Ellsworth American., 1874-07-02
Correspondence.
Letter from Washington
WASHINGTON. ID, C. June


WASHINGTON. ID. c., June -.
1t had been deemed impossible BY calm OBJ
servers to kindle new and deep interest In
Congressional proceedings, hut the announce
ment that Gen. Butler would pay his respects
to eertstn people on Friday eveuing. drew .
full house Of wide awake and jolly listeners.
Butler is never guilty Of being dun whatever
other sins he may be charged with, and on this
occasion he WAS In his livelisst mood. and
made 1t warm tor opponents In and out Of
Congress. The feeling Of the House hiss been
decidedly enlisted in behalf Of the great firm Of
Phelps, Dodge 4 Co., Of n. Y, and It Is the
supposed hardship Of their case which has
mainly caused the abolition Of moieties. To
the deaingsof this Arm. Butler gave special
attention, and charged: l. That they made
numerous under-valu ations In invoices, keeping
= set Of books with the true aud false invoice
entered side by side, but making oath at the
Custom house 10 the false one and selling by
the other. 2. That under the advice OF four
eminent lawyers, they made voluntary offer
to compromise with Secretary Boutwell, and
pay S21l 900 which he refused 10 accept, un-
less they made confession that the falsehood
was intentional, which confession they made.
3. That the firm cheated the government by
having their metals cast into statues which
they imp orted free, and sold as metals, melt
ing them as soon as imported. 4. That
member Of the firm secured, frxuduiently. =
change Of y comma in rcve nue. act. BY which
they netted 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..
remain and the other gentlemen who replied
to Butler did not deny the truth of these alle-
cations. in . single particular. This glaring
defect In the defence was patent to the CALLER
les. and despite the allusions 10 spoon steal.
were made against Butler. 1t told so heavily In
his favor that his triumph was decided and
acknow ledxed by applause. II these heavy
charges cannot be denied, 1t is Of very little
Use 10 cay much about the "eXalted reputa-
ton Of PhepsA 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 = desire on
chusetts. which was rot only unparliamen-
tary, but inconsistent with proper notions Of
public duty and motives for legislative action.
To "twit' any man for a natural misfortune
or defect is simply eontemptible, and that case
must be weak indeed which needs that kind
Of assistance. The invective hurled at Butler
was bitter. but vain. unless his charges are
false. II they are false. then his speech was a
brazen lie. but II true the invectiys was ridicu-
lously imPotent, and sadly out OF place.
Our District bill by which q Governor. Leg
i,laiurc. Board OF Public Works and other
paraphernslia Of ruler.hp were squelched was
sigocd by the Prcsidcn, on Sturdy. and on
sunday we were 4 free pcople-savc them
bonds.
On Monday Congress remained in session
until past midnight fixing up measures. COM
promising. and arranging details. while
anxious claimants 10 scores and hundreds hung
around with anxious hearts and faces. all un-
certain whether their various little bantlings,
80 carefully nursed all winter would get
through safely or die in the last ihroe, Of the
expiring session. Tuesday came and all was
over, but what was done and what LEFT un-
done cannot at the present writing be definite
ly ascerained in full.
THE CLOSING ACTS oP CONGRESS.
A currency bill was patched up which
strange to saw passed. and was signed by the
President. II was contraction enough to suit
the hard money men, and expansion enough
10 please the lovers of more money, and twas
ing II. Poor Richardson who has sdntred the
torments OF the damned for having expanded
the currency 10 SaS3 90 900, and whose nnau-
cial reputation was blasted in conseque nee Of
the set, was sustained. and the overw he lining
judgement 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 suspicion that 1t Is any thing
but Congressional wisdom, and fully convince
that richardson is . financial fool. "Such Is
life
One Of the good bills passed late was the act
TO prevent hAzing at Annapolis, for which the
Secretary Of the Navy deserves great credit.
Ispent few days at Annapolis, during the
late examination OF candidates 70. the Naval
Academy and was surprised 10 find this per-
nicious practice had extended 10 the candidates
well ss 10 cadets aflei adm, sion. The
boarding houses and hotels where the Young
gentlemen were s,oppin., were visited by
these young sspirants for naval fame. and
their rooms torn up and len in the greatest
disorder whenever the candidates were out
II so unfortunate a. 10 be caught in. they were
made To sing and dance, to eat soap, and do
other disgusting things, which the brutal rule
~ AS.xl., III, ID
young naval heroes, gives them the powe 10
enforce. They go in squads Of from fifteen to
twenty in number. and catch their unwary vic
tim and hsve it all their own way. And the
worst part Of il is there seems TO be no power
strong enough to break it up. II = cadet re-
sists this Infamous brutality, he is a marked
object thereafter, for the combined malevo-
lence OF the higher classes and as discipline is
mslntained by officers belonging to the higher
classes, by members Of which the hazing is
done, they have them completely in their pow
er TO report we'll or i'll OF, In the matter Of de-
merits. IL IL therefore . matter Of nece
that they bear hazing quietly aud secretly and
under the inspiration that pervades and con-
trols this practice they look forward to the
time when they in turn shall enjoy the same
privilege.
Hszing falls with double severity upon the
candidate As, after all, he is quite likely not TO
pass the examination for admission, when he
loses the anticipated revenge. Ii is a N sitter
OF surprise how many fail in the examination.
l met with 50 many, who had Unexpectedly
been disappointed in this particular and among
them some who had passed competitive exami-
nations for their appointments in their Con-
gressiOnal Districts. that was led to inquire
into the causes operating to produce this re-
suit. and found them to be not SO much in the
lack Of the amount Of learning nece sssry por
the severity Of the exsmin stions, 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's scholars,
who enjoy three months training at Annapolis
with special view to that examination very
few fail to pass; while the majority Of those