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AST"U1A OKFf-ON-SATURDAY
TER. 25. ll2
J.K IIILLORAX t.iilliM.
Tin- C'razi f..r OSIce.
The necessity for civil service re
fotm rests not mprt'ly upon tin
need of a more effective adminis
tration of the public service, but
not less on the emancipation of
our legislators from the claims of
office seekers, and the preserva
tion of the people from the mania
for place hunting which now has
so demoralizing an effect upon
a large class in the community.
The root of the evil lies in the
idea entertained by many people
that the government service is a
sort of asylum for incapables, for
men who have fitted themselves
for no career, or have wasted their
time in managing local politics,
instead of attending to their busi
ness when they had any. Here is
a man who has been a busy poli
tician all his life, who has boon
through the round of elective offi
ces from dog pelter to representa
tive, and who finds at the end of
all that his neglected business has
deserted him and that he is too
old to make a fresh btart. He
thinks tho government is bound
to provide an office for him at
Washington, and pesters Iiib rep
resentative in Congress to obtain
one for him, though he has not
the first qualification for any place
likely to be within his reach.
Here is another citizen who hab
been so busy attending to politics
that he has allowed his sou to
grow up without entering on any
pursuit, or qualifying himself for
any business. He wants a place
for his boy, who is perhaps mar
ried, and has a family on his hands,
his only claim for office being that
he is utterly incapable of earning
his own living. Thus tho crowd
of office-seekers is largely com
posed of young men entirely un
fitted for stead' endeavor, and of
old men wrecked for any useful
occupation by the steady pursuit
and tomporary occupation of a
round of petty offices.
These all have "claims" on their
member of Congress, and unite in
an assault upon him for place, un
til his life is a burden to him, and
he has little time left to attend to
his legislative duties. He cannot
give his time to tho investigations
of the questions that conns before
Congress because all his spare
moments are taken up in answer
ing the letters of office seekers,
and going the rounds of the de
partments, begging for places.
Thus the work of legislation suf
fers through the mania for office-
seeking, and members of Congress
in many instances, fail to obtain
that position in public affairs to
which their abilities entitle 'them
Their constituents lose their best
services by compelling them to
become place hunters. So great
has become this tax upon the time
of Congressmen that Senator
Brown, of Georgia, has introduced
a resolution ffivinjr each Senator a
clerk, at an annual salary of 1200.
His argument is that it is impossi
ble for Senators to attend to their
correspondence with their own
hands, and their salaries are not
sufficient to enable them to cm
ploy clerks at their own expense.
'A very large percentage of this
correspondence conies from place
hunters who put upon Senators
and representatifies a work which
has no proper place in their legis
lative duties. Were they relieved
of this burden they would have no
need of clerks, but as it is now the
people are asked to increase the
pay of Senators, $1,200 a year to
enable them to attend to office
seeking! It is easy to see how this system
vitiates the proper relations be
tween the executive and the legis
lative branches of the government.
It was the intention of the consti
tution that these should be kept
separate. But the spoils system!
robs the executive of its independ- ;pers think that it is prosumptous
ence and makes office-beggars of j for Oregon to attempt any assump
the people's representatives. J tion of jurisdiction over that $7,-
Th remedy for this evil is to be 000,000 icicle, called Alaska.
found in admission only to the
lo.ver tanks of civil service by
competitive examination, and aftor
proliatio'i, anil by advancement, by
merit, to be ascertained by exam
ination. Such a svstem as tliis
would take the civil sen ire out of
politics, would cut olf the herd of
otnec-seckcrb whose "claims"' con
ist only of pirty services, and
compel that class of citizens wlw
tnpw live upon hopes of office to
turn their attention to some honest
means of livelihood. . .
A Dry Dock.
A Lap.ge dry dock is being
built at Portland. There is cer
tainly a certain amount of business
for a dry dock at Portland, but
the principal object of the dry dock
at Portland is to help build Por
land up. When a dry dock is
built for business wind for tin' .pur
pose of making money on tin- in
vestment it will be built inat -mouth
of the Columbia. This . ?
the place to accommoJatc the ves
sels just arrived from sea, or th.it
have met with accidents on leaving
the river. This is too the place to
.iccommod.:tc the navies of foreign
powers, that are continually crui"s-
nur in me racinc.
