The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-02
PETITIONS TO WASHINGTON
Why 1t Is That 80 Many ere Never
Heard of More"

Why 1t Is That so Many are Never
Heard of More"
New York, Nov. 30.-'Hhe Evening
Posts Washington correspondent says:
a pleasant little picture of the primitive
simplicity of our republic in its early
days in Thomas Jenerson's account Of
the way executive CORES ondence was
conducted during Washingtons- presi-
dency, was given in these dispatches
recently, with other excerpts from
Richardson's last volume of Messages
and Papers" When the President, in
going over his mail, came across letter
with regard to departmental business, he
referred it to the head of the department
concerned; then, when that functionary
had prepared an answer, he submitted it
to the President for approval before
sending ii to its destination. Those were
the days OF slow mails, high postal rates,
and very limited correspondence. and it
is easy TO understand how all this trou-
bic might be taken by a President and
one of his secretaries to answer the in
quiry or meet the criticism OF private
citizen.
But even in our day, with a population
and volume of public business Of which
the fathers of the republic never dream
ed. a great many people wonder why the
federal government, through its high
functionaries. is not more attentive to the
desires of its individual constituents, and
why there is so much Journalism involved
in coducting a correspondence with the
seat of authority at Washington. II is
useless to explain to them that the gov
eminent is huge machine. that it has
not eyes or ears or hands like human
being. responsive to impressions from an
individual source. and that all communi-
cations made to il are like grists brought
to mill which go in at one door in one
form and come out at another in a dif
ferent form without the millers actually
having inspected each separate kernel of
grain.
The best illustration Of the working Of
this huge machine. and of the futility Of
holding the great dignitaries accountable
for apparent discourtesies to citizens who
have addressed them. is found in the re-
marks Of one of the most prominent SUBJ
ordinates in the Interior Department a
while ago to the committee of an asso-
citation of citizens who called to inquire
why a certain petition sent by their asso-
citation to the Secretary Of the Interior
for the reservation of certain public
lands from sale had not apparently pro
duced any effect They were disposed 70
hold the President or Secretary respon-
sible for a gross breach Of etiquette in
ignoring their request, especially as some
of the leading signers were men Of very
high social and business position and per
sonalIy known TO the Secretary. The
officer smiled grimly. and said:
Gentlemen. the reason your petition
was ignored by the Secretary is probably
because he never saw it. You addressed
il 20 the President Of the United States.
When it was delivered 10 the Executive
Mansion it did not go into the Presidents
hands at all One Of the executive clerks
slit omen the envelope looked at the doc
unent. saw that It related 10 land mat
ters. marked it in pencil Referred 70
Secretary OF Inter1ar. and threw 1t into
a mail pouch destined for the Inerior De-
partment At the deartment the Secre-
tary did not see II. A mail clerk opened
If marked it C L. o. and gave & 10
messenger. At the General Land Of5ce
the Commissioner did not - il. but
clerk who handles communications ad-
dressed to him recognized II a. belonging
To a certain division and marked It and
"a zzed II on accordingly. The chief =
that division did not probably more than
glance al II. but. discovering that Il PEP
tanned 10 a class u work attended 20 eN-
clusivelyc by one q his Junior clerks. sim
DIV marked Il with The name % Smith
or Jones auds ent * % The cierk's desk
This clerk. employed At salary of g 30
a year 70 keep track ~ matters pertain
ing n reservation n aee-raiu discreet.
put your petition through his little hin
and prepared h-ief q It's character fo-
endorsement on IFS Jacket which should
7szs under the eve - the Commissions
o. The General Land OfHce-
Meanwhile about het inc that your
carefully prepared memorial 20 the Pre-
Iden- Il the United States ves being duly
considered by a $50 department cle-s.
TIE newspapers got hold of The fa1t that
you has begun movement r. .h.s maj
ter and tbei- notices attracted IRE sttsu-
ti'n n one q the Senator's rom the state
c-utalrE tha lands ven wanted 30 have
re=-veI The Senator knowing hat some
n his most powerful constituents lived
r. tne reighbo-ho03 = these lands ard
ara 1-oftsnz daily by tta fart that they
are not reserved. promptly STEPPED down
q the Land OHsce and asSsre1 .he cor
missioner that wfea certain memorial
reached him & would - g7oz fso5 for
Che Taste-sasket- he petitioners Being
mere visss1A-lez and d3otTf-a-isz whose
scheme = carried fro execution weuI5
greatly intu-e the honest settlers 81 t1se
1elpa h7rhco6 a-8 damage - szugass-
:-sfsou 81 theI- eyes as =su & yozr -
t-t.o- vas qusstlv PIT n slse7 ia % A.
chsevez q he cesee and yoa re~e- 50
much As hard What had become Of IT