The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-02-21
NASIfINGTON LETrEB.
History and Gossip-Mr. Kerr's Ill
ucsS-Mr. Cox ~ Speaker - why
EegisIatiOu "Hastens SiOwly"-RO-
u,uce I'm the Senate Chamber.
from our regular correspondent.

From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGToN, February ~
In the old Hall of Representatives, In
Washington, where such ab. o,ete states
men as Webster, Clay, and Calhoun used
10 discourse upon the Constitution, Fed
eral relations, and Missouri Compromise,
there is a curious clock, the dial Of which
reprasents the wheel OF chariot, upon
which the muse of history stands, report
ing. for the newspapers perhaps, as the
chariot rolls and time flies. She is rather
more classic in appearance than the av'
erage ba~ bieu that frcquents the CALLER
les Of the House and Senate, and goes to
all the receptions; but, although she
writes with the clock, she Is scarcely.
more industrious than they have been
this session, writing gossip and society
matter, as it is called.
There are many antitheses between
C'iD and the conventional female re-
porter, but | will not trouble you with
them more than to say that one Is sup.
posed to write chronicles for posterty,
while the other scrIbbles for the moment.
But let us not despise the work OF the
newspaper correspondent. CIlo has
written tones and heCatombs of history.
bit not quite tha. much truth. Our cor
respondent has spun much thin, almost
impaIpsbie gossip, but | sometimes
think il is about rs reliable as history,
and about rs useful. She endeavors, in
her imperfect way. to hold mirror up to
her time. and that small portion of the
world that represents her horizon. The
most that Clio can do Is to select from
the debris OF Babel the material for her
splendid historical monuments, which,
after ALL furnish but little guidance, only
a subject for disputation to the Sher-
mans and Boyntons, and the B.sines
and the Hills. The boy may
have commenced his historical course
with Herodatus, and he may have con-
cluded with Bancroit's last edition but
he will simply know much that has been
written; much of the distorted fiction
called history, very little OF the nudity
OF truth.
one cause of the defects of history Is
plain. Clio gets her information second
hand from gossip, and the artist OF the
future will abar don the classic models
and. with deeper insight, paint the
muse of history in purely natural and
feminine situation, with her ear at the
kevholc of the apartment OF gossip 1t
is our privilege, thanks to steam, cleo
tricity and the nineteenth century, to sec
history, to observe events in their ince2-
tion. and to study them ere they set be-
low the horizon of our time. lie who
does this will have truer and more help.
ful chart of the present, (the only time
by the way IN which he has much inter
e:tl tban the CrAmmcd anachronlsm who
has read everything from Heroda;us to
Bancroft. Moral: Read the papers.
In writing the above, | have al along
been embarrassed by the vision OF 3 hha-
dsmanthine editor who wishes to know
what all this twsddle has to do with the
fresh. spicy and interesting letter on
Washington matters, that l agreed TO
write each week, and why such stud could
not as well be written from "Goose
creek as from the National capitol.
NV apolocv must be dearth OF news
.ince MIR. Blaine'S awkward compilation
from what Senators lnuTulau auu '"u "
had long ago much better said, on the
financial question, there has occurred
nothing OF much interest in either the
Senate or the House.
Mr.. KERR's TEMPORARY RESIGNATION OF
THE SPEAKERS CHAIR
has occasioued much alarm among MS
friends here, and although bat little is
said about it, there are great whispers,
that his delicate health is even more del
icste than has been supposed. and that
his absence may be prolonged much
beyond the time, one week, which he
asked for rest.
Mr.. cox N THE SPEAKERS CHAIS
Aourishes the gavel with more dignity
than was expected, had almost said
hoped. by bis Democratic friends; Hi;
long experience in the House, hi; fsmli-
isriiv with parliamentary rules, ms
vide acquaintance with members, to,
cetber with hiss alertness and umversa
nopula-i,y have made his selection a
speaker pro TEN highly satisfactory t(
both Democrats and Republicans but tn