We learn that an engineer who
h.is lare experience in building
marine railroads intends visiting
Astoria in a few months for the
purpose of working up am.):i;s'
ourptoplc one of these institution.1;
for the mouth of the Columbia
River. It is claimed that the ma
rine railway is fast superseding th
dry dock on the E tsteru (Jo.ist.
It is cheaper than tho cheapest dry
dock. Other advantages claimed
for it over the dry dock are that u
marine railway can accommodaio
two or more vessels at the same
time, and the time required to
take out a vessel will not be more
than one half an hour to each ves
sel. We hope the project of a ma
rine railway or dry dock at Astoria
may be successfi.1.
Bojixeo is three times as large
as France, and has a population
one-half as large as Ireland. Its
resources are unknown, but its
riches arc unquestioned, and it is
to-day probably tho ricliost acces
sible tract in the worlfl, not yet
developed. Great Britain has
just taken the first easy step to
ward annexing it by giving a char
ter, modeled on that of the old.
Eist India Company, to the
"North Borneo Company," an
Erglih corporation, which, for a
round sum, has bought bodily the
rights and territory of a Sultan,
who exercises a loose sway over
one third of the ibljnd.
It was said of the Bourbons of
France, that they never learned
anything, and never forget any
thing. The remark has been
aptly applied to certain elements
of the Democratic party; but what
more fitting term can be applied
to those who endorse the action of
alleged Republicans in having
a bronze medal commemorative of
the Chicago Convention struck off
and sent to each member of the
"gallant" 300?
Strrr has been brought against a
St. Lonis man who stole a woman's
heart. It seems that after a post
mortem examination had been
made on the body of a deceased
woman, and when preparations
wore about to bc'made for her in
terment, the heart was missin".
It was traced to the doctor who
made tho autopsy, and he is now
to be sued for having stolen it.
In Hillsboro exists a spirit that
is antagonistic to the laboring of
tramps. Rocontly when one va
grant broke a show window to get
free lodgings in the jail, the in
dignant citizens laid for him vhon
ho emerged, and smote him se
verely with their fists. Then they
told him that was but a sample of
stock on hand and that he should
"sit." He did.
TnC Washington Territory pa-
The Democr.itic Blaine.
It is a matter of interest afwell
s a surprise to rc.td Democratic
strictures on Blaine, when the fact.
of it is that if the Dftnocratic
party has a bi ijrlu issue that h.isn't
been knocked out of wind a dozen
times, or a single political dogma
that- hasn't been given Christian
burial at the hands of its onemies,
it is the policy that Blaine advo
cates. He has the true Democratic j
polioy as far as it goes and in
that lie is pei fectly right. It is the"
policy of Monroe, of Jackson, of
Stephen A. Douglas. He insists
plainly and positively that neither
England, nor France, nor Ger
many shall control nny part of the.
American continent; that tho
United States has eminent domain
on this side of the Atlantic; he is
right in the position he so ably
maintains, and there are hundreds
of thousands of Americans who be
Iievo just as he does and would be
lad to see those opinions prevail.
Since Frelinghu3'sen wenf into
office there is as much difference.
from Blaine's polioy as there is
between . i quacking duck and an
anaxv easle.
Ox Wednesday last the Demo
cratic State Central committee
met at Portland; the next day the
Republican State Central commit
tee'tnet, and for tho next thirteen
weeks matters will be lively po
litically. There arc & good many
men in this state who make their
living by politics. Some of them
pass as ''anti-monopolists, and
others assume other manifestations
of interest in and for tho '"dear
people," and their limited influ
ence, in the aggregate makes up a
noticeable amount of patronage,
an amount to oe noted oy tne
office hunter. Jn this way there
is a close and intimate connection
between the humblest office in the
rift of the county anil tho high-
est position at the disposal of the
commonwealth. This is what pro'
duces political "activity." It will
soon be in order for the party
whips to crack; tho rules and regu;
lations promulgated; those antique
speeimins of .political , joinery,
called "platforms" to be hammer
ed together for candidates to
stand on, and then all the work of
saving tho country and electfng
Smith, Jones and Brown will
go on.
A gexekal flood in tho Missis
bippi and its tributaries has inun
d ited hundreds of farms, drowned
great quantities of live stock and
occasioned serious loss to the in
habitants of the river states south
of Iowa.
It is considered a settled thiug
that Fitz John Porter will be re
instated. His reinstatement will
giie him hi position in the army
again, and a little matter of $115,
000 back payl
'Tis said that tliuTilden and tho
Colliding booms are running neck
and neck, with the Sage of Gram
ercv a littlo in the lead.
