Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-12-23
Our Washington Letter.
Washington, d. G., Dec. 10, 1874.

Wild oSSoioh' lcJ ScClll w w lullN
aware of the fact that the attention O
the people and the press of the oun
try is conferred on them, and that upon
their conduct between now and the
18th of next March will largely depend
the result OF the next presidential cam
paign, Thus lar, they have been, fol
the most part, the active advocates OF
retrenchment and general economy,
challenging and often obtaining, by
their speeches and their votes, the re-
spect Of even the Republican press Of
Washington, and the gratitude of the
entire country-notably so Messrs
Lamar, Fernando Wood, Niblack,
Swami, Mitchell of Wisconsin, Crea.
mer Of New York, Hamilton of New
Jersey, Holman of Indiana, S. S.
Cox of New York and Randall OF
Pennsylvania. These gentlemen and
Others seemed to understand the sltua-
ton thoroughly until Tuesday, when,
unfortunately, some ofthem thought
lessly voted for concurrent resolution,
introduced by Dawes, to adjourn the
two Houses from December 23 until
January 4, to enable senators and rep
resentatives to draw advance pay and
90 home and devote themselves to
egg-nog, Tom and Jerry, and have a
good time generally. 1t is mortify ing
to be obliged to record the fact that
the consideration of this resolution
was postponed to Monday next at the
instance of Republican, Garfield, Of
Ohio, who promptly seized the oppor'
tunity afforded him to count a point.
Let Dawes, if he will, get leave from
the House to start on the untimely ex-
petition he proposes. He can be spar
ed without detriment to the public in,
erests. Let him, in Gods name, 60
home and face the Ninety Thousand
tmen IN Massachusetts who, according
to the Boston papers, are now on the
verge of starvation. Let him be &C
complained by all the other lately de-
feated congressman Of that State, that
they may feast upon tie misery which
their class Legislation has caused. But
for Heavens sake, let no one OPPOSE
ton member vote, on next Monday, to
sustain the heartless, outrages and in
opportune resolution which will then
be considered. A three weeks adj
journment of Congress for recreative
while half a million of
working men, women and chlnren are
starving, and employers all over the
country are becoming bankrupts,
would be as appropriate as the sing
ing of 'Little Brown Jug" or the
dancing of the "Can Can" at a filner-
al.
MIR. MACARTHUR, OF PHILADEL,
to whom Mr.. Bristow rendered the po-
sition OF Supervising Architect of the
Treasury Department vice Mullett,
would seem to be an honest
man. His present income is consid-
erably larger than the nominal salary
attached to the office rendered him
and, counting the honor of holding
the latter as nothing, he declines to
accept it It's true he might make
his government Office pay him hand
more in fact than his
present business does; but this could
only be done by dishonest use of the
large sums which Congress annually
sets apart for the construction of pub
lie buildings. Disdaining to do this,
Mr.. Macarthur respectfully declines );
and it is to be hoped that the next
man to whom the Office is rendered
will be equally conscientious. | was
talking with one Of the stone cutters
at the Post Office Depart
ment short time since, and the con-
versation turned on Mullett. 81 don't
like him" said the stone-cutter, "be-
cause he is opposed to the eight hour
law, to trades-unions, and to every
thing that benefits the poor man
but ne is jolly good fellow in some
ways. A few weeks ago N was d.
rected by him to take four workmen
and 90 to his new house in, the 1st
Ward, where some mantel pieces re-
quired setting, and other work was to
be done. Well, the job occupied a
bout two weeks, and during that time
he treated us splendidly. Why, he
always had a bottle of wine and plenty
of good cigars in the room where we
were working, and he fed us like prin-