Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-05-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence of the Bulletin.
WASHINGTON n ~ Apr 0G


WASHINGTON, D. c.. Apr. 26, '78.
We chronicle the success of an exper-
lment made here in lowering boats from
the canal down into the Potomac, a
height of 36 feet, by means Of machin-
cry instead of the usual old fashioned
locks. The mills of Georgetown are so
extensive that the entire capacity of
the canal is taken in supplying them
with water, hence the ordinary outlet
lock is impracticable. Patterning after
a lock in Scotland, the citizens of
Georgetown resorted to machinery, and
have met with deserved success. A track
OF heavy rail road iron is laid on an in
cllned plane, extending from the level
OF the canal down into the river. On
this runs an iron box or caissOn, sup
ported by strong car trucks, large enough
to contain a canal boat, which is foated
out into it from the canal. There, by
means OF an immense capstan, rugged
with heavy wire ropes, and operated by
a large turbine wheel, the ~caisson is
easily. lowered, with a waste of water
probably not one thousandth part of
what the ordinary lock would require.
Boats are lifted quite as easily from the
river into the canal by a reverse process.
Our colored people are taking steps
to relieve themselves from the pecun-
larry burdens imposed by their charita-
BILE societies. 1t is simply wonderful
the number of associations they have,
and the high sounding titles they use
in naming them. Every church has it's
secret society, and the expense entailed
by levies for regalia, carriage hire, mus
ic, ETC., is enormous. 1t is proposed to
devote these funds to the creation of an
industrial school, and hereafter avoid
and discOuntenance the extravaganza Of
the past by giving means of support to
their necessities. Could the object be
attained and the tendency of the colored
people in the country to flock into the
city be changed, a few years hence
would find the race as successful, pecun-
iarily, as the whites.
Our shad fisheries were a failure this
year, for the catch did not pay expenses.
The Fish Commission has just planted
100000 of young shad, hoping thereby
to restock the Potomac and bring back
the abundance Of old times. But unless
Congress interdicts the use of gill nets
in the future, we fear this addition of
young shad will prove of little avail, be-
cause the gill net will soon annihlate
them, We must express our gratifica-
ton at the passage of the bills repeal
ing the Bankrupt Acts, and finding the
Union Pacific r. r. indebtedness. Our
bankrupt laws are simply odious, not in
principle, but effect. For, as Mr.. Frye
said in the debate, in the House, the
men charged with their execution have
made them Infamous everywhere, and
the vote of 2O5 ayes to 39nayes, evinced
clearly how nearly unanimously the
House shared his views. Ben Butler
and Mr.. Lynde had the honor of casting
the only nay votes on the Finding Bill;
the yeas were 243. Now we must 90 to
the courts before we can reach a dollar
of our dues, for Jay Gould will never
concede a mite SO long as money will en-
able him to avoid payment.
Fitz John Porter is here vigorously
pushing the rehearing of his case having
at last received from Congress it's reop-
ening and the appointment of a Board
of inquiry, composed of prominent Off
GERS of the Army. Our sympathies GER
tainly 60 with him; not that we think
him innocent of the charge, that he dis
obeyed orders whereby Gen. Pope was
defeated, but because other prominent
officers at the same time d~isobeyed
equally peremptory orders to fight, and
were equally responsible with Porter.for
Pope's disaster. One of those Generals
laid at Alexandria with some $4,000
men and was ordered on Friday, Satur-
day and Tuesday, by the President, in
the most positive manner, to move out
to Bull Run and assist Pope, and yet
did not move a man, until the following
Friday, a week after receiving his first
order, assigning as a reason for his in
action, the want of shoes among his men.
This deprivation of support and wilful
disobedience of orders annihilated Pope.
Porter was tried and cashiered for his
share of the great disaster, and yet the
other General never was reprimanded.
Porter was not surpassed as a fighting
man, and his record, prior to Bull Run
battle, is peculiarly brilliant, and we, as
an admirer of his undoubted ability
and generalship, believe that the coun-
try has no right whatever to make him
the scape goat, or rather the exception,
in matters of punishment. 1t is time
that the mantle of charity should be
thrown wei his actions no matter how
much he erred. With scores of confed-
crate officers making laws for us, and
with those as guilty as Porter, holding
high places of honor and trust, it does
seem to us unworthy that he should be
made the exception. Let him go free!
Our women lawyers are not disposed to
give up the fight for admission to the Su-
preme Court. Another bill has been
introduced into the Senate, which de-
clares they shall be admitted as men are,
and Senator Sargent, their principal ad-
%vocate, is making a gallant fight to Sc
cure it's passage, Notwithstanding the
recent adverse report of the Judiciary
Committee. At the head of this move
ment is Mrs. Belva A Lockwood, who
is as pcrsistent.and tenacious in it as she
is for her client before the lower courts.
Mrs. Lockwood is a very successful
practitioner in a pecuniary point, and
has accumulated quite a competency
here by business in prosecuting govern
ment matters before the departments,
and it is but natural she should fight
for admission to the Supreme Court, as
many of her cases go there for final ad-
Indication, and she considers her ability
to plead her cause there, as good as
many of the masculine. fraternity who
har hor FEJIX