TnnaE are eiht Irishmen in
Congress', .five Englishmen, four
Scotchmen, and throe Germans,
SEW TO-DAY.
mOY & KELLER,
Dealers tn all kinds of
Fresh and Cured Meats,
Fine Sausage a Specialty.
ETF.irS' CAY FKESH.
BEST QVJAL1TV at the LOWEST TKICC.
'lain Street, Atitorln, Oregon.
HANSEN BROTHERS,
Architects and Builders,
All Ulntls ol House work done at
Uor:oti notice.
Shop Corner of Cass and Astor. Street,
ASTOHIA, - - - OKEGOX.
Notice For Sale.
ACOTTAGC FLVNO, SEVEN" OCTAVES,
uy Bo rd, Paris, nearly new. can bo seen
on board Br. baraue Crown Prince. For
particulars apply to Capt. Thompson, or
iv jr. uugrry, .aaiuruu
Astarla, i?b. 24, ISJ2. dtw
MISCELLANEOUS.
A. V. Allen,
(SUOe&MOR TO PAGE & ayt. )
nuiKi M. du,r U, . j
i?iW&?&S3
- -
Provisions,
Glass and Plated Ware,
TROPICAL AND DOMESTIC
FRUITS ANDVEGErABLES.
Together with
WingLiQnorsToljacco fi Cigars
TUo largest and most complete Mock of
goods In their Una to be" found in the city.
Corner of Cuss and Squemocqbo Ptieoti.
A8TOIHA. OKEGON
h i ' si-
o!s I Hi
I Cj n " m -; Q. a
D ? " - r O u 1.;-
OS - G s .
tn ro;
. iZ u, . a s
Barbour's
W11JUX TluMVIS
Salmon Net Twine.
' Cotton Seine Twine,
Cork and Lead Lines,
Cotton Netting, all sizes.
Seines Made to Order,
Flax and Cotton Twine,
Fishing Tackle, etc.
BARBOUR BROTHERS
?1 1 .llarltct Street. Snu Franclxeo
HENRY DOYLE i. Co.. Mrhbeoi-j.
B. B. FRANKLIN,
UNDERTAKER,
Cornor Cass and Squomoqlia streets,
ASTOKIA, - -- - - OREGON"
DEALER IX
WALL PAPER
AND
WINDOW SHADES
. AXD
UNDERTAKERS GOODS.
NOTICE 13 HEREBY GIVEN THAT tlie
undeislimedwCommlttec on Vni ruid
Means of the Common Council of theCIty of
Asiona ureeonrwiu receive soaien propo
sals at tbe office of the Auditor and Clerk of
s.ild city, until .12 o'clock noon, uf Tuonday,
tho 28tU day of February. 1&S2, for city
bonds, not exceeding sixty in num
ber, of the denomination of fifty dollars
each and bearing interest not exceeding
eight per cent per annum, ss provided fur
In ordinance tve 3 of said city. Proposals
must state the number of bonds bid for, the
amount they represent, and the Interest to
be paid.. No bonds will be sold under par.
The right to relocf any and all bids Is bereby
rcserved. FltANK J. TAYLOIf,
A. O. SPEXAKTH,
1. W. CASE.
Committee on Ways and Means.
Astoria. Feb. 17, 1SS2. d-td
Annual School Meeting.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF TnEIeml
voters of-8chool District No. 1 will bo
held at tho school house on Slain street, m
Astoria, Clatsop countv, Oregon, on Monday
evening, March 6th, 1832. at 7 o'clock, for t lie
purpose of electing one Director for thren
years, and one. Clerk for one year. Also to
levy a tax tasupport a school for tbe ensu
ing year In nald district; also a tax to pay
interest and Incidental expenses of said dis
trict and to transact such other business as
may properly come before the meeting.
- By order oJ tho Board of Directors.
: J..HUSTLEK.Clerk.
Astoria, Fb.21,:SS2.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Geo. w.. Hume,
(Wholesale and Retail Deader
q .p q OIDHI E S
Provisions, Lumber,
ETC.. ETC.. ETC.
Fisliercnens and Cannery
. SUPPLIES
A SPECIALTY.
AGENT FOR THE
San Jose Fruit Packing Company.
AND TKK
San Francisco Chemical
wastes.
ASTORIA - - - OREGON.
