The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Correspondence TO The Republican j
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 26, 1878.

y
the various local Temperance organi-
cations with their red ribbon adher-
: nnts, had a monopoly of the celebra'
ting business n the 22d inst, Wash
ington's birthday. Beyond fair
display of bunting and the stereO-
typed annual obseryances iudulged
in by the Oldest Inhabitants Associ
!; alton. no formal ceremonies were at
Il tempted by the Government or the
municipality, though the day had
Il been decreed holiday within the
4 District confines. The streets were
crowded rs usuHl whenever the De-
: pa rtmental employee is let loose and
don't really know what to do with
him or herself. Then the ladies COM
posi- ug the cream of Washington So
4 ciety wereabroad on their daily round
| of cal Is TO excite the admiration of
| he IN any beauX stationed along the
II ne of that thoroughiaie to review
II lem or TO exesperate their sister less
su ccessf ul in obtaining her share of
lns ,sculil he attention an0 who was
cor respoi ldingly indignant with those
pos ;essed Of greater attractions. But
the celebi alton by the temperance
men was he great feature of the day.
Consi derin. 9 the number Of people in
Wash ingtoi 4 the procession was not
large; but he very fact that pnhlic
sentiEn ent HI IS so far advanced here
AS to [, )lerat,e temperance ceebra-
ton at all, is encouraging. Up to
within very few years those here
who wei at al sensitive to the drift
of publ6r, Dr "so( :iely" opinion, shrunk
from idem tifyin g themselves in any
conspicrapA is way with temperance
reform. 3sa ause OF the sidicule and
other upp,h aasant things they were
sure to am, lite. 1t appeared to be
about the sa me up through the vari-
ous pradrpa ions OF society till the
INNER crust rather the most int0l-
Grant, proFjsah ly-w;'s reached. Even
the churches hung t,,naciously to the
old doctrines md practices of the IA
Tiers. TodaE CT 5stinen ce was regarded
as one of the outcroIopings of New
England Fanatic ism an q WAS cordially
hated, of coarse, by the old Washing
tonian VINO, so0u lded public opinion,
till the Yanket. hordes. brought by
the war roo&ed hi m out and took his
place. But to-day ! believe every
pastor of an evai lgelicaI church in
this city is tetOt aller, as are many
of the lay members And the growth
of IA sound Tpeslthy sentiment here
SINCE the war has b, zen notes by all
interested. But it is to be regretted
that the good Murpl ~ might have
done has been much restricted and
impaired from the lack; of perfect ac-
cord between hi IN and his friends on
tn one hand, and som e OF the tenn
pei ance organizations On the Other
w Ill not attemp& to decide between
them. Murphy seems to have lost
none of his popula rfty with the pub
lie. lie yesterday addressed 9,NOO
10. 200 hearers from the east steps
of the {. qpitol. One @ftEae significan
features IF the celebration Friday was
the spect; ,cls. of one ,Af %lshington's
most popl ,!ar Catholic priests, on the
stage wit h Protestant elergymen,
working sh oujder to skeUsder for the
cause.
The origin al mowers iaT the remon-
citation cause-some OF them at
east-appear about the only ones
very unhappy over the IN odified sill
yer bill as pass, I'd by tie Senate and
conquered in by the House and which
goes to the Presi dent to-day for his
signature. Now that % little time
has been allowed foc ref ection,
/ believe the great nsass who were
opposed to the Bland movement be-
cause they feared it ,:overeda scheme
for imitation, are not very rabid I'D
their hostility, even j no$ quite rec
oncied to the measure, AS 1t aow
stands. No one appears to have any
well founded opiuion as to what the
Presidents action will be; but as we
may reasonably expect the matter
decided in few days at most, VIII
indulge in no speculations.
The Convention of the Export
Trade interest met in this city Tues
day and adjourned Wednesday SINE
die to wait on the President In
i body. 20States and Territories were
represented, including this District.
The discussions We're earnest and
very intere sting. many of them d is
playing perfect familiarity with the
commercial and industrial history OF
the country, running away back in
Colonial times. The sentiment was
proven overwhelmingly in favor OF
protection, subsidy to American
shius and such legislation as is nee