The daily gazette., 1877-01-20
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Jan. -.
From Our Regular Correspondent.


Notwithstanding the near approach of
the political doom of the powerful party
that has so long controlled the country,
| Its officials and satalites here continue to
make most OF their lapsing tenure, in the
lenjoyment OF that senuous snowy life
which has been continued in spite of the
panic offs; in spite of the whiskey ring,
safe burglary, police board, and naval in
vestigation disclosures; in spite of the
collapse of Boss Sheppard, the disgrace of
Belknap,and the defeat Of Hayes. The pro-
lprieties Of the occasion would suggest in
he name Of decency an aesthetic arrange
ment of soiled official drapery, settle
ment of grocers, tailors, and wine merch-
Eants' bills, and other preparations for de-
parture from the temple where they have
thown loaded dice, and bartered soiled
doves. But these worthless will regard
popriety as little as they have respected
law, and termination,i in any sense heroic
of an eight years debouch is too much to
Il NAPSNo vi poltJ MhlIll
Greely, Chase and Sumner, for Grant,
Chandler, and Belknap. So the revelry
and debauchery is kept up, of course, OIL
credit, and the tailor and boarding house
keeper, indeed all that troublesome class,
is unpaid and unhappy. for, as the Ides
of March approach they realize that they
| will moi ha maid Of oil or nc lo,o
those who will take their places may
(even if they do not drive fast horses with
| faster women, and emulate some elegent
bachelors of the army and navy super
elect circles, in defrauding their restaur-
anters, or the Secretary of War in wiring
| ing an indirect revenue from the roor
soldier on the frontier, or the Secretary
of the Interior in bulldozing the widows
and orphans of soldiers into contributions
to the Hayes and Wheeler campaign
fund) go down to history with sweeter
memory and that our posterity in 1876
may be able to say that the beginning of
the second century of our political life,
though clouded with peril, was inspired
and redeemed by the devotion, the hero
lolu, ttAlu IhC odCIluCS, WHICH, III 10, at
tested and won mans title to self govern
ment.
The week had been uneventful, from a
political standpoint, until yesterday when
Senator Withers made the day memorable
by his arraignment of the President for
his past and threatened usurpations. and
! by Mr.. Luttrell of California, who, in
half a dozen sentences, completely de-
molisiied the Republican leader in the
House.
SENATOR WITHERS OF VIRGINIA
called up, as per previous notice, the
message of the President in relation to
the occupancy of Petersburg by troops OIL
election day, and offered resolution re-
questing inquiry in regard to the con-
struction of the law by the President and
his Attorney General in their instructions
TO United States Marshals lastSeptember.
Mr.. Withers followed this resolution by
the ablest and most convincing speech
that has been heard on the subject. He
was especially eloquent and admonitory
on the dangers which threaten the coun-
try from the accelerated strides of execu-
tive usurpation. Senator Withers has in
very short time (this is his second year
in the Senate) attained enviable distinc-
tion as statesman and an orator. 1t is
not often that he is heard in the Senate,
but no Senator examines more closely
and critically the great political questions
of the day, and when he does speak, it is
with weight and conviction that gives
proof of thorough study and profound
earnestness.
THE PACIFIC COAST VERSUS "DowN
EAST"
The sensation in the House arose from
some pertinent questions propounded by
Mr.. Luttrell of California to Mr.. Frye
of Maine, Zach Chandler's son-in-law)
who has assumed the role of Republican
leadership. since Mr.. Blaine has been
made Senator. Although Mr.. Luttrell
could get in but few sentences, and
questions, they were so terribly to the
point, and so cruelty incisive that the
corrupt party jade WINGED and writhed.
Mr.. Luttrell charged the Republican COM
mittee with having levied heavy assess
ments upon the widows and orphans of
soldiers in the Departments. Mr.. Frye
fioundered hopelessly iu his efforts at de-
nial, while the spontaneous applause
from the galleries proved how generally
these scandulous assessments are known,
and reprobated, even in Washington.
There is little hope of an agreement by
the joint committee upon a method for
counting the electoral vote, and it is
generally believed, outside of office hold
ing circles, that the plan provided by the
constitution, for the House to elect the
President will be finally adopted.
The committees sentSouth to look into
the manner of elections, have nearly all
returned to Washington, as has also the
committee sent to investigate alleged
election frauds in New York and Phla-
delphia. This committee found no frauds
to speak of in New York, but in the Re-
publican city of Philadelphia which
though much smaller in population than
New York, had a much larger registrat-
ion of voters, there were frauds discover
ed the disclosure of which will startle
honest Republicans. G. A. S.