, 1878-10-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

III Waue Hampton was capable oil crawl
! ing outside the shell of egotism and self
conceit in which he lives, moves and has
a being, and could see himself as small and
inconsequential as he appears to the bal
ance of the world that wastes its time by
thinking of him at all, it isn't likely he
would ever invite another such rebuke as
that just administered by Gov. Rice, of
Massachusetts. Any intelligent citizen ot
South Carolina more sensitive to the dis
creditab'e light IN which that State must
always appear in any review OF her past
history, would seek to divert rather than
to call public attention to her disloyal and
and misunderstanding antecedents as
Hampton did in his impertinent and
gratiutously insulting letter to Gov. Rice,
criticiSng that officials refusa to turn over
Hampton to the tender mercies of the
riflc-club chivalry of that propagating
hOt-bed of secession. 1t seems to be the
conclusion OF vast majority here that
Mr.. Hampton has very little occasion to
feel proud of the outcome of his challenge
to Gov. Rice and that the letter has male
the public his debtor in his ruccessful eff
fort to partially, at least, suppress pub
lie nuisance.
Mr.. Kenneth Raynor, Solicitor OF the
Treasury. feels aggrieved at late publi-
cation in the New York "Times," that
he construed as rejecting on his compe-
tency, his honesty, or both and it il ru-
mored he will go into the courts for re-
dress. The "Times," it must be admitted.
has made a good many enemies within
the past few years, by what appears to the
average reader, its untounded assumptions
Of infa|libility, its dictatoral manners to-
wards leading Republicans and by its at
tacks upon those who failed to acknowl-
edge its right to prescribe their course
upon matters of public Importance. But
it is nevertheless admitted to be an influen-
tial paper; its loyalty to the great prin-
ciplcs OF human freedom for which the
party has always contended, is not ques-
toned; and its reliability is generally ac-
knowledged. Without assuming to know
anything as to the foundation of its
structures on Mr. Raynor, the publication
in question seemed only the reflection OF
suspicious entertained by not few intel
ligent observers here familiar with the Of
ten remarkable decisions of the Solicitor.
That relative to the claim of the Rich
mond and Danville II believe it wasl road
was among the number which at the time
it was given amazed many and brought
ont not few indignant protests. As re-
lated few weeks ago 1t was substantially
as follows: The road had been contisca-
ted and was restored tunder protest. by
order of President johnson to its owners
some months after the close OF the war.
by the Treasury Department, It's custod-
ian After receiving the price allowed by
the Government to other roads for the
transportation OF Federal soldiers about
81 per mile) it flied II claim for additional
compensation. amounting to over 81 per
mile After the Secretary of War and
Quartmastee-General Meigs had refused to
entertain the claim. it reached Mr.. Ray
nor and was approved by him. Great
stress was laid by his critics on the alleged
tact his decision was directly in the line
of establishing precedent that would re-
ouire above $50, 600, 900 to satisfy besides,
corporations that had remained loyal
throughout the war, not unreaSonably lelt
that it was a discrimination in favor of
one that was notorousIy disloyal.
Among other things shown by the Col
orado election, il the fact that any party
allaying itself with railroad monepolies
that faten oil the necessities OF Communi-
ties forced to patroniLe them IN order to
to find a market for their products, will
ultimately go to the wall. The Demo-
cratic candidates were recognized as the
champions of railroads, and they seem
about the most signally defeated candi-
dates that ever aspired to official position.
through the ruin Of their candidates. Nor
can it be doubted that Democrats of the
45th Congress whose hides are not thicker
than that of Rhinoceros and who earned
the contempt and rletestiOn of every hon.
est man by awarding Belford's seat to
Patterson, will feel the sting of the re-
buke implied in the overwhelming re-elec-
ton Of the former. The result In Colorado
seems also to prove concusively that the
green-back tidal wave, If not already
spent when it reached the Rocky Noun
tains. has not sufficient momentum and
depth to sweep over that barrier.