The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. G., Feb'y 24,.lS76,
,Cpcci11 CorresDondeDce.

of tongues incident thereto. | am strongly
inclined to accept it as typical not only in
name, but incident and that the writer looked
forward with the eyes of faith, or through
inspiration, over centuries of time and saw
what would occur here in Ammo Domini,
1876. A little broadness in the pronuncia-
ton Of the name of that tower, would make
it ht our national capitol exactly. The
tower of hubble is its best name. Some "po-
tent and grave Seigneurs" in Congress have
enough of classic lore to know that the
cacklng of geese once saved the city of
Rome, by waking up sleeping sentinel in
time to prevent barbarian irruption With
in the city walls. And they are saving the
country after the same manner Streams of
bubble flow from them az steadily as water
from perennial springs, and like the geese
they expect to be deifed for their cackle. 1t
comes from them "as the waves come when
navies are stranded" | once saw school
of whales in tho Pacific Ocean, they were in
a playful mood and were sporting around in
a lively manner. Whales, and minnows, too,
in our tower Of babhle remind me Of that
scene They spout even more Justify than
those Pacific whales, they cackle more in
dustriously and louder than the sacred geese
of Rome, they babble more necessarily than
did the builders upon Shinar's plain. The
confusion Of tongues is more manifest among
them tnan it was ever among the babblers Of
Babel after an injunction had been served
against tho further proceedings with the
building Of the tower. BY the way, couldn't
an Injunction bo made to lie against our
babblers. I think there is one court with
proper jurisdiction. 1t is the cours pIeni'c,
or the court OF the people If you agree
with me, Saxon will apply to this court and
see If this eternal, might say Internal
babbing, cackiing, spouting cannot be
stopped.
When that unlquidatcd and now almost
forgotten instrument, the Constitution of the
United States was made, the Congress was
instituted as legislative body invested with
power to make and repeal laws. No,g it
consumes its time in trying to make reputa-
tion for its members, to secure their re-elec-
ton, to make party capital, and let law
making go to hadcs.
Tho workm-n in our tower Of habblc
should remember the fate of their prototypes.
They were dispersed about tho earth and
unable to communicate with each other.
The power that created them dispersed and
destroyed them. So too the power that sent
III Il
them and make them as insignificant III the
future, as most Of them were in the past
That power is tao people. And they are
tired Of the babbling, cackling, spouting
crew.
If grand procession of all the voters il
the United States could quietly marcl
through Washington, each one spending {
day in viewing the public servants, how
small our great men would become, and how
many of them would be rclcgatod to privat,
life opinc that if this were done that tn,
scene that occurred over eighteen hundrc,
years ago, IN the temple that crowned tn
height Of Mount Morah, might he rcpcatc'
r and the thieves and money changers b
driven from our temple. Mind you, | an
not writing Of either party, for they are bot
+ alike in what am talking about.
| feel scriptually inclined to-day, m
| mind seems to seek smiles in that book, an
| Us | wrote of the Tower of Babblc and tn
Temple of NIoriah, I remembered Samsor
l. and laughed aloud rs | thought how til
long-haired giant would have felt ashamc
of himself if he could revisit this plane
It and sec what improvements our modern lc!
islators have made in the usc'of his iavor
= instrument of warfare. He slew thousar
= of the men of Philistia with the jaw boz
= of an ass but some of our babblers are d
II ing better, many of them are killing then
- selves with the same weapon, which shOu
y be greater cause Of rejoicing to our peop
~ than Samson's feat was to the children
r Israel.
~ But the bablers and cacklers and spoute
"a are not all in the tower or in the Depal
IN ments. There are thousands of them wl
sit at tables or desks and babble, cackle a
II spout over the wires or through the ma
h+ and old Guttenbergs invention, with stea
L. and lightning enable them to send the
~ childish babble broadcast over the lar
or How pat that prayer, "From all manner
ot evil, good Lord, deliver us" comes in VIII
or we think of these. Fortunately not mu
is damage can be done by this class. Th
j babbling has grown innocuous to a great {
II. tent because the babblers have becol
ty, tbn FHb,iv l., /;
nj the kissing Of the East Indian cobra VIII
its fangs are drawn. To leave the Bible a
look into Shakespeare for thought, we
member the fat knight and his exclamati
all when we read after these spoutcrs, and 81
ire "Good Lord, how this world is given to
ms ingw
~ put in that last from Shakespeare to p
IL vent you from thinking that Brother la
"a mond, who is here trying to convert the 5
III ners of this city, has drawn me into his fol
III. | have consulted with him on the subcc
We write about, and suggested that as he h
he not the strength of Hercules his attempt
er' cleanse this Augean stable would fail.
VS., But the old man feels confident Of
dDlllll 10 SllII inc ullt, ana says INC llCo
II" must play the part Of Hercules, and sho
,"' out the filth. He says that if this is do
~ grace and hard work may do the balan
" and Washington be saved from the fate Il
:, befel "the cities of the plain" 4 lii
,nr sprinkling of sulphur and fire might not
on amiss, The sulphur itself would proba
he cure some men of the itch they haye-for
no iice-though the disease, once contracted
vs. said to be incurablc.
Of Are you Centcnnially inclined? Ifso,!
lth can pack your carpet-bag, for the show \