The Morning herald., 1878-12-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAstitNaroN, D. 9. Dec. IA, 1873.

Il
Congress has taken its Usual holiday rs'
cess, and many Of the members are already
at home with their families, for in the
short sessions that expire by limitation on
the 4th Of March, the average Congress
man leaves his family athome :" The gay
season here is opened by the White House
levee on new years day, which is followed
by receptions at the houses Of the Cabinet
Ministers, Supreme Court Judges, Heads
Of Bureaus. and other officials as we'll as
private families, ands. dances and wine sup>
pers sre INDUCED in until the coming Of
Ash Wednesday closes "the season." la@
Ifthe House of Representatives does as
as we'll after the recess as before there will
be no necessity for the hasty legislation
that has unfortunately been so common of
late years during the closing hours Of the
session. In the Senate they have finally
corralled members enough to serve on
Blaine's select investigating committee
with Senator Teller, Of Colorado, at its
head, whom the N. Y. Tribune calls an
unexpected Chairman" They are going
to work Immediately to ferret out the init.
midations in South Carolina, but have de~
cided to wait until after the holidays be-
fore doing anything here. Somehow the
stalwarts lost all interest after Mr.. Blaine
had made bis much talked Of speech, per-
haps realizing thas it wouldn't pay to in-
vestisate too closely as the area Of invests
cation had been enlarged to include North
srn as well as Southern bulldozing
Speaking of intimidation reminds me Of
an incident that occurred before one of the
Committees sent down to investigate South
Carolina-John ard Sambo were rival
blacksmiths at one Of the voting precincts,
say in Suuter County. Sambo was the
b.tter workman. and had drawn away
many of Johns customers. So John
swore before the Committee that he had
been intimidated, very much intimidated.
He was the desired witness, but when
closely cross questioned by the Democrat
ic member, it was found that his fear was
that Sambo would secure all his customers
aud utterly destroy his busine's. 80
Two Congressman died here last week,
Hon. A: s. Williams of Michigan, gal-I
lant soldier of the Mexican and civil wars, |
and Hon. Beverly B. Douglass, Of fVirginia.
Neither of them was elected to the 46th
Congress. though both sought the honor.
Gen1 Williams was long Chairman of the
District Of Columbia Committee, and in
that position made many friends here.
Mr.. Douglass was also very popular per-
sonally both here and in his own District.
In connection with our increased and
increasing foreign trade are many facts
to hear and hard TO UNDER
stand. One of them is that most of that
trade is carried on in foreign ships. An-
other is that while we have but slight dis
rect trade with South American countr ies,
large quantities of our goods find their
way there In English vessels, first going
to England in English ships, and then to
their fnaI destination in other English
Ships They thus pay treble profit to
to foreigners, and thus, of course, re-
duce the legitimate profits Of the American
reduce the wages ofour mer
ohanics, or factory employees. This is
no lack of energy, enterprise or capital
here. A single line of American steamers
is run to Brazilian ports, aided by money
psid bv the Brazilian Government. But
# L cannot compete with the heavily sub
sidized British lines, at least not until
traders fully established and the consum-
ers are made to understand they can pro-
cure the articles they desire as ehsaply in
that way as in any other. If this was a
new contest on equal terms between our
producers, traders and shippers, we need
have no fear as TO the result, But it is
not. 1t is new and 80 far unaided at
tempt to compete with established and SUBJ
sidized trade. As said above, 1t is for
Congress to do something if it properly
can, to give the American manufacturer,
trader and vessel owner chance for this
trade. -