The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-02-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,

4 L
Weather; Improved Public Morals Cred
It Mobilier Investigation Woman Sui
frage Convention not Success; Gov
ernmental Reformation in Japan In
crease Of Chicago Live Stock Trade
Interesting Miscellany.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. %, 1873.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Rain and snow is the order Of til,
day. For the past two weeks, ",
| have hardly had two successive fai
days. The improvements hast1l,
made during the Summer and Fall BY
the board Of public works here are be
ing greatly damaged by successive
| freezing and thawing, and many of the
contractors who are held responsible
| for the durability Of their work will
become bankrupt should the weather
continue. The million and a-quartel
OF dollars lately appropriated to the
District by Congress is nearly all dis
bnrsed but few District creditors
have received even half their dues.
What course the Board will now take
to raise money to complete the I'M
proyements begun, it is hard to divine.
Senators and Representatives are still
purchasing property, from which fact
the people here take courage in hop
ing that Congress will make sufficient
appropriation to help them out of
their present difficulty.
Never before in the past ten years
certain, and doubtless neuer, has the
capital of the nation been SO free
from communicating influences as at
present. Before and during the war,
and since, until within a year past,
gambling and other houses Of debaucll-
cry and crime have been in full blast,
and many a victim has there been in
shared. The authorities here have
been compelled to a greater or less
extent, for self protection to conform
to the customs of tie old aristocratic
slaveholding regime, and have reluct-
antly succumbed. It was manifest
the last session Of Congress that q
most powerful moral support from
Congress and others high in power
would be given to a radical reform.
and the authorities here took courage.
70 that end, the chief of police, Major
Richards, with his force made q raid
upon the gambling houses, capturing
IN many instances all the parapher-
MALTA for gambling operations together
with the principals, who were glad to
forfeit bail and leave the city. Next
came, with the assistance of the tenn
perance people, an attempt to most
rlgidly enforce the license law which
prohibits the sale of intoxicating
drinks after 12 o'clock at night week
days and Sundays. While your cor
respondent regrets to say for time
it did not succeed, since Congress
convened it is an exceedingly difficult
matter Tor any one to obtain liquor
here in violation to the existing laws.
IT Is a question, however, whether the
force OF habit for drinking irrespective
Of municipal regulation, may not be
50 strong, that after Congress adjourns |
The restaurants may not be again
thrown open day, night and Sundays.
The Credit Mobilier investigation
aow going on here is attracting more
attention than any other of the kind
sver had. The charges made. during
he late Presidential election, that
certain Senators and Representatives
we're guilty of high crime and INSIDE
neanor in connection with the Credit
hobilier, was as promptly ignored by
he Republican newspaper press of
ne country and their correspondents
'e1e as those charges were denied by
hose taxed with such crime. While
that there was good ground
Or distrust and occasion for such
harges against some, there seems as
ct but little credit for honesty due
hose by whom the charges were made.
Who could believe that if Mr.. Nc
'omb had been satisfied pecuniarily
y Mr.. Ames, or any other man, he
'ould now be engaged as {; willing
illness against those with whom he
as partner in this alleged crime ?
rom Cakes Ames, the Credit Mobiie1
ooks and the books of Sergeant-at-