Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.

PRESIDENT WILL STAND fiRM--lt
is believed that President Mckinley
| will continue to stand firm against the
spoilsmen who have been importuu-
ing him ever since he came into office
extending the classified service. Pres
ilent Mckinley will not repeal any of
those orders The government print
ing Office, the bureau of engraving and
printing. and every other bureau that
President Cleveland brought under
the civil service rules will remain
there. President Cleveland. at the
time he ma lie his last sweeping order,
stated privately that some of its de-
tails might he considered experimental.
Ii President Cleveland were in
Office now, he might, rs the rosnt OF
experience under his order, modify it
so as to except few places here aud
there of peculiar character. President
Mck inlev has not even made up his
mind to make much eN, options. but
he may come to this later on. He has
stated in the most positive and em-
phatie manner his determination to ad-
here TO his advanced position on civil
service reform. He is in favor OF en-
tending the classified service, and
pa ticularly so us to cover the clerical
force of the new census bureuI. II
Congress does not put the celsus
bureau under the civil service rules
President Mckinley viii appoint II
director of the census bureau
who will put it there, unless
the law makes it impossible.
President Mckinley looks beyond the
politicians to the people who, he is
satisfied, stand with him ON this
question, and he takes much gratifi.
cation in the way his civil service
order of last summer has been com
predictions of the spoilsmen that
unless he repeals President Clevc-
lands civil service order the Republi-
cans will lose the next congressional
and presidential election. If those
elections are lost, he holds, it will he
in spite of, instead of because of, his
civil service reform policy. Nor does
he accept as correct the statements
which they make that if he does not
act as they want, Congress will rel eal
or modify the civil service law.
JOURNALISTIC TrMELINEss Certain
sensational newspapers represent Pres
ident Mckinley as seriously consider
ing the advisability of discontinuing
his attendance ut the Metropolitan
church, where DR.. Hugh Johnston is
the minister. The occasion assigned
is the character of the sermons re-
Gently preached on Jesuitism and Sab
bath keeping. While the president
doubtless does not approve of all
that he has heard, he will not go so
far as to sever his connection with the
church, especially in view of
the fact that Mr.. Johnston has
but few months more to remain
there, his su ccessor having already been
selected. But Mr.. Johnston's recent
pulpit utterances are not the first to
attract attention. Straightway after
Inauguration he began to express in
public prayer his gratitude for the
great tide of prosperity which had
come to the nation in way that cer-
tainly did full justice to the fac,s.
When the Dingley tariff bill came
along, he prayed that those who did
not have faith in it's power to benefit
the country might be turned to con-
fusion, and that its advocates might he
satisfied beyond their expectation. DIR.
Johnston is always forceful, and there
is also an element of journalistic
timeliness in his utterances.
No New YEARS RECEprIoN-For
the first time in number of years
there was no New Years reception at
the White House. Owing to the fact
that all social affairs at the executive
mansion have been abandoned for
thirty days, the holidays, 50 far as
official gayety is concerned, were very
dull. The president decided that the
state receptions and dinners shall
take place as usual, although they
will not begin until the middle of the
month and will continue until Leaf.
The cabinet families, naturally, fol-
lowed the example of the president
and his wife in this matter,
and observed mourning season.
The change in the social program was
not made until the president had con-
ferred with the cabinet at special
meeting. A good deal of time was
speut in looking for precedent, but
none could be found. The only case
of death in the presidents family be-
fore the beginning of the social sea son
was during Thomas Jetterson's term,
when his niece died Just before Christ
mas. He, however, did not postpone
his New Years reception, but received
the callers, and Dolly Madison, who
was then the wife of the secretary of
state, did the honOrs instead of the
mistress of the White House. The
cabinet, however, concluded to set a
precedent, and so all the social func-
tions for the holidays were declared
off.
AFTER PATRONAGE-A good part of
Congress recently adjourned to the
White Pouse, where the rush was
something unusual. Upon inquiry it
developed that nearly all the senators
who visite the president did so for
the purpose of discussing local patron
age, and thus indirectly giving the
president an object lesson as to the
desirability of putting lot more of
the same commodity at their
disposal. Among the callers was
Senator Chandler, who evidently
wished to know what the president
thought of his latest illumination on
the bimetallic question. Here, too,
the president is likely to get too much
of good thing. With Secretary Gage
telling the b,nking committee that he
desires currency reform so as to
strengthen the gold standard, the
president cannot but be greatly dis
pleased by Mr.. Chandlers attempts to
keep the bi-mettallic agitation a-going,
fp ho g., ~ hop Ia oarino tka nnlI