The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-21
0hat OF the Capital City
YA ~ Washington Gossip Political Othe wse-Study
In the Methods of Shylocks.

lawyer. but when 1 brought it up there
before the judges, they said 1t was
quorum non judice." well, If they said
1t was as bad as that" replied the farm
er. Il don't wonder we lost It," and he
paid the costs and fee without another
murmur''
In some respects" said one of the Of
Heiai heads of the -poStoffice department
this is one of the most important of all
governmental departments. In time of
peace, the interests committed to its
charge are more extensive and more deli
cate than those regulated by the state.
war, navy. interior or treasury DEPART
ments 1t affords greater amount Of
happiness to greater number of per-
Sons than any, or perhaps all of these
Il the department was inefficiently man
aged it could infiict far greater aggre-
gate of injury. DID you ever stop to con,
Sloer that the transmission of cor
respondence is not a national concern?
The carrying of letters is not legitimate
ly the office of a government, any more
than the carrying of goods or passengers.
II bears no analogy to the administra-
ton of the foreign policy OF the nation,
OF the military or naval resources of
the public lands, or the finances. 1t was
made a government monopoly in most
European countries at a time when indl~
v1duai enterprise was inadequate to carry
cut undertakings on so great a scale as
system of postoffices extending over a
whole kingdom, and was so used as to
be source of peeuniary profit and po-
Ht1cal power to monarchs. Introduced
into America long before men had be,
gun to question the policy of allowing
the state to usurp so important a mo-
ncpoly, it was handed down to us as one
of the useful institutions of colonial
times, and became, under the direction Of
Benjamin Franklin. department of the
government in the very first year of the
republic. and such 1t has ever since con-
tinued to be- The growth of the business
of the department has been wonderful,
and while there was a disposition at first
to have the business put into the hands
of private individuals that sentiment soon
grew to amount to nothing
Official society is pursuing the even
tenor of its way this winter There is
little difference in the receptions at the
White house from previous years, except
that Notwithstanding an attempt to weed
out undesirable people the crush upon
state functions is greater than ever be-
fore. There has been a separation of the
presidents receptions. in that the diplo-
matte corps is received upon a certain
date, the army and navy few weeks
later and congress at later date, and the
justices of the supreme court upon a diff
ferent night Notwithstanding the new
rule inaugurated by Mr. Porter, secretary
to the president, the people flock to the
executive mansion and nil the narrow
quarters, to the detriment of those who
have the required cards Of admission
This is mere incident to the onslaught
of the people upon the members of the
cabinet senators and the members of the
house, when they attempt to entertain
their friends once a week. 1t will be some
years hence before the officials of the
government before named are able to
separate the wheat from the chaff," so
to speak.
The West this winter Is attempting to
rival the East In giving lavish entertain
ments and receiving the people who de-
sire to attend society functions From
the West Mrs Cushman K Davis, wife
of the Minnesota senator, Is receiving at
her home on K street fully as many dis
tinguished people as any of the official
society set from the Eastern states. Mrs.
DalzelI, wife of the Pittsburg representa-
tive, probably outshfnes this year any of
the other society leaders from the Key !
stone state From New York, DR.. Depew,
whose home is presided over by his niece,
overshadows in every respect any other
member of the Empire state delegation In
the matter of brilliant entertainments.
Mrs Quay, wife of the former senator
from Pennsylvania, is lavish in her en-
tertainments this year. although Mrs.
Quay is not attempting to rival some Of
her more pretentious neighbors, for in
stance, Mrs. Dewey, wife of the new adj
miral.
Mrs Merriam, wife of the director OF
the census, has a home peculiarly fitted
for society functions, and there is quite
bit of rivalry between herself and Mrs.
Senator Davis Both of these ladies,
however, have competitors in Mrs. Heat
wole and Mrs. Morris, from the same
state.
At the Hotel Gordon, Mrs. Heatwole has
given several entertainments which have
been given considerable space in Wash
ington newspapers.
Mrs. Morris Is entertaining her intimate ,
associates and the various friends OF her
husband In a very acceptable manner.
She is assisted by her daughter and other
friends from Duluth, and, on the whole
Minnesota as a state from the Washing
ton society standpoint, Is holding It's own.
Mrs Hansbrough, of North Dakota, as
was expected, is entertaining and being
entertained by the highest of people In
official society life.
Outside of these the Western states are
not figuring extensively in society way.
For the first time, in recent years. at any
rate, the women from the West are hold
ing their own with their sisters from the
East in Washington society this winter.
.
The fourth-class postoffice at Erin.
Mich, has been discontinued. There Is
nothing in this announcement to cause
comment. Fourth-class postofiices are
discontinued every day. There are varf-
Gus reasons for their adjustment. Nine
ty-nine per cent of these offices are dis
continued because the receipts OF the OF
fee do not warrant its being kept in the
service. But in the case Of the Erin post
office a very different story Is told in the
office Of the fourth assistant postmaster
general. The office was put out of bust
ness because 1t had an Irish name. be-
cause the postmaster was q Frenchman
and because the patrons of the office were
German. This combination of nationali-
ties would not blend There was contin-
ual friction The Germans did not like
the office because 1t had an Irish name
and they hated the postmaster because ne
was a Frenchman. The postmaster had
no use for his patrons because they were
Germans. A great many complaints were
received by the postmaster general In
charge of fourth-class offices. These
complaints for the most part came from
the patrons, who imputed all the crimes
on the calendar to the postmaster There
were a great many also which came from
the postmaster, In which he made charges
against his patrons. Finally the post
office department sent an inspector to
look over the field, and when he found the
combination of national prejudices to be
overcome he Immediately recommended
the discontinuance of the office. This ac-
ton was taken by the fourth assistant
postmaster general.
u g. Van Antwerp.
npAcoN OF DREAMS.