St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-03-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETT Err
From Our Correspondent.

many senators ana representatives IRON
the city, but the majority are here still
attending to matters before the several
departments, and looking after business
committed to them by their constituents
and which has suffered by constant at.
tention to affairs at the capitol. Dur
ing this week there has been a great
ruch at the White House to see the
president and the demands on his time
have been nearly as exacting as when
congress was in session. AS soon as
matters can be arranged with reference
to the new army bill as regards the en-
listment Of new troops to take the place
of the volunteers now In the service, 1t Is
the presidents intention to go away fol
a much needed rest of from two TO three
weeks. 1t is expected that he will return
greatly benefited and prepared to take
up such matters as may require action
When the president leaves 1t is probable
that some Of his cabinet officers will avail
themselves of an opportunity to make
brief visits to their homes.
They Blame speaker Reed.
Quite number Of senators are feeling
very much dlsgruntled over the failure
TO secure appropriations for the erection
of public buildings within their respec'
tive states, after having secured the pas
sage of the bills through the senate, and
they attribute the failure TO Speaker
Reed A good many Of these bills had
passed the senate and received the APP
proyal of the proper committee of the
house, and were reported favorably and
placed upon the calendar, but failed of
action because the calendar was not
cleared before adjournment came The
senate finding that their bills were en-
dangered attached them to the sundry
civil appropriation bill as amendments,
and thus forced the house TO consider
them when this bill was sent to confer
ence committee. The house conferees
rigidly refused to entertain these amend
ments, and the consequence was many
of the appropriations for public build
ings failed. Speaker Reed was openly at
tackled in the discussions in the senate
on the conference reports, and the failure
to get these bills passed upon by the
house was laid at his door. 1t was
charged that while the bills which orgl-
mated in the house were taken up and
passed by the senate, those which origi.
mated in the senate were ignored in the
house, and the consequence was much Ill
feeling arose, and Speaker Reed was
was charged with being at the bottom of
1t. Senator Morgan of Alabama in a
speech characterized with considerable
venom openly asserted that the speaker
had facilitated the passage of the house
bills for personal reasons, and that his
was the majestic or maglsterlal hand
that controls the destiny Of the United
States in great many particulars" and
that his will and pleasure were to make
fair weather for certain purposes with
certain members of the house by letting ]
their bills go through, after many of them
had been importuning and dunning him
for year to have recognition to get |
their bills passed through the house Of |
representatives.
Speaker Reeds action in delaying ac-
tion on the senate bills undoubtedly |
saved to the treasury many hundred |
thousand dollars, even If some meritori-
Gus bills were defeated.
The Gases of Rear Admirais Sampson
and Schley.
Considerable interest Is manifested as
to the course of the navy department in
its treatment of Admiral Schley, and
opinions differ as to whether the depart
ment will not continue to treat him as
subordinate to Admiral Sampson, and |
give him junior rank. The rearrange-
ment of rank under the navy personnel |
bill, and the failure of the senate to con-
firm Sampson and Schley as rear ad-
mirals in the order named, places Schley
and Sampson In the same relative order
of rank which they held when the war
broke out, the former two numbers In
advance Of Sampson. There is nothing
to prevent the president and the secre-
tary of the navy from assigning Samp-
son to a command next to Dewey, but
many believe, in view of the refusal of
the Senate to advance Sampson above
Schley, that the administration will hest
tate before humiliating Schley further.
The administration made out a good
case in favor of Sampson, until Schley
submitted his statement, showing that
he had been unjustly criticized. and that
an important order of Sampson had been
suppressed in order to show that he had
not obeyed orders, when public opinion
here veered around, and sustained
Schley against the charges made by
Secretary Long. The sentiment here Is
very strongly in favor of Schley, as be-
ing the hero Of the Santiago naval bat
tie, and hence the interest felt as to the
treatment to be accorded him in future
naval commands.
The Census Outside Of the Civil Service.
The civil service law Is not applicable
to the new bureau Of census established
by congress as part of the interior de-
partment The civil service commission
ers desired that the appointments to be
made should be brought under the civil
service rules, but congress emphasized
Its hostility to the civil service system
by comforting upon the director of the
census absolute power to make all the
appointments-of which there will be
from 5000 to 4000-and to determine the
character and scope OF the examination
as to the fitness of the applicants for the
position they seek. Although the CEN
sus bureau is placed under the interior
department, the director is absolutely
independent of the secretary, and in no
way accountable to him for the appoint
ments he may make. The director, ex-
Governor Merriam, will have more
power. SO far as making appointments
is concerned. than all the members of
the cabinet. The number Of places that
cabinet minister has at his disposal is
since the civil service was enacted, very
limited but the director of the census
can appoint who he pleases and to an