The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-02-20
Washington Letter
[From our regular correspondent.l
Washington. d. O., February 20

has not made many speeches In Con-
gress, but he is known as one of the
ablest debaters in either House, and
the announcement that he was to dis
cuss the Indian question brought out
the largest audience of the session.
The galleries were packed, and every
available space of the floor below occu-
pied by members of the House and
others, who enjoy the privileges of the
Senate Chamber. The speech itself
was a pointed and exhaustive presen-
tation of the transfer side of the COM
troversy. One of the hardest hits in
the speech was its reference to the
Cloak of the Church so wickedly used
to cover outrages and rascalitics. The
various agcticies are supposed to be
assigned to, and in measure under
the control of different denominations,
and the agents appointed are under
stood to represent the church to which
the particular agency belongs. Church
influence is required to secure an APP
pointment, and the whole business is
managed in the name of Christianity.
Yet what burlesque and what a dis
grace it all is?
While there is so much talk about
Presidential candidates, and so much
doubt as to who is the coming man.
lson both sides, 1t is interesting to gather
up the various straws which indicate
how the wind blows. The stands in
the corridors of the Capitol where
pictures of prominent men are kept on
! sale, are good places to gather straws.
The people who buy these pictures are
not residents of Washington, but
visitors to the capital from all parts of
the country, so that the aggregate sales
are q tolerabiy fair indication of the
popularity of the different favorites.
The keeper of one of these stands on
the Senate side recently said to friend
of mine who inquired about the sales
of engravings of the prominent men
of to-day:
II sell the most of Thurman, Conk-
ling, Ben Butler, Jim Blaine aid John
Sherman. You would be surprised, I"
he says, "to know how great demand
there is for Hutler's pictures. Of the
| five / have just mentioned l think the
| honors would be divided between
Thurman and Butler, next in order
| would be Blaine, then Conkling, and
| then Sherman. l also have great
many orders for Chief Justice Waite
| As for Hayes, | don't think ] sell ore
of his to ten of Speaker Randall, and
| yet / am On the Senate side. There
! is but little demand for Garfield, but
some for Sam Cox and Fernando
Wood and Gen. Banks, but the princi-
! pal sales are confined to those I have
Just mentioned. OF those who are
| dead, the greatest demand is for An
drew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and
Chief Justice Chase, though there is Il
| fair market for Geo. Washington,
| Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster
! Secretary Seward, Secretary Station,
and Cen Thomas. You would be
surprised to know, also, the number Of
engravings | sell of jeff. Davis and
| Gen. Lee. The sales OF these two are
not as extensive rs those have hereto
| fore mentioned, but arc considerable.
Grant, for some reason, don't sell wei F..
1t may be because every one has q
likeness Of him, but / sell three of
| Sherman to one Of Grant yes Gen.
Lee outso!ls Grant" From inquiries
at other stands, | learn that more
| pictures are sold OF Senator Thurman
| than any other public man. The large
sales Of Buffers physiog,fny may be
accounted for from the general curi-
osity touching this most peculiar man,
and the notoriety he enjoys from his
| eXcentric public career.
Mr.. Spoiiafd, the Librarian, has just
made an important addition to the
Congressional Library. 1t is Il com-
pie,e file of Journals published in Phil
adelphia from 1913 to 1877, in all l07
volumes, and comprising the Clay
poole Adrertiser, POukson'S .1dpertiser
and the North american, all well
preserved and bound in calf The
bound volumes of newspapers in the
Library of Congress now number over
G,O0O, and in this collection is a set of
the London Gazette from 1865 to 1879.
There is but one ot her set in existence
that belonging TO the British Govern
ment. The question of providing adj
ditional room for the immense and
magnificent collection of books now
u'der Mr.. Spolt;,rd's charge, is still
agitating the Congressional mind, but
So far it is all talk. The building of
which so much has been said, is still
visible in the minds eye only.
As the end of the SESSION approaches
all the sharks and lobbyists, who have
little schemes in which they are inter.
ested, huddle together and prepare for
n grand final rush. But the indica-
tions now are that the large raids upon
the public Treasury will fail this
session of even Il respectful hearing.
No time has vet been wasted upon any
of them, and there is little chance of
their getting show now, though
there is usually great danger in the
final rush. Both Republicans and
Democrats, however, are very intent
upon various moves upon the political
chess board, and neither side feels that
it can afford to champion subsidies of
any sort. The Democrats are organiz-
ing for united and determined effort
to repeal the test oath for jurors, and
some obnoxious FEATURES of the federal
election law. 1t looks as though the
appointment of Deputy Marshiils and
Supervisors OF Elections by the Federal
Government would have to be dis
pensed with hereafter. There never
was any constitutional warrant for
these things. The Western Union
Telegraph Company is making desper-
ate efforts TO defeat the measure to
enable railroad companies to have
telegraph lines and transmit messages
for the public. If the measure passes