Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-02-13
[From orr Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.

The entertainment furnished by congress
this week has been rather tame, and, in
respect to Mr.. Blaine's speech, disappoint-
ing The galleries and the floor of the
senate wero crowded to hear him. If he
could stir up Il menageric on the presenta-
ton of marble statue, what might not
be expected from him with our ancestral
root of all evil for theme? At precisely
fifteen minutes before the appointed time
for lis speech, he entered the senate
chamber, and all eyes were fixed upon
him. 1t was observed by the ladies that
he WAS faultlessly dressed but this is II
rule, not an accident with Senator Blaine.
He seems 10 have imbibed the very spirit
of the advice of Polonus to his son: Cost
ly thy habit as thy purse can buy, but not
expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy."
Much to the disappointment of his audi
ence, he arose with manuscript jim his
hand; it was felt that that little roll of
paper would bind him to his subject, and
letter that splendid rashness that has been
the chief characteristic of his former eff
forts. Before he was half through large
portion of his audience had deserted him,
and, after speaking for half hour, the
senator from Maine sat down, having for
almost the first time in his life spoken
without sensation and eclat.
At the other end of the capitol they were
discussing the Pacheco-Wigginton claim
to seat in the House and that question
has beer decided, after II kind of eight to
seven fashion, in favor Of the democratic
claimant For some time the democrats
in the House have had great difficulty in
keeping their strength in hand so us to
utilize their small majority. Some ques-
tons they are disposed to dodge, on other
questions they are lukewarm. 1t is OBJ
served that the republican members fill
their seats in dense array and are well in
hand, ready to take advantage of any lack
of vigilance on the part of their oppo-
nents. During the debate on the Pacheco-
Wigginton case, and few minutes before
the vote was taken, heard reporter
say: There is Beverly Douglas at last,
and drunk as usual" Mr.. Douglas n rep
rescntative from the " Mother of States
&c was seen on the floor, shaking hands
with every one that he could reach, ges-
ticulating and talking in state of maud
lin intoXcation. He had been sent home
and TO the hospital but in this crisis his
vote was needed, and IL telegram had
summoned him to the capitol. 1t is not
the fashion know to tell of incidents like
this. Correspondents and the press are
strangely lenient in relation to what we
call the private lives Of public men; but
the life of no man issprivate, much less OF
u legislator If no man liveth TO himself
how much less the representative of Il
large constituency. There are II great
many things about public men that the
public ought TO know. When men dare
to climb and stand on emincnccs, they
must expect to be observed and criticised
There arc correspondents here who could
furnish some mighty interesting reading
if they were not afraid Of hurting some
body. But the world has, perhaps, not
yet teen educated to that point that it can
receive the nakedncss of truth; it still
prefers TO see things "through II glass
darkIy." Hence we have imperfect dag
noses, and, as Il sequence, aimless blind
treatment | once wrote something about
our sailors spending their money in BROTH
els; but the editorial Aunt Nancy to whom
it was sent was afraid to print the word
brothels, so he changed it to saloons, "
thus making it weak in strength, and
short of truth. Such an editor ought TO
drape the legs, or, perhaps ought to say
limbs, of his writing desk, lest their bare
ness offend his delicate soul
Last week l saw the queen of the lobby
There have been many queens of the lobby
and their reign has been disputed by jeal
Gus aspirants of their own sex; but l refer
to the present reigning queen. Her regal
title is not disputed by either house o
congress, but in many ways privately
acknowledged by both. She is employed
by powerful railroad corporation, fur
nshed with IN almost ineXhaustablc ex
cbequcr, and u carriage in which she has
taken more than one member Of congress
from his seat ut the capitol to her luXuri
Gus palace. 1t need not be presumed tina
when members or senators cannot bt
rallied to vote on an imminent question
they always nave pneumonia. l may STATE
that the policy of the reign of the above
mentioned queen is not favorable 10 thu
Texas Pacific railroad There may be seer
every day an eX-queon of the lobby, or
rather, she was IL princess, for her sway
was never quite regal in its absouteness
but she was wonderfully successful il
E making her own fortunes and having nc
quired wealth, She is now fighting bravely
for social loothold. She has long passet
possessed u powerful attraction for a dis
tinguished western senator, and the fact il
known that, Notwithstanding the presence
of his wife in the city, the greater portion
Of his leisure is spent at the house of thi
| young woman.
Virginia seems to have escaped by {
hairs breadth the crime Of reputation
The bill which the state senate has passct
is direct blow ut the forCible read busters
, since it declares that no readustment will
be made without the cooperation of the
bondholdors. Gov. Holidays manly stant
has not been in main.
The president is represented as mucl
dissatisfied with the course of the senate
, in regard to combinations. 1t is said tina
u large number of nominations are il
possession of the senate, and, in many
cases, grave necessity exists for promp
action, but it seems hardly possible to OBJ
tain it.
Mr.. Nordhotf toegraphs that the west il
, now full of borrowed money. What it i.