Evening star., 1934-12-23
OFFICE SEEKERS UNDER
CLEVELAND'S REGIME
Carpenter Discusses Civil Service
Changes in Washington Under
New Administration.

hotels. At Willard's, where Vice Pres
ident Hendricks stops, the gang ap-
pears especially seedy and desperate,
and among these guarded denuncia-
tons of Cleveland'S civil service ideas
are not infrequent. The incoming
trains are bringing in more, too, and
the city will be crowded with this
class until Cleveland has firmly es-
tablished the fact that civil service
reform is to prevail in spirit and in
truth. or until the bars are let down
and the whole flock makes a dash
at the Treasury surplus, like a lot
of sheep following their leaders over
the fence.
The Republicans much doubt
Cleveland's ability to preserve the
civil service by his present method
Of leaving the matter entirely in the
hands of his cabinet, and having
nothing whatever to do with it him.
self. Two former secretaries have
told me that If the secretaries of the
various departments are inclined to
act on the spoils theory, they can
make the changes and Cleveland will
be almost powerless to prevent it. 1t
may be done without his knowing.
If complaints are filed, the secretary
can assert that the changes were all
made for cause, the turned-out Of
flceholder will be told so, and that
will end the matter. Cleveland must
take the statements of his own polit-
ical and presidential family over those
Of the opposite party. The pressure
upon the Democrats is apt to be so
great that they will not hesitate to
change where cause can be trumped
up. In the meantime the clerks in
the departments are not feeling secure.
They do not sleep well of nights, and
fear to go to the Office in the morn
ing, lest they find the sentence of
official capitation upon their desks.
The Press in Washington.
Cleveland's official organ will be the
Washington Post, which is edited by
Stilson Hutchins. The Post is
blanket sheet folio with eight columns
to the page, and it publishes a paper
twice this size on Sunday. 1t is en-
terprising and spicy, and it pays a
good deal for Sunday letters, having
among its contributors Joseph Hatton,
the noted London novelist; Joaquin
Miller, the poet of the Sierras, and
many others.
Mr.. Hutchins is still a young man,
and he will probably be a power with
Mr.. Cleveland. He started life as a
printers boy in New Hampshire some
40 years ago. and in due time drifted
West. He had some connection with
an Iowa paper then went to st. Louis,
where he bought out the st. Louis
Post. He made money out of that and
was sent to the Missouri Legislature.
Since he came to Washington he has
added largely to his fortune and he
owns a house on Massachusetts, ave-
nue., Just next to that of Window,
which ought to be worth $4,000 any
day.
Stilson Hutchins has been twice
married and his second wife has died
within a year or so. She was the
sister-in-law of the noted B. B.
French, who was once clerk of the
House. The second Mrs Hutchins was
fascinating woman of Spanish
| American descent. Mr. Hutchins fell
in love with her at sight, and made
her present of this big $50 900 house
before she died.
The Post will now make more money
than ever. The advertisers of WASH
ington will patronize it because it is
the court paper, and the thousands of
clerks who want to keep on good
terms with the administration will
subscribe for it and read it in their
Offices to hide their Republicanism.
Washington is a city of toadies; it
always yells for the party which is
uppermost. Clerks. citizens and busi-
ness men are all the same, and this to
such an extent that some of the mer-
chants think the advertising in an
anti-administration paper rather hurts
than helps their trade.
The Evening Star seems to be hedg-
ing towards Cleveland, though during
the campaign it was avowedly for
Blaine The Star is published in the
afternoon and is a little folio, except
on Saturday, when it publishes a
double sheet. 1t is owned by three
partners and has made them all
wealthy.