"MY DEAR MR. SMITH,--No one can regret much more than I do the composition of that railroad list of officers. I had supposed that in view of what I said as to Mr. Canda that I would hear more of the case before final action, but in this I was disappointed. Two, and possibly three, of the number certainly have no good qualification for the offices given them. Hoadley, it appears (I did not see him), was over here on some business of his own, just in the nick of time to be consulted, and the result was what might have been expected from so good a man--thoughtless and injudicious advice. "It is not possible that there was any viciousness in the purposes of the two, who may be said to have been the appointing power. I shall have further conversation with them, but without expecting any practical result. "I cannot, in a letter, write just as fully on this subject as I should like, and shall reserve this, and some other matters of more or less consequence themselves, for the conversation with you, that I promise myself later on in the summer. "Faithfully yours, "DANIEL MANNING." DANIEL MANNING TO TILDEN "ALBANY, _July 13th, 1885_. "MY DEAR GOVERNOR,--I send you herewith a copy of a letter received to-day. I send it because it may serve to amuse, and because it enables one to measure the sizes of certain men who are playing their best on the Washington stage. My correspondent is a truthful writer, and is well entitled to my confidence. "Faithfully yours, "DANIEL MANNING, "M. F. M." * * * * * The following is the letter mentioned in the above note: ---- TO DANIEL MANNING "WASHINGTON, _July 12th, 1885_. "DEAR MR. SECRETARY,--I have a piece of news for you, which I can only hope will not annoy you as much as it has some of us here. You will remember that on one of my visits to the Hot Springs, I told you that some of the gentlemen of the department had organized a social club, and out of respect and admiration for you had named it 'The Manning Club.' Well, the organization seemed to be a vigorous and thriving one, and we had in it almost every Democratic chief of bureau and chief of division in the department. We had rented a fine house for a year, had partly furnished it, and were rapidly getting into good shape when a bomb-shell fell among us in the shape of a notification of the displeasure of the President, and now the organization is completely disorganized and about ready to disband.