The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-12-10
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, d. c., Nov. 7, looS
Little by little during the last
twenty-five years or more, since
he Civil Service law l.s been ell
forced, Congress has seen its pat
iOnagc disappearing. 1t went rapid
~ under Cleveland $ administration
and during the present adminislra-
ton many thousands of Offices have
been put uuder the protec ion of
the Civil Service law. The Presi-
dent has just issued another order
which affects more than fifteen
thousand employees. They are
postmasters OF the fourth class and
they are about all that has been
left to members of Congress in the
way Of patronage. Thirty or thir-
ty five years ago the member of
the dominant party was rich in pat
ronage Influence" as it is called
here. Not only were the posimas-
ters of his district his dependents
and henchmen but many Gle ks in
Washington i'll the postal service
and in tie Con ular service were
appointed to lucrative places by
him. That these appointes were
frequently membcrs Of his own
lami y, his son or lis daughter,
his niece or his cousin or his moth
er-in-law was too universally the
ca 'e 10 excite comment OF criticism.
They all did it," and the more
influential the politician the greater
his entourage at the public CRIB.
This condition has been gradually
changed through appointment by
competitive examination until the
Offices in the civil ccrvice IN Wash
nSton aud throughout the country
are filled by a better class of fairly
competent people. The placing of
over fifteen thousand postmasters
III a class where their tenure of Of
flee will continue, whether they are
favored by their Congressman OF
not, cannot but have a salutarv eff
feet on the postal service while to
deprive a member of Congress OF
these appointments will conduce to
treer and fairer expression Of opn-
ion at the polls.
The publication of the treaty"
declaration y or 'agreem snt" Gas
it is variously called according to
taste) between the United States
and Japan has be>n the most inter
esting event of the week and it will
doubtless be of far more reaching
The three nations
most interested i'll it are of course
ihe United States, Japan aud China
and although the latter country has
nothing to do with proposing Or
signing the treaty she will be more
profoundly affected by it than eth
er of the other countries. China
as is well known has the largest
OF any country on the
globe. How large it is no man
knows or can know, for a census is
impossible, but it is roughly esti-
mated at four hundred millions,
but, not withstanding her great
population she is the weakest and
least war like country in the world
and the guarantee of the integrity
of her territory and of the open
door tor commerce to all nations
means more than an army and
navy to that great mass of peaceful
and industrious humanity. In the
fourth article of the declaration
these words are used They (the
United States and Japan are also
determined to preserve the common
interests of all powers in China by
supporting by all pacific means at
their disposal the independence and
integrity of China and the princi
pie of equal opportunity for COM
merce and industry of all nations
in that Empire. The influence
OF this agreement between the Unit
ed States and Japan will be far
reaching and it was doubtless in
anticipation of this agreement that
the latter country has recently sus-
pended its expensive naval con-
struction program. 1t is difficult
to see how the President, Congress
man Hobson and others who have
been advocating larger navy can
continue to consistently urge this
policy for our navy is now next to
the most powerful in the world or
second to that of Great Britain
alone.
There was change in the Cabi-
net last week by the retirement on
the first of December, of Mr.. Met
calf, Secretary of the Navy and the
appointment of Mr.. Newberry; the
assistant Secretary to the vacant
Cabinet Office. Mr.. Herbert Satter-
lee of New York, son-in law of
the multi -milliOnaire Tohn Piernont