Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-10-30
From our regular eorrespondent,l
Washington Letter.
MashinniOn, D. O., Oct 70

Now the Democratic asceudency IN
both Houses of tho 4Gth Congress Is
assured beyond reasonable doubt
our Republican friends don't laugh rs
loud rs they did. They were q little
boislerous the morning after the OHIO
election, over what seemed TO be n
small victory in that state. hut it was
about like the whistle OF limld boy
in passing q graveyard. And after
the returns were all in, from which II
appeared that the party IN really In a
minority Of over 10000 in the State
while the Democrats had gained every
thing of national Importance, the
whDstling became mighty hard work.
PERSONALLY know that the leaders have
abandoned all hope OF gaining control
Of the House, which they so freely
boosted would be theirs at the open.
ing Of the campaign. Nothing short
IA "tidal wave" could give it to them
now, and the tidal waves are not run
ming that way. The managers have
scheme which is beng Vigorously
manipulated. Was there ever time
when Radical managers did not have
scheme ! In all their desperate situa
tons they have programme to work
IA line to hew to. They are as full
Of expedients as a dog is Of fleas, and
they act upon the theory that des-
perate cases require desperate meas
ures. A party that could plan and OK
euute the theft of States which had
voted agains: them by 10000 majority
that could steal the presidency with
over 100000 majority of popular vote
and 10 electoral votes against them
such patty is not likely to be stopped
a, small things. The present pro-
gramme is to prevent the Democrats
from obtaining q majority Of the Con-
gressional delegations from twenty
States in order to defeat the election
of a Democratic President in 1880.
Under the unit rule each State casts
one vote in an election by the House,
majority Of members from a State
determining how the vote shall be
cast. If by the expenditure Of money
and other desperate means the delega.
tons of few small states like Florida
can be tied 80 that neither party has
clear majority OF States, they would
then direct their efforts to preventing
an election by the people, and finally
as a result Of this state Of things sieze
the Government and continue them.
selves In power Anything to enable
them to hold on after March 4, 1881.
They have certainly considered all
these points, and Hales private con
tidental circular has been sent to the
managers in certain States against
which their efforts are to be directed.
The Democrats are certain of the del.
CATION from H. States-Hale's figures
give them that-and the question is
can they be prevented from getting
the other three. / opine not.
The biggest lunatic connected with
this fraudulent administration is the
head of the Garden Seed Department
the Government Pumpkin factory,
--as alocal journal dubs it. Com
missioner lie Due is alwaws propagat.
ing some new project, to accomplish
some impossible and unheald of thing.
He is fell Of or, tchets as an egg is Of
meat. His latest effort is directed to
raising bamboo in America. He has
just ordered a large quantity of
the shoots from Japan for planting in
this country, aud expressed his belief
that their culture can be made q sue
cess. Nobody knows what will be
done with it after it is grown, but the
bamboo culture is big thing in ia.
pan, and of course 1t must take the
place Of such common iproducts as