The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-01-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
FROM ouR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

FROM OUR REGULAR CoRRBsPoRDENT.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. :, 1877.
If Gen. Grant would only go to Long
Branch during the Christmas Holidays,
there would be scarcely anything but hot
weather wanting to remind US Of summer,
for many members and Senators have re-
turned for brief season to the bosom Of
their constituencies thousands OF govern
ment clerks, male aud female, have gone
to their homes in the different States,
which they have not seen since they had
forty days leave Of absence, without re-
duction Of pay, to 20 home and vote for
Hayes and Wheeler, or be discharged,
without intimidation % Washington is
as dull as summer during this season. A
sprinkiing Of cadets from Annapolis and
West Point, (no city has so many scions
educated at government expense as Wash
ington) few balls, tableaux, and church
festivals, coming Immediately after legls-
lative turmoil, and in the midst of incipi-
ent revolution, has an effect to make us
Indifferent to the vicissitudes Of life, and
mediate rashness, matrimony, or at least
10 give us that iul ddD.irdItdum air, so
charmingly affected by Miss Shoddy when
she says-"Yes, this reminds me when !
went to Venus on the 'Adrlatlc, and
saw the Pyramid of Chops. A few mem
bers of Congress, however, remain, work
ing during the holidays on the various
committees among them the indefatiga-
BILE Holman, chairman of the Committee
on Appropriations. Almost every week
results in disclosures which jnstify the
economy Of which he has so long been the
exponent, and for which he has been the
best abused Democrat on the floor The
latest discovery is that the pay roll Of the
Patent Office contains a large number Of
fictitious names, and that f&vorites repre-
sented by these names have been drawing
pay for which they rendered no equiva-
lent in work These frauds occasion no
sensation in Washington; We are used to
them. Nj ddmudndum is our motto;
they have become monotonous, have no
I originality, and are no longer effective
even IN pointing a moral Indeed there
Ter cannot be expected 70 see to every
thing; before the election re was directing
the campaign, or levyi-,. and disbursing
clerical assessments; since then he has
been engrossed with the Returning
Boards. and it would re -eruiring too
much Of mortal cabinet minister TO ask
him to give his entire attention to the side
shcw called the Interior Department, of
which the Patent Office forms part. Nor
should the Hon. Mr.. DUEL, Commissioner
Of Patents, be too severely blamed. He
also has done the party good service-no-
tably in attaching an illuminated supple
ment to an official circular, through which
thousands Of applicants for patents we're
informed, that owing 70 the reduction Of
force made by the last Congress their cases
could not be attended 10 with the usual
promptness Under cover Of this circular.
the employees of the Patent Office were en-
abled to leave for forty days and render
valable assistance in the campaign Now
it is feared that Judge Holman will insist
upon further reduction Of Judge Duell's
force, and cripple still further the efficiency
Of the Department as q political machine.
But worst Of all. there is a widespread
impression that Mr.. Tilden will offer Judge
Holman the Secretaryship Of the Interior
Department, where his psischdnt for med
ding with expenses, Gripping machinery,
and saving money to taxpayers, would
produce a contrast uncomplImentary to
it's present administration, and prove more
effective than illuminated circulars. or
even than money wruRg from government
clerks in keeping the bloody economical
Democrats in power.
Those with whom | have conversed are
not very hopeful that the joint committee
will effect solution of the Presidential
difficulty. The Senator whose influence
the advocates of constitutional methods
most fear is Mr.. Morton, Of Indiana, and
yet he has placed himself more squarely
on record than any other Senator, TO the
effect that the Vice President has no right
to count the vote, and that the inability Of
both houses to agree upon a State pre-
senting two returns must deprive that
State Of its voice in the electoral college.
He is the author of dill embOdying those
theories. which passed the Senate no later
than last session. Mr. Morton has, how
ever, been on both sides Of 50 many uues-
tions, that it will surprise everybody If he
should be consistent IN this. But a. he
turns this time he will turn under the scru-
tiny Of 40, 900, 900 of people. aided by the
magnfying power % 5000 newspapers !;
for, although the journals edited by post
masters, which compose 81 large a proper
tion Of those. hope t. profit by his terRiv-
ersation, and will doubtless attempt its
palliation, in recording his vote, they will
record the fact
Democratic members are in daily receipt
of letters which give assurance Of the
largest and most unanimous political de-
monstrations on the Sth of January, in re-
cognition Of the el -ction of Tilden, that
have ever been known in this country
They are assured that Republicans will
very generally participate, and in many
localities take the lead in urging compli-
ance with the verdict Of the majority.