Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-06-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence of the Bulletin.


completely demoralized your correspond
ent, and compelled rustication to re-
cuperate from the depression and pros
tration hence our long silence Wash
ington wears the same quiet look which
has characterized it since the Inaugural
ton, though it's beautifully green parks
and shade trees give it a touch of Nature
particularly refreshing to one who has
been enjoying the pleasures of the coun-
try, among childhood and early associa-
tiOns.
The great army Of Office seekers has
departed and our.hotels are complaining
Of hard times, as we'll as tradesmen and
shop-keepers. Uncle Sam has such
tight grip upon the treasures in his
vaults, and SO little appreciation of that
sound Democratic doctrine which urges
the issuing of greenbacks according to
the wants of the trade, that we here are
as impecuniOus as the denizens OF your
cities, and in our distress we are devout-
ly praying for Wattersons army of 1OO,
600, or few brigades of Office seekers,
or the converting of Congress, or few
more printing money presses as means
of relief Baltimore did little to relieve
our pecuniary necessities, though she
sent daily delegations for months to in
tercede for her to-be-appointed post
master, simply because when Balti
MORGAN visits Washington he invariably
supplies himself at home with penny
ginger cakes, and in some extravagant
cases adds crackers and sardines, there
by enabling him to avoid all expenditure
here for anything excepting our super
ior lager. Did he buy even our cheese
and biscuits, or even invest quarter
for dinner at one of our third-class ho
tells, the great dearth of money with our
grocers and landlords would have been
relieved, and even office seekers would
have rendered due contributions to our
exchequer. 1t is an i'll wind that blows
no good, and we naturally look to the
army of office seekers to support our ho-
tells during the recess. And we are
sorely disappointed so far as Baltimore
is concerned, for we venture to say that
not one Baltimorean out of a hundred
who comes here invests beyond his lager
beer He is essentially an economizer,
and where he has no cousins to stop
with comes fully armed with his home
eatables.
The silver question has become Il seri-
Gus one to our politicians, and it is being
discussed in all its bearings by all who
have the slightest interest in National
affairs. 1t is a settled point, we opine,
that the great mass OF people, without
regard to party, are determined to have
a reconciliation of silver in some form
or other. But how far it shall go is the
Duo,,l,~@ ,~l NJ,
Sherman, his Secretary of the Treasury,
are both in favor of using silver precise
ly as greenbacks, and time may cause
them to even include customs which are
now excepted, and thus fully remone
tie. But on this point the whole East
may resist and force compromise. 1t
is an interesting question. Men of
ablest minds are arrayed against each
other upon it, and it is difficult in the
midst of so much theorizing to deter
mine what is for the best. Any course
would doubtless result in small i'll, that
looked to the precious metals as me-
diums of exchange. But those who urge
the government into the erection of
printing mills in which greenbacks can
be made without limit, have certainly
little regard for the true interests OF the
country, and would evidently desire to
have us in the condition Of the Confed-
eracy, when, during the last twelve
months of its existence, it took a basket
of paper money to buy pocketful OF
marketing. In no contingency can we
have great plethora of gold and silver
one that would work great injury to
commercial interests as would unlimited
printing of paper money. Secretary
Sherman's acceptance of the bimetallic
system of currency to the extent OF
putting greenbacks and silver on the
same basis will undoubtedly 60 far tow
ard securing compromise upon that
ground between the East and united
South and West; hence our best minds
here look on the reconciliation OF silver
in some form as one of the first acts OF
Congress, particularly so should the
President recommend such legislation,
as now seems likely. We rather think
the President like all other Ohioans,
has got silver on the brain, in spite OF
all the gold prophylactic appearing in
his letter of acceptance and similar early
documents, and we shall not be surpris-
ed should he even eventually recon-
mend the payment of custom duties in
silver as we'll as deluge of that prec-
ious metal as panacea for all our Ma
tional ills. At home the OhiOan in
cludes silver in his prayers, and discuss
es it to the exclusion of the crops and
the weather and the health of himself
and family. The President is rapidly
falling into line with his brethren
as nearly as his lack of praying abil-
ity permits. Like all other politicians
and business men, he Deputies the de-
votions Of his household to his wife, and
she, like other sensible matrons who
have presided over the White House, is
too much occupied with our Washington
society Barrioboola CHA to bother her
self with such minor matters as single
or bi-metallic standards. She gives an
impetus to the temperance cause by her
example and name, and Mother Grundy
says even discountenances ordinary Cos
sip and in every way possible seems to
avoid contact with all political mat
tiers.
Secretary Sherman is putting a large
feather in his cap over the universal ia
vor with which his 4 per cent. loan is
meeting, and if we may judge results by
the approval expressed throughout the
country of his course, the syndicate will
have little left for their share. Our
District 3-65 bonds have rapidly appre-
ciated in value lately and are eagerly
sought at n, though six months since
they were rating at 65. The government
guaranty as to the interest makes them
government bond, and now that the
country is rapidly approaching hard pan
or true specie basis, investors are con,
tent with low rates Of interest on good
bonds, though year ago were refusing
less than 10 per cent. in other good Sc
curities.
U. S. Marshal Douglas, of North Car
DINA, will win in the fight made against
him by the outs, who want his place.
A. Il. LORING, of EldOra, attempted