Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-07-03
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the Times.


to certain people on Friday evening, drew Il
full house of wide awake and Jolly listeners
Butler is never guilty of being dull whatever
other sins he may be charged with. and on this
occasion he was in his liveieSt mood, and made
it warm for opponents in and out of Congress.
The feeling of the House has been decidedly en-
listed in behalf of the great firm of Phelps
Dodge Il Co., of n. Y, and it is the supposed
hardship of their case which has mainly caused
the abolition of moieties. To the dealings of
this firm, Butler gave special attention, and
charged: l. That they maze numerous under
valuations in invoices, keeping set of books
with the true and false invoice entered side bv
side. but making oath at the Custom house to
the false one and selling by the other. >. That
under the advice of four eminent lawyers, they
made voluntary offer to compromise with
Secretary Boutwell, and pay S27l.0oO which
he refused to accept unless they made confess
sion that the falsehood was Intentional which
confession they made. 8. That the firm cheat
ed the government by having their metals cast
into statues which they imported free, and sold
metals, melting them as soon as imported
4. That member of the firm secured, fraudu-
lently, change of comma in revenue act,
by which they Melted several millions of duties
which were included in the act as passed The
most singular thing in this whole debate, was
the fact that Mr.. Roberts, Mr.. Dawes, Mr.. Ire
maine and the other gentlemen who replied to
Butler did not deny the truth of these allega-
lions, in a single particular. This glaring de-
feet in the defense was patent to the galleries,
and despite the illusions to spoon stealing, and
being counsel to informerS which were made
against Butler, it told so heavily in his favor
that his triumph was decided and acknowledged
by applause. If these heavy charges cannot be
denied, it is of very little to say much about
the ''exalted reputation" of Phelps l. Dodge,
for the case of Facts vs.. Reputation always ends
in favor of the plaintiff
In the course of the debate, Butler read a
letter of Fosters which showed a desire on his
part to trap the member from Massachusetts,
which was not only unparliamentary, but in
consistent with proper notions of public duty
and motives for legislative action. To ''twit''
any man for natural misfortune or defect is
simply contemplate, and that case must be
weak indeed which needs that kind ofassistance
The invective hurled at Butler was bitter but
vain, unless his charges are false. If they are
false: then his speech was brazen lie, but if
true the invective was ridiculously impotent,
and sadly out of place.
Our District, bill by which a Governor, Leg
islature, Board of Public Works and other
paraphernalia of rulershlp were Squelched was
signed by the President on Saturday, and on
Sunday we were free people-Save them bonds
THE CLOSING ACTS OF CONGRESS
A currency bill was patched up, which strange
to say passed, and was signed by the President
1t was contraction enough to suit the hard
money men, and expansion enough to please
the lovers of more money, and twas such
good bill that Grant could Mt help signing it.
Poor Richardson who has suffered the torments
of the damned for having expanded the currency
to 1888, 900, 900, and whose financial reputa-
ton was blasted in consequence of the act, was
sustained, and the overwhelming Judgment of
Congress, as expressed in the bill is that he hit
the case exactly, and they voted that as the true
volume of the currency, without the least SuS-
picion that it is anything but Congressional
wisdom and fully convinced that Richardson
is financial fool ''Such is life
One of the good bills passed late was the act
prevent hazing at Annapolis, for which the
ASecretary of the Navy deserves great credit.
| spent a few days at Annapolis during the
late examination Of candidates for the Naval
Academy and was surprised to find this per-
nicious practice had extended to the candidates
as well as to cadets after admission. The board
ing houses and hotels where the young gentle
men were stopping, were visited by these young
aspirants for naval fame, and their rooms torn
up and left in the greatest disorder whenever
the candidates were out. If so unfortunate as
to be caught in, they were made 10 sing and
dance, to eat soap, and do other disgusting
things, which the brutal rule of Might Makes
Right, practced by these young naval heroes,
gives them the power to enforce. They go in
squads of from fifteen to twenty in number and
catch their unwary victim and have it all their
own way. And the worst part of it is there
seems to be no power strong enough to break
it up. If a cadet resists this infamous brutali-
ty, he is a marked object thereafter, for the
combined malevolence of the higher classes and
as discipline is maintained by officers belonging
to the higher classes, by members Of which the
haZing is done, they have them completely in
-
ofdemerits. 1t is therefore matter of necessity
that they bear hazing quietly and secretly and
under the inspiration that pervades and controls
this practice they look forward to the time
when they in turn shall enjoy the same priv
lege.
Hazng falls with double severity upon the
candidate as, after ALL he is quite likely not to
to pass the examination for admission, hen
he loses the anticipated revenge. 1t is a matter
of surprise how many fail in the examination.
| met with so many, who had Unexpectedly
been disappointed in this particular and among
them some who had passed competitive exami-
nations for their appointments i'll their Con-
gressional District, that | was led to inquire
into the causes operating to produce this result
and found them to be not so much in the lack
of the amount of learning necessary nor the
severity of the examinations, but rather in the
character of the examinations which differs
essentially from that Of any other educational
system in the country. The proof Of this rests
in the fact that of Prof. Thompson scholars,
who enjoy three months training at Annapolis
with special view to that examination very
few fail to pass; while the majority of those
who attempt to enter with only the ordinary
educati onal training fail in the examination.
It is well worth the expense and time which
this training involves; and felt as if it would
be doing all parents kindness who desire
their sons to enter the Naval Academy, to tell
them what would secure the coveted prize.
OTHER THINGS.
The effort of Gen. Grant to stock the Treasury
with Bass, failed, but this does not argue that
there is to be in the State Department any
change that will reduce the performance Of
Fish for the present.
The nomination of Eugene Hale for P. NJ. G..
meets with great favor. He is young, active,
judicious, and has strong support both East
and West. Few young men in the country
have met with the success achieved by Mr.. Hale
in Congress.
Our Boss, that we are so proud of, could Mt
pass the Senate as one of the Commissioners
He got only six votes, and three of them. were
given by Clayton, Spencer, and Flanagan Of
whom the Senate not specially proud.
The appropriations were cut down S28 0OO,-
600,
The Negro in Congress-.
OF the six negroes in Congress but one excit-
ed any notice during the session that has just
closed-Eliott of South Carolina, and he only