The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., March Is, 1876.
Special Correspondence.
THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE

get from the people for the unflnching
course it has pursued, and is still Industrious
ly pursuing, through its several Investigate
ing committees, in exposing the swinding
operations of Republican officials. No one
outside of Washington, and even very few
residents, have any idea of the temptations
to which congressman 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 "beats" in
Washington, aud of which President Grant
is the virtual and A. II. Shepherd the osten-
siblc Iead-Centre, styles itself the Me-
tropolitan Club, and is as thoroughly organ
lied as a prate.ship. Its members are all
detailed for work, according to their re-
spective tastes and capacities There are no
drones among them. 1t is an important
point with the Ring to capture" congress
men, irrespective of politics, race, color
previous condition, &C.; and the impunity
with which the public treasury was robbed
before the 18th Congress convened, show
that they were successful.
THE GAME OF THE WASHINGTON RING.
When new Congress is elected, com
mittee is appointed by the Ring to discover
by all available means, the peculiarities
tastes, and general habits of all the new
members elect, so that the necessary traps
may be laid for them when they arrive here
as strangers. If a new member is known to
be of ''pous turn" two or three member.
of the Ring contrive to get introduced to
him, somchow,and snake him off to prayer
meeting if he is an evangelical christian, OF
to The church Of any denomination to which
the victim may belong. The Ring com.
prises men of all religious sects, from the
orthodox Roman Catholic to the Spiritualist
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 ol
more pews in all the principal churches in
Washington. If new Congressman he q
temperance man, he is snatched, as quick as
lightning, and lugged off to meeting of the
Sons of Jonadab. Those who take their
tod" are escorted to all the chest places, y
and, finally, to the Metropolitan Club, where
they are allowed to swill, adHJitun,, without
cost, and are assured that they will be well
come and Hospitality entertained whenever
they cail-that they can not come too often
&c. &c The gay and festive" member is
driven round and shown the "picture s, "and
in due course of time, it is intimated to him
that if he has lady "frend" whom he
| would like to place in one of the Depart
! ments, the thing can be managed for him.
| If he is needy, and fond of draw poker, and
his vote is wanted, he is allowed to win, at
| the "club," few hundreds or thousands,
according to the Importance Of his vote and
influence. The Ring goes strong for Con-
gressmen of slender means who have wives
and daughters anxious to go into society"
and make splurge. These men are in
special danger of going astray. 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 the
vulgar Ring shoddyites who have consti-
tuted Washington "society"fo several years
| they will be sorely tempted to go into ex-
penses beyond their means, and afterwards,
to lend themselves for money with which to
| extrcate themselves from their difficulties,
to the schemes of the Ring. 1t is pleasant
to be able to record the fact, in these de-
generate times, that only one or two Demo
cratic members of the 44th Congress have
been successfully approached by the Ring.
Whatever Congressional support it gets now
is nearly exclusively from the Republi-
cans.
HON. ROBERT b. VANCE, OF NORTH CARO-.
LIMA,
Chairman of the Committee on Patents, and
his colleagues on the committee, have earned
the gratitude of every family in the land by
reporting adversely upon the application fol
an extension of the Wilson patent for the
''four motion feed" used by the sewing ma
chine companies of the great monopoly
combination. This is of importance to every
household, and especially to those who are
dependent upon the sewing machine for q
livelihood. The committee report that the
average price of sewing machines has beer
$50, while they can be sold at a fair profit fO
bout $22. The difference amounting tC
many millions Of dollars, has been absorbed
by the owners of the patents, who have beer
already sufficiently well paid for the benefi
conferred upon the community and it is no
intended to grant them any further power
for extortion.
| HON. S. S. cox
has been seriously i'll for several days, but il
on the mend again, and will resume his du
i lins IL, tho unusn ,ILnrn Liz nlsnnnn is n