The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-10
NATIONAL CAPITAL GOSSIP.
OFFICE SEEKERS MAKING THE
PRESIDENTS LIFE A BURDEN.

derby Porto HScans as Contrasted
with the DisorderIy PennKyl-
xanians-A Governors Kick Be-
cause He Had to Pay for His BALI
Ticket-The Democratic Leader
ship.
washington, March 9.-If President Nc
Kinl%y expected to take a new lease upon
,he White House without being overrun
with officeseekers, he realizes his mistake
nv this time. He doubtless hoped that by
raappointing his old cabinet the pie
hunting brigade would take warning and
not bother him with their personal APP
meals for recognition. The waiting-room
and corridors of the executive mansion
have been thronged every day this week
nv place-hunters with bulging pockets of
Endorsements and a ready tongue to tell
how much President Mckinley owed to
them individually for his second inaugu-
ration.
There is no installing the professional
oficeseeker when he visits the White
House. He is invariably spruced-up to
the full extent of his wardrobe, he wears
a self-satisfied look of expectancy and
confidence, and he has a friendly greeting
for all the bare-headed officials about the
building from the policemen on guard at
the front door, through the line of color
ed messengers and white doorkeepers UP
to Secretary Cortelyou. Thus far, they
have received but little encoura cement
for but few of them have been able to
reach the presidential ear. Their progress
has ben stayed by Secretary Cortelyou
who is past master in the art of dispos-
ing of such callers in a polite and at the
same time effective way without commit
ting the President to any promise or in
timation of future reward. The pres
sure for foreign appointments is almost
as great to-day as it was four years ago,
and there will probably be a number of
changes in that branch of the service.
In fact, it is said that quite a number of
important changes at home and abroad
will be made from time to time in the
public service. 1t is not the intention
of the President to make anything like
a clean sweep in the supply of patron
age at his disposal.
Not a Government Function.
Managers of the inaugural ceremonies
are congratuIating themselves that their
labors are at an end, and they are in turn
SDlGQQlQ
success which attended their efforts.
Many visitors to Washington were under
the impression that the magnifcent dis
play and the elaborate detail in which
every function was carried out, was done
al the expense of the Federal govern
ment. AS a matter of fact, the public
treasury was not drawn upon for a dollar
TO contribute to the preparati tons, except
so far as the government forces ~partici
pated in the event. A general fund was
raised by the citizens to defray all the ex-
penses attending the Inauguration. Sub
scriptions were made with the under
standing that if the returns from the ball
tickets and admissions to the reviewing
stands were not sufficient to defray the
expenses, the subscriptions would be util-
tied to meet the deficit. The official re-
turns show that the receipts from the
bail and the reviewing stands were in
excess of all demands, and snug sur
plus will be donated to local charities.
DisOrderly Pennsylvanians.
At future ,inaugurations the managers
will probably hope that there will be.
more military organizations from Porto
Rico than from Pennsylvania. The Rep
resentatives of the National Guard from
the Keystone state We're here by the
thousands, and they left traces of dissi-
patton, destruction and disorderly con-
duct of every variety wherever they went.
In striking contrast with the Pennsyl-
vanians was the admirable department of
the battalion of native soldiers from Por-
10 Rico. Sunday morning your correspon-
dent visited the War Department, where
the Porto Ricans and one regiment
of Pennsylvania troops were uuartered.
The Porto Ricans were located on the
NTH floor of the War Department wing
Of the building. Their cots were spread
IN the corridors and everything was ar
ranged as neat and clean as if they were
IN regular army barracks. Some of the
prlvates were asleep on their cots, others
were brushing or mending their clothes,
some were writing letters, other reading
books and papers, and there was a gem
eral air of cleanliness and contentment
in the surroundings.
AS the privates converse only in Span
Ism, was obliged to. CLEAN such Informal
ton concerning their habits as desired
from the officers in command ] was
surprised to hear from the lips of sew
eral officers Of the regular army that the
Porto Rican9 troops are cleaner, more
careful about their personal habits and
better disciplinarians that the average
enlisted man in the regular army. They
are proud of the privilege of wearing the
uniform, and they are very careful Of
their clothes. 1t is the rarest thing for
one of them to be "held up at inspec-
ton for untidiness, either in personal ap.
pearance or equipment. Maj. 'Almy says
they make splendid soldiers, and they are
quick to learn everything that pertains
TO good order and efficiency. They were
surprised and delighted by their visit to
the nations capital, and 1t is to. be res
GREETED that their object lesson could not
nave extended further than from Porto
Rico TO Washington and back again by
way Of New York. The military authori-
ties now believe it would have been ad.
Nsntageo is to the service If the Porto
Ricans could have made tour Of the
country before returning to the island.
On the fourth floor of the War Depart
ment Pennsylvania regiment was
chartered. To casual observer,
inc contrast between the Spanish
speaking regulars above and the Amer
ican-bred National Guard below was
striking to disagreeable degree. The
pennsylvania troops had converted the
rooms and the usually brightly-polished
tiled corridors placed at their disposal
into a veritable hog-pen. Their camp
equipments and personal effects were
scattered around in confusion, many OF
me men We're sleeping off the effects of
dissipation and more disorderly and un-
tluy set OF men can hardly be imagined.
Inere was no attempt on the part of the
on1cers TO enforce military discipline, and
II VIII be long time before the War De-
Pdrtment RECEIVERS from the vandalism
uhlcted upon it by the keystone regi-