MARTIN" FOAKD. J. J. STOKES,
FGAEB & STOKES,
Whole.-ale and ntail dealers In
Wood and Willow-ware,
GROCERIES,
Tobacco, Cigars, Wines and Liquors
I'OHEIGN AND DOMESTIC
Fruits and Vegetables,
AND
COUNTRY PRODUCE.
svv
General Commission ISerchants
ASTOUIA, itr.cox.
Net to Oregon Uallttay&Nav. co's Dock,
d&w
HILL'S VARIETIES.
QEO.niLL, - - - ritoritiETor.
WALTER PARKS, - STAGE MAKAGEK
Open all the Year, Performance Ev ry
Xlslit. Em I re thange of Pro
sramuie Onrc n free!;.
. Comprising all the latost
SONGS, DANCES AND ACTS.
Tho theatre is crowded nlclitly. and all
who have witnessed ti e entertainment pro
nounce it to bs eoual to any given clsenhcre.
Mr. Hill as a caterer for tho public's
amusement can not be excelled. Anybod
ntshlng to Spend a pleasant evening and
see sparkling wit and beauty w Ithout vul
garity, snoum improve me opportunity anu
come.
The company comprises tho following v.ell
known Ariists :
Miss Fansie Walton".
Miss Louise Cook.
Mis3 Mollis CnnisTV,
Mb. CiiAnix3 KonLKit.
Mr. Tnos. CimiSTr,
Mr.. John Cook,
MS. JltLTOX JOHNSOX,
Mb. Joseph Pettv,
Mb. AValteu Pakks,
All of which will appear nightly in their dlf-
lureui. spec-iuiucs.
Open air concert every evening : perform
ance commencin tat 8; entrance to theatre
on Benton street; prlva'e boxes on Chena
mus street.
WAS IS DECLARED WITHOUT
i?unTF.n XOT1CE
. frjf And no terms of peace until
irallZs! every man In Astoria has a new
ixK)!V' suit of clothes
Look at the prices :
Panti to order from - - S8 Co
Pants, Genuine French Casslinero - 12 co
Suits from - -- -- -2500
Tho finest lino of .samples on the coast to
elpct from. P. J. MEAN Y,
Main street, opposite Parker House. Astoria.
l ' ASTOEIA, OltEOON
DRUGS AND CHEMICALS,
Toilet and Fancy Articles,
PATENT MEDICINES, ETC.
E2rPrcscrlDtlons carefully comnoundediat
all hours.
r9Homeonathic Tinctures and Pellets.
and Humphrey's Specifics also ktpt.
i
Califoenii SlOKE!
&
Lacking room to store our immense stock
we shall dispose of all
KEMNAITTS ON HAKD.
Worsted Dress 8oods, at 20 cts. per Yard,
comprising Plaids, Brocades, etc., etc.,
ranging from 5 to 15 yards.
Nonpareil Dress Goods, at 10 cts. per Yard.
FLANNELS, CLOAKINGS, SERGES, etc,, etc.,
of all shades and quality. Being impossible to classify
from the. fact that our stock is
Beyond in quantity and quality anything ever seen in
Astoria.
We have a large amount of remnants in LA.OES
and EMBROIDERY.
5000 Pair of Ladies' White and Colored Hose,
slightly damaged, 10 cts. per pair, usual price 35 cts.
Remember our stock of Gents' ware is unsurpassed in
quantity, quality and Price in this or any other market.
TjSSsBe sure and call on the old Reliables.
"tS S&5"S
Postoffice Corner,
hellossCoffee and Tea Pot
r
a tf.au
TWO DOORS EAST OP OCCIDENT,
I NT
a mm
nrsSaSrM.
83"
1 0B
THE ASTORIAN
STEAM-PRINTING- HOUSE
UAS'THE
FASTEST AND BEST PRESSES,
AND TYPE
ear Wo rui-chsso Paper, Cards, Ink, and other materials of the manufacturers
And can therefore afford to use, as we always do. the best articles, while enargmc
A! 1 '
nil
Astoria, Oregon.
MAY BE HAD OF
SWB.E.HA"WHS
SOLE AGENT.
Abo, Agent for tbe celebrated
ISncIi's Fatrnt CooU Store,
MEDALLION RANGE,
STEAM FITTINGS A SPECIALTY;
None but the best workmen employed.
AH work guaranteed or no charge.
ASTOEIA, OBEGON
TI
il
T I N ,
OF TBE LATEST STYLES.
JOB