Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-03-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence of the Bulletin.

VI nv
WASHINGTON. D. G., Mar. %, '79.
The second trial of Cephas Jones, col
ored, for outraging the person of Miss
Smith, last fall, is now in progress anc
promises another disagreeing jury, tho
her Identification of him was perfect
Cephas and his brother bear strong re.
semblance to each other, and the de.
fence put the two in the box, asking he1
to identify her assailant. This she die
unhesitatingly, though the District At.
torney himself was deceived and believ.
ed she had erred. Her correctness Of
judgment and clear, straightforward ties.
timony is convincing to the mass, but
the trumped-up evidence which always
appears at a second trial of criminals, will
override her statements before the jury
One most painful feature in our crimi.
nal system appeared in this trial and
should be remedied. Why must a youne
girl, who has suffered the foulest out
rage, and narrowly escaped death through
the injuries received at the time, be
subjected to the insults and jeers of a
brutal crOss-examination in the presence
OF a court room crowded with loafers.
who roll every taunt and filthy ~allusion
as a sweet morsel under their tongues?
Russia arrests every person found near
est the spot where murder is committed
and the world raises it's hands in holy
horror, and yet, is it worse than ou1
practice OF compelling a witness to give
bail for his appearance in court, a course
which has in New York City often in
carcerated the victim of robbery for
months in prison, while the thief gets of
scot free on straw leg bail, and which
subjects every witness to the ignominy
OF testifying in open court.
The interesting question is before us,
Who holds the title to Arlington? The
United States has held the property
since 1864, buying it then at a direct tax
sale, under a bid of about $4,000. The
amount Of taxes assessed upon the pro-
perty was $4,000, and the excess of the
bid yer this sum was turned into the
U. S. Treasury for the former owners.
A deed in due form was given the Unit
ed States by the tax commissioners, and
as the property has been in possession
OF the government ever since that date,
it would seem that its title was sound.
But the courts have, in every instance,
where suits of ejectment have been
brought by the original owners of other
tracts sold under the direct tax" sales,
ousted the purchasers. The govern
ment's title is thus narrowed down to
the mere possessory one of might, not
right. If the citizen cannot retain his
purchase, of course the government
must hold it's by exercise of power
alone. Judge Hughes, of, the U. S.
District Court of Virginia, decides ad-
versely to the government, and if the
Supreme Court afirms his decision I'M
der the appeal which has been taken,
Congress must restore the estate to the
GUSTS heirs, o. purchase. The heirs
would prefer the latter course, at least
they SO express themselves, and as
there are 10000 Union soldiers buried
In It's cemetery, We presume the govern
ment will buy rather than remove the
dead. Arlington is naturally a grand
old estate. We have never seen one
that seemed more nearly a home for a
king than it. 1t contains LOO acres of
land, of sufficient fertility to support a
family in splendor, while its natural
beauty and c%ontiguity to the city will
necessarily render it an object of inter-
est and attraction as long as Washing
ton is the Capital of our Nation. In the
center of the tract is about 100 acres of
woods, composed nearly of original oak
trees, the only grove left standing in the
county by our troops during the war,
and in this is the cemetery, which is en-
closed with a high stone wall. The old
mansion stands in the center, and with
its huge pillared portlco, which is dis
tinctly seen from the river and city, is,
of course, noted by all visitors. Outside
of the Cemetery the land lies in COM
mon, o. is worked in patches by the
freedmen, who still live in the score of
houses remaining on the site of Mr..
St%anton's freedman's village. OF course,
under the skimming, shiftless farming
of these improvident, ignorant freedmen
the land has become impoverished and
desolate in its appearance, yet, I'M
der proper care, the whole farm
would very SOC be, as it was before
the war, one of the grandest of
rural homes evcr seen. If Congress re-
tains it as it undoubtedly will, the
whole tract should be laid out in a great
National park.
Secretary Thompson rules again that
the Navy Yard employees must work ten
hours for a days labor, at which there
is much grumbling, though no strike as
yet. Times are too hard here to permit
any sensible man to stop work, because
Of the two hours exaction, but we antic-
ipate trouble in the future. Expert
ence under the 8 and 10 hours labor
regulation, in our Navy Yard here
shows conclusively that its laborers ac-
complish as much in one hour of the
longer day as of the shorter, thus en-
failing two hours absolute loss in results
under the 8 hour system. 1t is no won
der Secretary Thompson adheres to his
ten hour rule.
The number of cities applying to
have minis for coinage of silver estab-
lished in them, is rather surprising. In
dianapolis had a delegation before the
Senate Finance Committee, urging it's
peculiar advantages for such purpose,
and a dozen other cities have done the
same thing. But it is unlikely that
more will be done in that direction than
to repair and restore the mint at New
Orleans, though great weight is given
the claims urged in behalf of Denver.
The Sovereigns of Industry have held
their National Convention here, and af-
ter adj ournment the delegates called on
the President to pay their respects.
They also visited Mount Vernon, and
other places of interest in and around
the Capitol. We have been delighted
with the proceedings of this Convention,
as, for a wonder, the delegates ignored
politics and appealed to the intelligence
of the people as the means of accom-
plishing their ends, rather than to hur-
rahing for followers at the ballot box.
The ~unceasing cry for votes by Nation
al Conventions held here grows weari-
some to us, who enjoy the comforts of a
good city government without the aid
of legislators, sent up by our slums and
bells, and it is refreshing to hear such
an intellectual body of men, as these
Sovereigns were, discuss reform from an
other standpoint than that of suffrage.
Plans for the new building of the Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing are pre-
pared, and we hope another year will
find the structure completed. 1t has
been evident for years, hat the Treas
ury was unfit for printing purposes, and
that the Bureau should be in a detach-
ed building. The one proposed will be
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