The daily gazette., 1877-03-01
Our Washington Letter.
nm our regular correspondent.

From our regular correspondent.
WAsr1EsToH, FEB. Is, 1877. z
A majority in'the House composed Of
both Democrats and Republicans, seem
determined to crown the Chandler
Wells-Bradley arrangement with. sue
cess. The Democratic members acqni-
esce under the impression that it, would
be unmanly inthem to refuse subn,is-
sion to the verdict Of a tribunal of their
ewn creation. But in anational Question
1t would seem that there should be a
higher and sterner rule Of conduct than
the indulgence Of poetic manliness. Man
illness is an egtoism that the individual
may enjoy in his personal relations, but
a member of Congress, In his representa-
tive capacity, is not an individual, he has
no right to indulge personal yanities, and
70 impose upon the millennium "when the
dark shall he light, and the wrong shall
be right" the onns Of righting the wrong
of peoples. A statesman f and patriot
must sacrifice his ideas of personal pro-
priety to the ends of country, with him
the brightest and broadest rule of fconduct
is policy. The end must justify the means.
In policy the Republicans are abler than
the Democrats. The ends are infamous
but their means are successful. Who
would call Morton manly continually
gulping his own words, ever RETURNING
like day to his vormit, but his policy
rules the country! Can Democrats at.
ford to deal with such men, and such a
party on ideals Of chivalry and manliess
Ito cast pearls before swine---or waste
etiquette with Captain Jack and Shack
Nasty-Jim? There are in 70 Congress,
among the Democrats, too many nice gen
tlemen posing for history while commits
stoned thieves filch from the treasury
and candidate repudiated by the people
usurps the Office of the executive.
So much time has been consumed il
the discussion of the questions arising ou
of hepresidential election. that it now
seems an extra session will be inevitable
Many of the appropriation bills Lave moi
been passed. The invalid pension bill
has become law; the consular and dip
lomatic bill has passed both Houses, bui
has not received the signative of the presi
pent. The navy deficiency legislative,
fortification Indian, Post office, and West
Point military academy bills are in thu
hands Of conference committees, and MAJ
POSSIBLY be passed this session. The sur
dry civil bill is now under consideration
in the House; the river and harbor bill
has been reported in the House, but il
was recommitted. ..,,.,.. .t',.....
The army appropriation bill was no
reported until last Saturday; it provides
that no money shall be used for re-
crulting the army beyond the number
OF 1900 enlisted men, and limits the
pay OF the general Of the army to $l1, coo
Of the lieutenant general to $4,000, and oil
major general to $1,000 year. The
bill provides for reduction OF the cav.
airy TO eight regiments; of the artillery
to two regiments; of the infantry tc
| sixteen regiments; it also provides for the
defence OF the Mexican and Indian from
tiers of Texas. The House is in no temper
to pass the army appropriation bill with.
out the proviso that the army shall not
be used to deprive the States Of Louisi.
ana and South Carolina OF the govern
ments they have lawfully elected. The
Democrats in Congress have little faith
! in the protestations of Hayes and his
friends. They are aware of the para
mount influence that Morton will have
in directing the policy Of the new admin
istration, and since they have been so
recently deceived, and cheated by the
| supposed respectable men of the party,
on the electoral commission, they will
lot trust the unauthoritive declarations
of politicians. There is no reason why
the army should not be reduced to twelve
or at least to fifteen thousand men. 1t
would then be large enough for all legi6-
mate uses, Judge Halman has lab0red
incessantly to reduce expenses, but he
has had the opposition of powerful des-
perate and organized lobby, and he has
been resisted at every step by the Re-
publicans in the House, while. in the
Senate. such lobby attornies az Hamlin,
Window and Sargent, backed by the Re-
publican majority, are making final eff
fort to secure few insignificant millions
for their rings and favorites. 1t has so far
been almost impossible to SO reduce ap-
preparations that there will not be left
la-ge margin for rings, and supernu-
meraries in the civil service. There is
not a Republican member of Congress
who has not a number of parasitical ia
vorites IN government employ. There is
not a truthful clerk in any Of the de-
partments here that will not tell you
that the work of his Office can be accom-
plished with half the force now employ
ed. FTP
The extra session will probably assem-
BILE early in May, and it will be of short
duration. Clarkson N. Potter, and Ben
jamin +. Butler will be the most distin-
guished accessions to the House, while
Beck, Hill. Lamar. and Judge Davis, will
appear for the first time in the Senate.
c.. AS.