The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

what Congress has done ana taI'eu
to do during the session, by way of
general resume and comments. But
it will require as many weeks, prob
ably, before everyone is satisfied they
have said or written all that is de-
manded by the present occasion, the
relative diseSteem in which the last
session is held as compared with the
average of its predecessors, being in
Dictated by the excess Of time thought
necessary to devote to it that its mer.
its and dement's may be justly APP
preciated. But individual members
have bequeathed scandals that for
the time will monopOlize pubic at
tentiOn to the exclusion of every
thing less sensational, though not all
of national Importance. Mr.. Acklin,
one of the several Democratic CON
testants to seats held by Republican
opponents, and ultimately awarded
them, furnished us one Of this class
so unusual that it has been one of
the chief topics since Congress left
US to our dull summer season. AS re-
lated in the local papers it was about
as follows: While Gen. Rosser, of
eX-Confederate fame, the same that
Sheridan 'sent Whirling up the val
ley" (Shenadoah) with some friends
was taking lunch at a popular res
taurant here, they were startled by
feminine screams from an adjoining
room. They at once demanded adj
mission and on being refused forced
an entrance. The situation as it pre-
sente1 to them required no eXplana-
ton to insure the intruderS that a
fragrant outrage had been attempted
and successfully resisted. One Ack-
lin, and a lady who had accepted his
invitation to dine with him said to
be the sister of an eastern member
of Congress) were the actors. This
honorable legislators las the story goes,
was summarily kicked, neck and
heels, into the streets. This is one of
the reformerS who could no longer
abide the barbaric tendencies of Re
publican rule in Louisiana and had
to be gratlfied with "home rule" at
the expense Of tearing down State
Government, that the reign of chiv-
airy should be restored and the i'll
terests of Christian civilization duly
recognized by the new Administers
ton. Acklin's friends here are doing
their level best to restore him to
position that will be regarded as
"honorable' by his party and with
that end in view they now allege
that the woman in question was a
Well-knoWn disreputable character.
This, if true, may help him with
Democratic Christian Statesmen, but
will hardly pass muster with old
fashioned, orthodox people.
Another scandal having a much
more important bearing is the allie
CATION made and generally accepted
as true that every Democratic men,
Der Of the House Committee on En-
rolled Bills, including the Chairman,
was too drunk on the night before
adjournment to attend to their du
ties, and that so many errors were
made in consequence that much i'm.
portant legislation has been rendered
null and void. Bills are involved Of
such moment that several Govern
ment bureaus will find themselves
embarrassed and important inter
ests will suffer to an extent that
can only be estimated at the end OF
the next fiscal year. The clerks are
alleged to have been in like condi-
ton of inebriation with the members
or to have taken advantage Of their
maudlin condition to play Hobbs
with some of the bills. Senator Dor
sey in an open letter intinates that
some Of those charged with the
proper enrolment OF the bill rel
alive to the Hot Spring ARK. Res
ervation were bought up by the lob
by striving to defeat it. He cites as
proof that only few words Of it was
enrolled at all, and these were 50 Sc
lected that they have no connec ton
with the balance of the paragraph,
and leave the bill as wholly inopera-
tive as though it had meyer passed
Congress. Rainey, colored member
from South Carolina, is said to have
been the only member Of the Com
mittee who was sober and able to at
tend to his duties. He worked for
hours and corrected all mistakes pos
sible. 1t was only through his efforts
that an early adjournment was rem
dered possible, as otherwise it might
have been postponed for hours until
those Bacchanalian Legislators became
sufficiently sober to bring in the Sun
dry Civil Service Bill. Iii is drawing
it very mild to say that Congress has
repeatedly disgraced the country
during the session lust BROUGHT