, 1874-12-06
CORRESPONDENTS,

| New Me43co WILL Ll6 oDJcCt u 6o1Hb AUuA 4No-
publican Senators aud two Const essmen to tht
present body.
CORRESPONDENCE.
| Special Correspondence Of The Chicago T57b't'<-
| wAsH1xeros, Nov 30, 1874.
Members Of Congress and their wives, having
| said their Thanksgiving prayers at home, are
now arriving ut the political metropolis lively.
It ia agreed that the coming eession ia likely to
be one OF considerable work. and certainly OF
great interest. There will surely be great deal
OF foolins undertaken. How much of it shall
be successful, remains to be seen. The presence
here Of several powerful lobbies during the win
Ter is already clearly forecast by the
arrival Of the avant-couriers, who have
already made arrangements for roomy
headquarters and ssveral baskets ol
champagne. It may be we'll to let the coun-
try know, thus early in the season, OF come II
the schemes which men will undertake to thrust
into aud rush through Congress, but which
ought to be taken vigorously BY the nape OF the
neck with one hand and the seat Of the trousers
With the other, and made to walk Spanish out OF
the Capitol to the tnne Of the Rogues March
! Ofthesa, let me first speak OF ,
| THE ARKANSAS CONSPIRACY.
| The good sense Of President Grant has been
| conspicuously manifested with respect to Ar
kansas affairs. But for this, there is no telling
the amount OF excitement into which the coun-
try might have been plunged by set Of uncon-
! scionable, characterless political adventures,
! in warm scent Of plunder and speculation. Had
the President needed the emanufactur-d Il dispatches
OF bought newspapers and the shrieks of parties
interested in turmoil and ddouble-trouble IN Arkan~
SAG, the country would, at this moment. most
| likely be IN q situation OF discussion fermene.
elimination and recrlmination, which could only
result IN less OF more disaster, as 1t should be-
| continued for ehorter OF longer PERIOD Most
fortunately these frantic but epeclous appeals
had no more effect on Grant than rain has On
q ducks back He quietly said, Let us nave
peace; and We have peace. This 10 precisely
what the copspiratorB do not want, aud they are
going to try to carry ont their little game in Con-
eress. It NAV be we'll, therefore, to find out
Just what their little game is. 80 that it may be
early and forever sent down deep into the tomb
Of the Capulets.
The Arkansas business may DO best described
as 9 conspiracy OF reckless politicians and
speculators. There ia probably more OF the raw
material of political rasca1ity in Arkansas than
anywhere elso IN the world. Men in high Office,
elevated thereto BY the most questionable means,
are Interested in civil conlmotlon. and IN main
tanning public belief that all men in tbs State,
| not Of their set, are wDrso " "hood'ums than
they are themselves. With these are associated
speculators whose raids on the Treasury and
credit OF Arkansas were stopped some time
ago. and who are spelling to recommence opera-
tions in that line.
Every one will recollect the story Of how 3
certain railroad was built in Arkansas. The law
provided that upon proof Of the rails being laid
for each 10 miles Of the route, the bonds OF the
State should be issued. The Company borrowed
10 miles OF rails OF another road, laid them
down, proved tue fact, and took their bonds.
With the same rails they laid 10 miles more OF
track, proved up as to those 10 miles.
and took their bonds. This operation
they again repeated. and received bonds
for 10 niles more Of Il strack" They then took
up the rails and returned them to the lending
road and the country for which the State was
thus heavily mulcted is still bowling wilder.
ness. It might be concluded that the men vino
the State. But they didn't. They. are stlll
there, looking out fog fresh fields and pastures
new in the same line. The story is an e1aggera
ton, but with too much foundation in fact.
The political afairs Of Arxansas have been
more intimately connected with this sort Of
thing than is generally supposed. When Baxter
was declared elected Governor, it WIS supposed
he would shell out the bonds Of the State lively
for the aboye-descnbed kind OF - internal i'm
provements." He refnsed to do anything OF the
kind. Tie disreputable politicians and specula-
tors, having seen Brooks, went over to him in q
body. Then came the coup d'etat, which was
happily squelcled By the Presidents recognition
of Baxter The onlv possible chance, after
their coveted bonds, WAS to set up Smith as
Governor. We all know with what impertuTba-
BILE gravity Grant nas stamped ont this business,
thus far.
politicians, who are interested in there being no
disturbance Of old transactions They do not
want certain elections investigated, OF any
stirring-up OF some recent political matters.
These men went to work, concocted the
Smith scheme, and, having ''induced" q
few newspapers to espouse their cause. got up
the late muddle. They will beseech Congress to
continue it, and in this behalf will do q great
deaf OF earnest appea1ing That Is the forte OF
desperate men. There never have been any men
entitled to so little respect to much indignant
ecorn, as these Arkansas conspirators. Congress,
in Justice to itself. aud i'll recognition Of the
simple decency OF the Republican party. can do
nothing but give them the coolest possible
shoulder. .....
THE CoTToS-TAX LOBBY.
A conspiracy Of totaly-dIerent nature, but
with far greater - job at the eud OF it, ia the
scheme for the refunding Of the cottou-tax Of
which will spare neither labor nor money in tie
accomplishment Of its purpose. This project
was largely discussed three yeErs ago. in Con-
gress and By the press. 1t was then killed. and,
But it now has come up again.
as full of life and impudence as ever. The facts
upon this subject have probably escaped the
public memory. They are about as herein set
forth:
During the War, as every one will reco1lect,
pretty much everything was taxed. Quite
heavy tax was at one time placed on cotton.
From this source about; s69O0O,000 was col
lected before the repeal Of the law. It is now
argued that the law importing this tax was un-
constitutional aud void. md that all men who
paid the taxes ought to have sha money refunded
to them by the Government. The total amount
OF these claims, with equitable assignment Of
interest, will be about SS5, ,0o0, ,o00. Nearly $780,
11F% air fo3 hrn 1o1,t
some Of wnoae members are already here lnying
in wines and cigars and making other arrange
neuts for an active aggressive campaign They
will never have to pay their clients mere than
about $3, 900, 900. They can afford, therefore TO
spend 52U, 600. 900 aud have the handsome sum
OF 81, ,000. 100 for profits, less the cigar vine.
and dinner bills.
For the payment Of these caims.-gathered
Fn- A.