The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-12-12
Letter from Washington.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. s, 1874.
It is no longer question what shall cores
pondent find to write about here. Inc only
question that perplexes the mind is 10 know
what not to write about.
The converting of Congress is great day
Men, women and children who can spare the
time and get there, go to the Capitol on that &C.
casion. Early yesterday the halls and galleries
were filled. The message was received and
read and With the exception OF reporting SIX
appropriation bills, nothing further was done.
The message is variously commented upon
here, although it is generally well liked. The
hard money portion OF it was not unexpected,
but the abandonment of the Civil Service sys-
tenn, his pet scheme, the Pfesidant evinces a
knowledge of a fact that one is never loo Old to
learn. This Civil Service -s.lso,pe has AW
great injury to the Republican party the
way of giving thousands of Democrats office.
tits not believed that any stringent measures
of contraction will be carried out by Congress
while 80 much momentary distress is crippling
the industrial interests of the country. Many
persons believe that relief should be given by
the Government, but of these few have consid-
cred the difficulties which involve legislation
with this view. There is one thing that can be
done for large class of people, who are unen-
ployed, and that is, employ them on works Of
necessary internal improvements, which will
more fully develope the agricultural Interests
ton have been induced to engage. Freight
lines either by rail or water, or both, ought TO
be constructed by the Government, or with its
aid between the East and West, in order to pre-
vent the crushing out of the farm, interests by
large corporations whose watered stock con
stantly rings out the cry of, give give! to the
already impoverished Western and Southern
producers. 1t will not answer to demand Of
the farming interest that it shall continue to
burn its cereals, and to languish on the ragged
edge of poverty, until manufacturers find it
their interest to furnish home market, by
building workshops throughout the far West.
This is case of need that has remedy, more
prompt and more adequate and our Represen-
tatives should have the nerve to apply it at an
early day.
At last there seems to be felt throughout the
country desire to finish the Washington Mon
unnant, or haforn tho Cantenrifq' Anniyersa,
ny Exposition. The Masonic 49,. Odd Fellows
Lodges have taken the matter up within a few
months past, and have contributed several
thousand dollars, in sums ranging from SIS 10
500. The amounts received during the past
month are said to aggregate only the paltry
gum of about So, 900. This is rather tedious
and some of the papers have raised cry for
the death of some rich patriot who will devise
the half million required to finish the work.
It would be more like pure patriotism for some
live man of ample fortune, to contribute the
necessary fund and thus carry down among the
centuries fame for munifcence and practical
veneraton for the father of his country thai
would place him nearly on level with that oil
him whom America would like to mmortalize
in marble, but for her scsnty purse. 1t will be
burning disgrace if we invite all the nations
of the world to be witnesses of our ungrateful-
ness to the first historic hero of the land, one
hundred years after he has started us into be-
ing as a nation, by exhibiting this unfinished
work begun and abandoned so many years ago
LIFE.