Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-10-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
TFrom Our Regular Correspondence

WASHINGTON, Oct, 18th, 1900.
The entire administration, from
the President down, is playing
partisan politics for all itknows how
and the public business is getting on
in any way 1T can. The White House
has been turned into a political head
quarters with the President filling
the duties of Lieutenant TO Boss
Hanna. Anything to keep the Re-
publicans in power is the basis of all
the White House consultations and
conferences. That even single votes
are not being overlooked was shown
by the official order sent from Wash
iugton for the immediate dismissal
Of woman clerk in the Indianapolis
Post Office, who got married the
other day, and the appointment of a
voter IN her place. Besides the po-
llt'cal work that members of the ad-
ministration are doing in Washing
ton, the following prominent officials,
and this is only partial list, are on
the stump for Mckinley, with their
salaries being paid by the tax PAYERS
while their official work is being neg
lected: Postmaster-G General Smith.
Secretary Gage, Secretary Wilson, At,
torney-General Griggs, Solicitor Gen
eral Richards, Third Assistant Post
master-General Madden, Fourth As
sistant Postmaster. General Bristow.
Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn, Com
missioner of Pensions Evans, and
Director of the Mint Roberts. In
addition to these there is an army of
smaller officials in the field speaking
or pulling wires to influence voters.
and the people are footing all the
bills.
Republican speakers and writers
are not likely to exploit the returns
for the month of September from
the postoffice6 of the fifty largest
cities in the country, just received
and tabulated, to prove the increasing
prosperity of the country, for the
simple reason that fourteen out of
the fifty show smaller receipts than
they had in September of last year,
indicating that the pinnacle of the
temporary prosperity, made by the
war with Spain, big crops, and other
conditions which put money in cir
culation, has been passed and that
the business of the country is now on
the downgrade, as Democrats have
predicted it would be as soon as the
NEUTRAL reaction set in.
Senator Wellington passed through
Washington on his return from a
speaking tour in the West and North.
west. In reply to questions as to the
campaign outlook, he said: SIN nv
judgement Bryan will be elected. /
think the Middle West will 90 for
him, and that when the electoral
college is polled he will get the ne
cessary number of votes. l have not
the slightest doubt that Mr.. BRYAN
will carry Maryland. The sentiment
in the State, and / have sounded il
thoroughly, is greatly in favor of the
Democratic candidate. There are
hundreds and hundreds of old-time
Republicans who will leave the party
and vote the Democratic ticket. On.
the other hand, there will not he a
handful of Democrats who will fail
to stand by their party's nominee. /
think that Bryan's majority in nv
native state will be anywhere from
$4,000 to 100000"
More government clerks will 90
home to vote this year, than have
done so since the DAYS when Zach
Chandler bossed the Republican ma
chine and made them do as he pleased
Clerks will register and vote who
have not done so for twenty years or
more. Every government clerk re-
siding in state considered anyways
close has received a circular letter
from the Republican bosses of his
state, telling him that if he fails to
register and vote, his name will be
handed to the Republican State Com
mittee, which is merely another way
of telling him that if he fails to vote,
he will lose his job. The heads of
the government departments are do
ing their part TO help along the exc
dus OF voters, at the expense of the
taxpayers of the country, by allow
ing it to be known that the clerks
will be paid for the time lost in going
home to register and vote, and will
not have the time deducted from
their annual leave.
Late advices from Illinois put
that State In the sure Democratic
column. A poll of the state COM
pleted by the Democrats several
days ago gives Bryan a majority of
from 10000 to 10000 outside the
city of Chicago, which has been
practically conceded 10 the Demo-
Gratis by the Republicans from the
beginning of the campaign.
When it was telegraphed to Wash
ington few DAYS ago that Teddy
had. In a speech at Milwaukee, made
the positive promise that the war tax
on beer would be repealed by the Re-
publican Congress at the coming
session, it was thought that he had
been talking merely to make votes
among the brewing interests of that
locality, but lis now almost certainly
known that be spoke by the card, |
and that Boss Hanna has made
decker with big brewers, whereby in |
return for big campaign contribu-
tions and their influence, he promised |
that the beer tax would be repealed
at the next session of Congress.
Ieddy's only break was in publicly
stating what Hanna would probably
have preferred being kept quiet until
after election.
COAL STRIKE ENDED.
Especial to the ClFIzRN1