The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-05-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

! ltS call. Ine Senators here are divided
in opinion as to its length, yet all con-
eede its shortness, should general legis-
lation be avoided. The debate on the
army bill need not necessarily be pro-
loAged, and yet the proposition to re-
duce the army some 10000 will meet
with bitter opposition, much as all
propositions to reduce have in the past.
When we came down to our present
small army, We were told in the most
pathetic tones that we would be swal-
lowed up by somebody, the Mexlcans,
the Indians, the English, and dear
knows who else, by means of our i'm
mense frontier and coast lines, putting
US at the mercy of every attacking party,
internal as we'll as external. But 1--WE
still live" and our success in that line
leads some of our Lawmakers here to
say that the army must still further be
reduced, and especially so, since it's
presence is no longer needed to preserve
the peace in the Southern States. Again,
some of the hot heads are insisting that
the Navy Department must again be
Investigated, in order to show where
the Philadelphia navy yard sales and
other moneys went. If these two prop
ositlons get drawn into general debate,
your readers may expect a session run
ming into August, as it is an impossi-
bility for the forthcoming assemblage
of our nations orators to fully ventilate
the issues inside of three months. In
vestigatiOn accomplished so little dur
ing the last two years and promises so
much less this summer, since there is
no important election to be controlled
by exposures of a defunct administra-
tion, that we can conceive of no reason
for incurring the vast expense Of another
Navy Department ventilation, but it
will give the irrepressible politician an
opportunity to let off his buncombe
speeches which he hires some penny a
liner to write for him, and which costs
"Uncle Sam" ten cents line to insert
in the Congressional Record. We have
grown so impatient over the huge hum
bug called congressional speeches."
that really we are somewhat exercised
in mind at the great probability of hav-
ing to endure a series of them during
the approaching warm weather, and we
can but hope we may be spared the af-
Fiction, say from after July 1st.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Akin to the heavy subject of speech
making is that weighty matter called
the Washington monument. This
weighty structure has long been a dis
grace to our nation, so that we regret the
diversity of opinion which continues
among experts as to the unsuitability
tional weight. The government engi-
neers have recently reported adversely,
Notwithstanding other army and civil
engineers reported and believe to the
contrary, hence we are as much at sea
in regard to what should be done with
the monument as we are in mind, after
listening to three days debate in Con-
gress upon some political question. The
President very sensibly believes that it
is a matter which civil engineers can
determine much more intelligently and
correctly than these West Pointers,
whose knowledge of dirt is about on a
par with what they know Of concrete
poultice pavements as they are laying
on our Pennsylvania Avenue. con-
cede that Mcclellan studied the art oi
handling dirt, its powers of resistance,
etc., while digging before an imaginary
foe of 10000 muskets when there were
but 10000. But his theories do not ap.
ply to the foundations ofthe Washington
monument any more than they did to
the rail fence and gopher hole bank
behind which the volunteer soldier had
an ugly habit of hurting somebody
The monument ought to be finished al
once. It's plain shaft will be one of the
most attractive features of the Capital
and as it Is q national and not a city
duty to finish it, we hope prompt action
will be had for its completion.
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER.
John D. Defrees, the new appointee
bears his honors meekly. But he already
has experienced some of the aff1ictiOni
which render his office like that Of thu
executive departments, a burdensOm'
one indeed. Scores Of women call OF
him daily, pleading with tears ia thei
eyes and most pitiful stories Of thei
poverty and sufferings, for appointmen
as folders, feeders, anything which
: would give them bread. But as he i
powerless to aid, because his force mus
!, also be reduced, he can do no more thai
listen and rebuff. The recent discharge