The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-12-13
lPRoM ouR REGULAR ooRRHaroNpnSr.l
WASHINGTON LETTnR.


three remaining months Of their terms
thoughts and incidents touching thil
one and that naturally come to mind
Mono but those who, en- duty righl
here, bave seen the coming and goingo
men in public life realize how rapidly
the scene changes. 1t is like the evolu
tions of the Kaleidoscope. The meF
who are to-day the leading actors il
events, and whose lives seem clossly IN
terwoven with the countrys being, 70
morrow step down and out, seldom
missed. Now and then one elected u
Congress returns year after year, and
becomes q landmark, as it were; but a
a rule they serve their brief day and
pass into oblivion.
Everybody is talking about the uhu'
sual changes in the Personel Of the next
House. 1t is seldom that 20 many
prominent members are left out at one
time, yet perhaps there never was
time when q clean sweep could be made
with less detriment to the public good.
Nearly half the members Of the present
House failed to be returned, and the
unfortunate ones are about evenly di-
vided bet~e the two parties. l met
Abram S. Hewitt to-day and observe
that the troubled-almost panied ex-
preston Of his countenance has not do
parted OF all the un-retaEned mem
bera mono win be moro generally miaaed
than Hewitt. He suffers greatly from
dyspepsia, nervousness and loss Of aleep
which renders him very exciteablo and
irritable; yet with all that he is q work
er aud thoroughly honest experienced
man whose usefulness il tho greater
from the esteem in which he is held by
his associates Of both parties. But he
remarked once that he did not regard
John Kelly statesman, and for that
error Of Judgment Kelly named another
man 70 represent the district when the
nominating convention assembled this
year. Hewitt vas q member of the
Joint committee that framed the bill
creating the Electoral Commission, and
in the sincerity Of his nature took =
good deal of stock in the candid pro-
fessiOns Of his Republican associates on
the committee, particularly Hoar and
Edmunds. Both the latter were put on
the commission to assist in constituting
the law which they had helped TO ere
ate. After it became evident that these
two statesmen were voting 10 exclude
evidence regarding the Louisiana and
Florida frauds, ] have seen Hewitt pae-
ing the floor Of his committee roem de-
claiming against their per6diy. It Is
said that he sleeps fewer hours than any
other man in America. Somebody re-
Gently told the story Of his discontinue
by Growing rooster in tho vicinity Of
his quarters. He stood it as long as
he could and then offered cOlored
waiter 6ve dollars for athat d-d roos.
ters head" /" and it was shortly brought
TO him like John the Baptistia, on
salver. The thrifty waiter bought the
rooster for scventy-fve cents aud sold
the remains to Welcker for fifty cents,
which, with FIVE dollars for the head,
made a comfortable profit cut Of the
transaction. Money is no object to this
sleepleSs Congressman. 2 Ho is very
rich and buys any house that he flm.i.e
he can sleep in. Ono winter hc rented
elegant quarters here, and then took all
the adjoining apartments to prevent be-
ing disturbed. In doing this he cut
Senator Conkling out Of his former
quarters and created an unfriendliness
which lasted some time. 9aaa
Another Of the prominent unfortu-
mates Is Milton Sayler, who, had he
been reelected, would Ysry likely have
succeeded Randall as Speaker. Accom-
bination Of circumstances favored his
selection. Sayler Is one Of the "good
fellows" in public life, whom everybody
likes, and a man Of considerable ability
withal, yet he is not essentially q lead
er, nor in fact q worker He likes
good company, good wine, with ease
and comfort. The boys say too that he
Is not averse to little game Of draw.
In habit and disposition Sayler some
what resembles Carter Harrison, an
other western member who failed 10
connect. The Chicago papers facetious-
ly talk about "0ur Carter but hero
In Washington he is known as o Marine
Band Harrison" " At the first session
Of the 44th Congress Holman, Of Indi-
ana, and some Of the oiher economists,
who have no music in their souls, un-
dertook TO cut the item for the support
of this band out of the appropriation
bills. Without that hand life at the
capitol would be reduced to barren
ideality.l Harrison took in the situa-
ten and rose to the occasion In an
of-hand speech he detailed how he pre-
posed, upon the election Of Tiiden, to
cock his feet upon the ballustrades Of the
White House, and listen to the heaven-
y music Of that band just as the Re
Pablicans had done. That settled it.
He had created laugh and saved the
hard ~ - sa94aA hafaI.a4 al b8tgpsq h9H 4
4 Governor Swami, Of Maryland Is an
other Of the old astagerg who got left.
The Governor has been in Congress five
terms and wanted to come again; but
he got married last summer to i rich
old girl, q widow Of sixty, and while OF
courting and honey ooning some of the
younger bloods in his district set the
pins up against hini. The Governor is
very rich and most teo old TO be Of