The Watchman And Southron

(From our Regular Correspondent.)

WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 5, 1889.

Harrison having succeeded in getting rid of the Senate, will now proceed to do some bustling on his own account. He still has some very fat plums to dispose of, such as the Public Printer, Land Commissioner, Justice of the Supreme Court, Minister to Germany and China, etc., and the office seekers will see that he does not become lonesome in the White House as long as he has an office to give away.

'Coon Benny' Tracy, Secretary of the Navy, has already begun to get in his fine political work. He has had a number of democrats employed at the naval ordnance factory in this city discharged, and republicans employed in their places.

'Cheap John' Wanamaker makes the temperance speeches and runs the Sunday School of the administration, but First Assistant Clarkson is running the Post Office Department under the old fashioned spoils system, that bids fair to have every democratic employe of that department bounced inside of six months, and his place filled by a republican hustler, who is neither a Sunday School scholar nor a prohibitionist.

The strongest backed applicant for a position under the present administration, is, strange to say, a democrat, and if he does not receive the appointment Harrison has little regard for influence. The fortunate man—for he is fortunate in having such an endorsement, even if he does not receive the appointment—is ex-Gov. Thompson, of South Carolina, the position sought is the democratic member of the Civil Service Commission. Mr. Thompson is endorsed by every democratic Senator as well as four or five republican Senators. He was appointed to the position by Mr. Cleveland, while he was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and would undoubtedly have been immediately confirmed if it had not been for the caucus resolution of the republican Senators opposing further confirmation during the session. There is nothing against Mr. Thompson and everybody agrees that he would make an excellent Civil Service Commissioner.

The rejection of the nomination of Murat Halstead to be minister to Germany by the Senate, has set the republicans all by the ears. Harrison is in a rage about it; Blaine likewise, and it is said that Halstead will be appointed anyway in a few days and that Harrison will trust to being able to pull him through the Senate next winter. He will find that a somewhat difficult matter, as the republicans that voted against him say they will never do otherwise, and it is hardly likely that enough democrats can be found to stop this nice little row in the republican family. All good democrats should content themselves with looking on and shouting 'Go it Harrison,' and 'Go it Senate,' knowing that whichever side wins it will be so much ammunition furnished for the democratic guns.

New pension agents are springing up on all sides here, and they all expect to get rich during the next four years through Tanner's liberal decisions, and they are not likely to be disappointed unless Congress shall refuse to appropriate all the money needed to pay pensions under such decisions.

Mr. C. N. Andrews, of Youngstown, Ohio, father-in-law of young John A. Logan, sent the following telegram to Senator Payne the day before Murat Halstead's nomination was rejected; 'I hope you will do everything in your power to defeat the vilest reptile and traducer of the noblest men in the republican party, Murat Halstead.'

There is a prospect of having all executive nominations considered in open session of the Senate in the future. A resolution to that effect was offered by Mr. Teller before adjournment, and will be called up for action early in the regular session, and judging from the talk of Senators of both parties it will be adopted. It is hard in fact to discover what argument can be used against it, as it does not propose open sessions for all executive business, as all previous resolutions on the subject have done.

Senator Hoar's sub-committee to investigate our commercial relations with Canada, will start from Chicago early in May for an extended trip over the Northern and Canadian Pacific railroads. What a great snap it is to take such a trip and have Uncle Sam to foot the bills, including even the champagne and cigars. The older republican Senators have become adepts in getting up such. This sub-committee is composed of four republicans, Messrs. Hoar, Wilson, Hale, and Dolph, and the democrats—Messrs. Pugh, Butler and Voorhees.