The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-13

The Political RevivaI-Return of EamlI-
lar spirits-The Journalistic Bohemian
Society BeIies-AngeIic Fiends - Fair
Fresh Debutantes-The Speakership-
The Supreme Court-FieId and Bradley,
etc., etc.
(From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. 10, 1877.
Washington is receiving its winter comple-
ment of politicians, place seekers and pleasure
seekers. Members of Congress- some of them
with their wives and families, are coming in on
every train. The journalistic bohemian is here
from San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Du-
luth and other places, like New York and st.
Louis, too numerous to mention; and he noseth
around newspaper row, the hotel lobbies and
government departments his ears spread wide
to windward for inspiration of news, while in
matters of legislation and diplomacy-for his
comprehension nothing is too vast, for his in.
spection nothing is too minute A pen portrait
of your modest correspondent.
The society belle has also returned from sea-
shore and mountain. What the wild waves
have said to her, or what she has said to them
is not artculate or legible, except in the half
pathetic pensiveness of maturer beauty, for she
is one season nearer the age when woman be-
comes pasSe, and heartless, tickle society is be-
ginning to turn to the fresher debutantes who
will enjoy with zest, which she can no more,
presidential, cabinet and diplomatic receptions,
together with hops at the hotels, and germans
at Marines. and to be called the ''reigning
oelle" in the society columns of the city papers
the stale distinction Of every girl that comes
to Washington.
There is another familiar specimen here who.
though she receives no fulsome praise of news
PAGERS, has far more solid claim to the title
''reigDing," than the society belle. She may or
may not be beautiful, in a plastic or chromatic
sense, but she is an insinuating, ravishing, an
gelic fend, whose genius and finesse are more
convincing of the terrible creative and destruc
tive might that slumbers in woman than the
fulminatons of all the champions of their sex
from Lucy Stone to Phoebe Cousins. If she
were not cOnsummate diplOmatIst she might
permit herself to smile at policies that do not
take her into account; but she is so absorbed in
her vocation of lobbyist that it 10 doubtful if
she has time to congratulate herself that radi-
cal changes in politics, in administration, in
government itself, will not eradicate her infu-
ence, that nothing, in short, will do this but
radical change in the nature of man.
In matters of news L will not attempt this
week to anticipate the wires. Excitement over
the contest for the SDeakership is growing daily
more intense. There is much gossip of com.
binations to defeat Randall, and counter COM
bnatioDs to defeat the combiners. Randall is
apparently far ahead, though Mr.. Saylor has
just arrived bronzed and glorious from the Ohio
campaign, with the prestige of good fight
there, he may yet make it lively and vigorous
for the Pennsylvania. L have just been to see
Messrs. Randall and Cox, neither of whom
have the pallid, harassed appearance of the
exciting final days of last session. MIR. Cox is
hopeful, and Mr. Randall says he is confident
In way that is assuring to his friends. In
case Mr. Randall is elected there will be many
changes in the organization of committees for
he has lost some old friends and made some
new ones by his course in the Speakers chair.
The retirement of old members, and the advent
OF those elected in their places, will also neces-
state changes. 1t will probably be known after
Saturday who will be Speaker, aud the prevail
ing impression is that Randall will receive the
caucus nomination on second ballot. Then
week or ten days will be consumed IN the Or
ganization of committees.
Yesterday went up to the almost empty cap
itol to be present at the opening of the Supreme
Court The justices are all there Justices
Field and Bradley from the sequence of their
appointment, are compelled to SIT side by side,
proximity not an agreeable one would think,
since their indirect antagonism in the press
during the summer
The hall CT the House of Representatives has
been new furnished with pretty green carpet,
while both the House and Senate have been
supplied with exhaust pipe arrangements to
draw OFT the malaria arising from the insens-
BILE perspiration of Republicans and Democrats
Alas! for big shaft to exhaust the gas of ora
torical bores, the reek of bad hearts, and the
passions of corrupt legislation. G. A. s.