sup.
porters and To Mr. Storer. MIR. Storer
wanted to be assistant secretary of
state, and the place was promised him,
but Senator Foraker made such a hot
fight that he became convinced that IL
he was nominated for that position, the
senate would reject him, aud he com.
promised by accepting the diplomatic
place, which Senator Foraker had no
objection to his having.
This will be an of week in Washing.
ton. The president, his cabinet, and
many othor officials have gone to New
York to participate in the ceremonies
attendant upon the dedication OF the
Grant monument. Both branches of
congress met today and will meet
again Thursday, but In accordance
with a previous understanding, nothing
was or will be done. Neither branch
had . quorum today. The object OF
this adjOurnmnet on the part of the
senate Is to allow the members Of the
finance committee to devote their en-
tire time to the tariff bill, which Is ex.
pected will be ready to report to the
senate next week. In the house il is
merely carrying out the usual program,
except that the agreement not to at.
tempt to do anything left members
free to leave the city, IL so disposed.
Senator Jones, Of Ark, who has had
some experience in the handling Of
tariff bills in ~theSsenate, says the Ding
ley bill will not get through the senate
before June 18th, and that it will take
nearly or quite a month after that for
the house and the senate to agree on
the amendments.