Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-03-22
Correspondence.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., MARCH IS, 1876.
THE DEMOCRATIC UOIrsE

THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE
deserves much more credit than it will
ever get from the people for the unflinch-
ing course it has pursued, and is still in
dustriously pursuing, through it's several
investigating committees, in exposing the
swindling operations of Republican Off
Gals. No one outside of Washington,
and even very few residents, have any
idea Of the temptations to which con-
gresham is subjected, and the influences
by which he Is sometimes induced to play,
unconsciously, into the hands of the
Washington Ring. This Ring, which is
composed Of all the Government cheats"
in Washington, and of which President
Grant is the virtual, and A. II. Shepherd
the ostensible Head-Centre, styles itself
the Metropolitan Club, and is thoroughly
organized as pirate-ship. Its members
are all detailed for work, according to
their respective tastes and capacities.
There are no drones among them. 1t is
an important point with the Ring to soap
ture" congressman, irrespective Of poll
tics, race, color, previous condition, &c. !;
and the impunty with which the public
treasury was robbed, before the 44th Con-
gress convened, shows that they were
very successful
| THE GAME OF THE WASHINGTON RING.
/ When a new Congress is elected, a COM
mittee is appointed by the Ring to dis
cover, by all available means, the pecu-
liarities, tastes, and general habits of all
the new members elect, so that the neces-
sary traps may be laid for them when they
arrive here as strangers. If a new mem
Der is known to be ola 'pious turn two
or three members of the Ring contrive to
get introduced to him, somehow, and
snake him Off to prayer meeting if he Is
an evangelical christian, or to the church
of any denomination to which the victim
may belong. The Ring comprises men o {
all religious sects, from the Orthordox
Roman Catholic to the Splritualist; or,
more correctly speaking, comprises men
who are willing to represent themselves
to be connected with any church under
the sun, if anything is to be ''made" by it.
The Ring owns, through its members, one
or more pews in all the principal churches
in Washington. If 4 new Congressman
be temperance man, he is Snatched, as
quick as lightning, and logged off to .
meeting of the Sons of Jonadab. Those
who take their "tod" are escorted to all
the chest places" and, finally, to the Me-
tropolitan Club where they are allowed
to swill, nd Hbitun. without cost, and are
assured that they will be welcome and
Hospitality entertained whenever they call
that they can not come too often, &C.,
&c. The '!gay and festiye' member is
driven 70 und and shown the ''pictures,'
and, in due course of time, it is intimated
to him that if he has lady "friend" whom
I
partments, the thing Can be managed for
him. If he Is needy, and fond of draw
poker, and his vote is wanted, he is al
lowed to win, at the "club," few hum
uivu, Vi tnUusanus, a..uIuiny W u.o i'm
portance of his vote and influence. The
Ring goes strong for Congressman of
slender means who have wives and daugh-
ters auxious to 80 into ''soclety," and
make splurge. These men are In spec
ial danger of going astruy. They, Of all
men, should pray
''LEAD US AWAY FROM TEMPTATION,'
and should endeayor to keep themselves
and their families away from it. If they
once commence to frequent the houses of
,he vulgar Ring shoddyites who have cor
stituted Washington ''solety" fpr sever
al years, they will be sorely tempted to ga
into expenses beyond their means, and,
afterwards, to lend themselves, for money
with which to eXtric ate themselves from
their difficulties, to the schemes of the
Ring. 1t is pleasant TO be able to record
the fact, in these degenerate times, that
only one or two democratic members of
the 4lth Congress have been successfully
approached by the Ring. Whatever Con-
greSsional support it gets now is nearly
exclusively from the republicans.
HON. ROBERT b. VANCE, OF NORTH CARO-
| LIMA,
Chairman of the Committee on Patents,
and his colleagues OH the committee, have
earned the gratitude of every family in
the land by reporting adversely upon the
application for an extension of the Wilson
patent for the "fOur motion feed" used by
the sewing machine companies of the
great monopoly combination. This is of
Importance to every household, and es-
pecally to those who are dependent upon
the sewing machine for livelihood. The
committee report that the average price
Of sewing machines has been $65, while
they can be sold at fair profit for about
$22. The difference, amounting to many
millions Of dollars, has been absorbed by
the owners of the patents, who have been
already sufficiently well paid for the bene-
fit conferred upon the community; and it
is not intended to grant them any further
power for eXtortion.
HON s. S. cox
has been seriously i'll for several days, but
is on the mend again, and will resume his
duties in the House where his absence is
always felt. His reputation as wit, as
well man of letters, has called attention