Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-08
IFrOm Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, May 4

~ ~
1t was a lucky idea of Major LEnfant
who laid out the plan of Washington, tC
locate the capitol on a high hill. close up
on the shores of the Potomac, where il
may get the full benefit of the river breeze
and fever and ague. Just now the
weather is prematurely warm and sultry
the thermometer stands at eighty-two in
the shade, and straw hats, palm-leaf fans
and linen busters have suddenly sprung
into fashion. Up at the capitol, the recent
night sessions seem to have used up, pref
ty effectually, most of the Solons who sit
congregated there; there is a languor and
sleepiness prevalent everywhere, yawning
appears to be the order Of the day, and,
somehow or other, the high-pressure has
blown off without bursting our NATIONAL
engine, leaving everything very calm and
sedate in the boiler, notwithstanding the
recent shoveling-in of fuel in the shape Of
Florida frauds, tariff Legislation, and
Montgomery Blair's resolutions. There is
a heap of sediment and scales" in that
same boiler, and suppose it will have
what the engineers call good elbow
out some day or other; but, so far, it has
let eff its superhuous steam in whistling.
To those who have never witnessed a
nie hit session at the capitol, toward the
h. ha 10 aytrpnop o.
" interesting. The brilliant light in the
"tholus or lantern over the dome, some
two hundred and fifty feet high up, can be
seen from almost every part of the city
and for many miles down the river, LOOM
ing up like huge lighthouse at the point
where the Potomac makes its great bend
to the west. Every window in the huge
building is lighted up, and the transparent
glass roofs of the senate and house wings,
below which hundreds of gas jets are
burning, illuminate the sky above as if II
confagration was taking place within the
structure. The national emblem, the
stars and Stripes" floats lazily from the
mast, with peculiar weird tinge on its
blood-red bars caused by the glare which
shoots up, like zodiacal light, from the
Illuminated roof below; and in the
rotunda within, high up over the upper
most circle of gas jets, sits George Wash
ington in effisy with the yellow scroll in
scribed E Pluribus Unun floating over
his head and the heads of the impossible
"allegories clone in fresco by Brumidi)
which surround him.
On the house side. the corridors and
galleries are thronged; but on the floor
rarely more shan half the desks are ever
occupied. 1t is hot and close the great
machines down in the basement are fan.
ming cool air up through numberless aper,
lures in the floor; but it seems all to be
absorbed in the heat of political discussion
down there, and little reaches the CALLER.
les. In the cloak room, just beyond the
hall, members are seen through the open
doors reclining. in their shirt sleeves. on
the lounges, smoking cigars and drinking
lemonade, iced tea, or (perhaps) some.
thing stronger. Ben Butler, who is al
ways on hand, walks up and down the
middle aisle, chewing an unlit cigar and
having that off eye of his on the reporter
gallery, over the speakers desk. Abram
Hewitt, Mr.. Tilden's right bower, sits de-
merely at his desk reading the N. Y.
World, and "Sunset" Cox is cracking
jokes with his political opponent. Mr.. KEEL
ly of Pennsylvania, "Pig from Kelly, as
they call him; but the Pig before the
metal has reference to the material and
not the man. On the senate side the scene
is much the same, and during one of the
recesses of night session Ito allow the
senators to &C home to their suppers) Mr.
Thurman may be seen enjoying socia
confab with Mr.. Edmunds, who represents
his exact opposite in politics, and Senators
Gordon and Hill will quietly chat will
Conkling and Blaine, exchange snuff, ant
debate whether or not they shall play thei
next game of cut-throat euchre without
"joker."
1t created no little establishment her
when the news came that Mr.. Slas B
butcher, prominent New York politi
cian, in fact, the second assistant states
man of the Conkling faction and prot
ably the first comptroller of primaries i
the world, had gone into bankruptcy
choosing to avail himself of the privilege
Of that act before its final repeal. butcher
who is well known here, was in jntmat
friend of President Grant, and was by hiI
appointed appraiser of the New York Gu
tom House, at II salary of some twenl
thousand dollars Inclusive of picking'
per annum. Mr.. Ben Wood, brother (
= Fernando Wood, and proprietor of tt
s New York penny-paper, the Daily New
: has also filed petition in bankruptc,
Both of these gentlemen were, Il year ag
:. considered wealthy and had unlimte
: credit; there has evidently been "shrin
. age" somewhere; but Where that is
. Dubdreary would say, lone of those thins
~ which no fellow can find Quit"
It AS in large commercial centres the p
pers say: 1.-The talk on change is
and So" so here we say: The talk in II
j. department is so and SOL" and just no
% all the talk there is about the coming p
II litical campaign and the presidents ord
!. regarding so-called state association
II which has not yet been rescinded. Consi
IS cradle speculation exists as to what will
e the course of the republican compression
10 committee with reference to this matte
10 and whether or not solicitations for su
e. scriptions will be permitted in the depa1
l. ments. Under the Grant administralio
a a they had very simple and effective W
a. of arranging these matters. Governme
Iy employees were assessed certain amou
to each, and if they did not choose to p
III ,h;e tba1, ,yoro daoo pitotad (pnlitioal