The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-16
DIR WASHINGTON LETTER.

ness. the House Of Representatives have
made a commendable start in the seri-
ous business Of the session. Five OF the
thirteen appropriation bills 20 through
before the holiday recess, very unus-
nal state of things, and sonebody has
lust said that II they kept on at this
headlong rate, there wouldn't be appro-
priations enough to keep them busy un-
iii the 4lh of March. But IL would be
hardly worth while for those solOns to
let up on that account. II is a good
plan to do yosr work first and play
afterward. Past experience, however,
renders it a tolerably safe prediction
that these Congressman will find enough
to tinker AT up to the very last moment,
and that the closing hours will witness
the accustomed crash OF belated busi-
ness, and the usual attempt to crowd
five ordinary days work into one. But
such is life. The Senate has accom-
plished little beyond the passage Of Mr..
Edmund's electoral bill and Blaine's in
quiry resolution. The debate upon this
latter question, has not resulted in the
party advantage which its OriginatOrs
anticipated, nor has it greatly advanced
Mr.. Blaine's personal fortunes IN the
struggle for the Presidency. It is con-
ceded that notoriety, and command
ing position for the nomination in 1850,
is what the Senator from Maine is
chiefly striving for. The affecting scene
at the late Mccullough banquet, wherein
Mr.. Blaine and Joe Blackburn, Of Ken
lucky, embraced across the table in
token Of returning fraterHal feelings be-
tween the North and South, is aiiunde
to the Senator's present attitude in the
Senate. SociabiIity, with little feast
Of reason and flow of soul, ;" is one thing,
and party politics another. We politi-
clans all understand that. Senator Conk-
ling shrewdly declines to play second
fiddle to Blaine in the proposed investi-
cation, aud a special committee, instead
Of that on Judiciary, will be assigned to
the work. Senator Thurmau's amend
ment extending the scope Of this iu-
quiry, so that it may possibly reach
Massachusetts bull-doziug Pennsylva-
mia Cameronism and a few other triling
matters was adopted. Everything Of a
party nature aside, it really does seem
proper to look a little into this huge
swiudle offederal supervisors ofe!ections.
There are grave charges That 1t amounts
simply TO the purchase of few thou
sand floating votes for per diem Of 80,
which is paid out OF the United States
Treasury. \ motion to hold sessions Of
the committee with open doors was
voted down by the Republicans. This
seems grave mistake. The light OF
day cannot possibly hurt an honest in
vestigatiou. Every such inquiry,
involving AS it may, serious reflections
munities, should be open and above
board, giving all an opportunity TO know
what is going on. The Democrats, none
too liberal withal, set a fair example in
this respect by opening the doors Of the
Potter committee, so that the press had
full reports, by its own representatives,
Of each days sessions Doubtless the
Republicans will see the advantage of
this before going very far.
Work on the Washington Monument
has been again abandoned. a score or
more Of plans have been submitted for
strengthening the foundations, though
there is grave doubts that it needs any
Strengthening. Nearly every engineer
in the army, including General Bah
cock, has reported observations on the
subject, but Col. Casey, now in charge of
public buildings and grounds, has never
bad an opportunity to tell what he
thinks about it; so the directors got to-
gether and said Casey should have
chance. He has since transmitted his
views to Congress. Meanwhile the der
ricks and things are standing around
doing nothing, aud not earning cent.
Congress last year appropriated a
quarter Of a million dollars to finish the
monument, aud the money has lain idle
in the Treasury ever since. A good
deal Of bad blood exists in the old
Washington Monument Society, that
has got away with so much money, a.
to what relation the society now sus-
tains to the monument, and somebody
must decide it. Probably, however, that
organization won't finger the present
appropriation.
The Senate committee raised at the
at the demand OF Senator COnover to in
vestigate the mysterious disappearance
Of a page from one Of the appropriation
bills last session, has not reported, but
undoubtedly it will exonerate Mr.. Con-
over. On the last night Of the last ses-
sion the general appropriation bill, with
some Senate amendments, was hurriedIy
engrossed in the Office Of the clerk Of
the House, and after adjournment il was
discovered that clause making pro-
visions for continuing the Hot Springs
Commission had been omitted. Foul
play was at once charged, and finally a
small border spy in the Secret Service
Bureau undertook to connect Senator
Conover with the matter. Conover il
not very friendly toward Governor
Stearns, one Of the commission, and this
was assigned as the motive for defeating
the measure. This sneak OF a detective
reported to his bureau, aud the report