, 1874-05-31
From Our Osrn Correspondent.

Assistant Postmaster General who sent clrcu-
lar to the railroad companies to band together
for increased compensation for carving tho
mails, II any considerable percentage OF our
,,fticelolders is imbued with that spirit OF ra-
pacity. it is clear that Subsidy has demoralized
the nation. Nor has the press escaped in the
general age OF pl' nder. Indeed. to be retained
BY comebody is scarcely called 1legiti1nate, from
ths heights OF station to the very dootkeeperd
and pagos. Stenographic reporters, officers OF
the House, bill-fle clerks, reading CLERKS
what not,-slip off and become admitted
to the Bar: after which they throw back their
shoulders, assurao the candor OF virtue. aud call
themselves .scounsel," where they are merely
LOBBYISTS and informers. You think the press
has power? tell you TINT something greater
than the press must intervene to save the fish
from the eagle, the sparrow from the SNAKE
There is worldly fellowship. hearty prohlEacy,
congenialty, wisdom, and capital, amongst these
parasites and traders, which elastlc, ever re-
newable and little discouraged at the worst
The lobby you arc fighting with IN inyestiga-
tions ia
THE WHOLE UNITED STATES.
The business men Of this country prefer to
work in the lobby rather than at the bar OF Con-
grees, They have had such experience and tuition
In the passing OF acts that they know all the
Rhort cuts; and every morning. when your in-
telligent merchant, manufacturer, or banker,
reads THE CHICAGO TEmuSE's telegraphic dis
patches from Washington he can remark to his
wife, s. Ne are going to the devil;" and she can
Is truthfully retOrt, ''IAou art the man J.!
The power OF special legislation is to be cor
rected at Washington in the same way Us at
Harrisburg The Constitution and system
t$r1+ -rt,f ar31 rEaT1 IL
ing. The body Of men called together with
some authority. like the Constitutional
Convention OF 17ss. which can achieve
this rehabilitation OF the Charter, can also in
dicate the Chief Magistrate to take charge Of it.
Regarded In this amplitude, how silly seem the
the personal and local movements Of the day;
how dreary everlasting Investigations into
warts and pimples, while the blood ls unhealthy
which p1opels them successirely to the surface!
TALE OF SUBSIDY.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Companys addi-
tional subsidy OF $780, 900 per annum for ten
years, making S. 600 QUO in addition to pre-ex-
ising subsidy Of IS, ,000, 900. is an instance OF
pro1igate gift OF money debauclung its giver and
its recipient without doing = particle Of good to
either.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company WAS once
An energetic aud honored corporation and in
the year 1869 remember to have read leader
in the London Times, predicting that it would
control the steam navigation of the globe.
During the reign Of stock-gambliug, how
ever, when our deprecated paper made
National lottery of gold and stocks, the stock
Of the Pacific Mail became specu1ative; the
energies OF its Directors we're turned 10 Wall
street rather than the high seas and the sub
sidy for the China line aggra yated the pro-
penaity Of the concern to grow careless, prodi-
gate and undjscipllned. Tho first subsidy had
scarcely been voted when all ingenuity WAS put
to work to obtain twice as much; aud every
freight-agent, mate. steward, and clerk, faced
toward Congress rather than toward Asia, The
Company offered to run twice d month. instead
OF once = month, and to build addi-
tional ships III tho home-markets at
high-tarin rates. in order to have
shipbuilding lobby with the Stock-Exchauge
lobby, aud the New York and San Frapci1co
Chambers OF Commerce we're set up as dummies
to encourage tie job.
COL. r. NJ IRWIN,
gentleman OF courtesy, and, believe, hon.
esty, Was selected to leave the Company's service
at San Francisco, where he WAS the General
Agent, and proceed to Washington City to
"manage the businese.
Irwin had married the daughter OF New
York and San Francisco banker; he Was OF
literary disposition, ambitious, and spirited He
had edited the United Sercice Magazine, and
written book on Sherman's campaigns. He
presented the case to Congress By attorney and
IN person, and was scrupulouB about the use of
money. But, meantime. to effect this subsidy,
free tickets and provender, importatlous
free Of freight, fine teas, and articles
Of Eastern art, luxury, aud virtu, were
afforded to members Of Congress- and people
Of influence, SO that, ineenslbly. discipline and
economy relaxed; and it may have been from
this decentralization that at least three ships
we're allowed to DO destroyed by fire or wreck
wlring out, as by the rebu1o of Providence,
$2,0U0, 600 or So, 200, 900 OF property Col. Ir-
win returned to New York. beaten before Con-
grese. The moral sentiment Of the commercial
world merely remarked:
Sent G boy to do mans work. He's alto
gether too scrupu1ous for Washington {"
This language, repeated along the line, passed
to San Francisco, paseed back aud banded
amongst the supercargoes and '1ongehore,aen,
brought Irwin to the pitch OF pride. He en-
treated to be sent again to tho Capital and for
another Congress, and to be provided With
money to procure additional aid in the lobby, by
attorneys, in the public press, and in Congress-
itself. This money he used. but not 1avishly, in
the first part Of the session.
The President OF the Pacific Mail Company at
this junctute was q person by the name OF
sT0ckwE.L.
raised in the vicinity Of painesvile, on the
Western Reserve OF Ohio, where he was trader,
clerk, travelling agent, aud SO forth; but,
fottuitously marrying the daughter OF Elias
Howe,-thas mammoth OF subsidy in the shape
ct sawing-tuachiue paten1s,-he appeared III
Wall street. amongst the Goulds. ana F.sas,
ana smith8, rs lmpudent and unsc1 upllous
u the worst Of them He demanded Ct Irwin
Huocess, that aud nothing less.-however to be
secured: as even proceeded to Washington
City and egged Irwin on, crowd1n5 him 80 hard
that tue latter threatened to abandon the maj
ter unless ho retired to New York. There Stock
out OF this pool, telling them to hold Pacihc Mail
stock for q rise as the subsidy WIS sure to bo
obtained this time. Que Of these .circuls~a was
read on the floor Of Congress. Tue debate grew
hot, f.r it Was now generally known that
there was large amount Of money to DO spent
r. pet tha E11hsiGy III that had not been lot