Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-05-23
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The happiest people here, II we may
judge from expressions on the street, are
the Democrats over the veto. 1t is pre-
cisely what they desire and the President
could not please them more than by put
ting quietus on the Ladd Bill. The We
to eonsolidates them into perfect harmony
and concert of opinion and action and has
done more to pave the way to Demoera-
tic victory this fall and next year than
any measure since the war. Perhaps this
is the real fact Of the case but we are
sceptical enough to think their exultation
a mere effort to keep up their courage and
that were they blessed with tails, such eau
dal appendages would be found depressed
to degree sufficient to keep the member
b etween their groggy legs
Mr.. Frye denies that he ever said it to
any one that the President would approve
the bill. Such statement was bruted
around the Capitol and through all tie
Democratic papers here, and much joy was
manifested prior to the veto, by the Demo-
Gratis over such coed tidings. Their disap-
pointment was of course intense when
the veto came, and all pitched into Mr..
Frye until he made public denial of the
report. 1t turns out that Mr.. Hayes freely
declared, several days in advance, his in
tention Of vetOing the measure. The ex-
treme felicity of the Democrats, prevents
them from fixing a day Of adjournment,
and we viii therefore be blessed with their
presence for some weeks to come-say till
June 10Th. We have epidemic smallpox
and such little incidents hereof course
Democratic Congress in session wont scare
us very much. In the Senate and also the
House, the various committees are simply
arranging their matter for next winters
work, and the thousands of Pension and
other claims are pigeon-holed as fast as the
bills authorizing consideration are intro
duced. The Chairman of the Senate Mil.
Committee, Mr. Randolph, informed US re-
Gently that not a single bill would be acted
upon by his committee till December next,
and the two Chairmen of the Pension
Committees, make the same statement,
hence the many applicants for congress
sional relief must be patient for the present.
Debate in the House is often made spicy
and interesting by certain personalities
which creep into it, and one of the most
amusing chapters in this line was the pas
sage at arms between two of the members
from n. c., in which broadest illusions of
cowardice, fraud, ETC., were made, to the
intense enjoyment Of their auditors on the
floor and in the galleries.
The most bare faced attempt at swindling
on large scale, which has shown itself
here of late years is the attempt to lease
out the Government Printing Office at a
nominal rate, to some irresponsible person.
Last winter a bill to this effect was intro
dueed into the Senate, but was not acted
upon by any committee. 1t again appears
and has the same Objectionable features.
1t proposes to give the entire printing Of
fee, machinery and contents, to some two
or three persons who only lind themselves
to do Government printing at 10 per cent.
less than is now charged. They are to
pay only 5000 year rent for the whole
establishment, and the Government is to
bear ali the depreciation of material
through wear and loss, by theft, use or ac-
cident. No sensible person with the
slightest experience in the printing bust
ness, can fail to comprehend the huge
job and swindle involved in this PROPOSE
tiOn. The 10 per cent. less can be swal-
lowed up ten times over, in the manner of
printing any job, by that immense differ
ence between ''Solld and lat matter,
which contractors so thoroughly appre-
ciate in connection with which the Gov
ernment would have to bear in deprecia-
ton of type and wear and tear and loss, in
nearly million of dolla 5 of material, con-
stitutes a scheme of fraud, and plucking
that would lead US to regard the whole
measure as some impossible Union Pacific
Rail Road swindle, were it not that the
bill is pushed by as unscrupulous lobby as
ever drove a steal through Congress. 1t is
difficult to realize that the bill, as intro
dueed into the Senate, is not some bur-
lesque. We will ventilate it more fully
hereafter.
An abortionist, Mrs. Sylvester, is now
under arrest for causing the death of
young woman named Fanny Shepherd.
Miss Sheppard was an octoroon and noted
for her rare beauty. But falling into evil
ways, she applied to Mrs. Sylvester, a
woman who has been under police suspi-
cion~for some time past, to procure an
abortion. The operation failed in its OBJ
ject, though death resulted from the effects
produced by the instruments used by Mrs.
Sylvester, who is now in Jail with good
prospect of ten years in the penitentiary,