Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-10-20
Letter from Washington.
WAsHrN6roN, ID. c., Oct. l6, lSi

WAsHIN0ToN, ID. c., Oct. l6, 1879.
To the Editor of the Kennebee Journal:
Your correspondent, after long interval
of rest, takes up his pen to record for the in
terest, and perhaps benefit of your readers,
the incidental items and facts pertaining to
the atmosphere of politics and society of the
national capital. The telegraph and tele
phone have long ago successfully stepped in
upon what were the accorded prerogatives of
the newspaper correspondent, as he was, and
is, if he takes the old-fashoned method
But the time is still quite distant, think,
when the off-hand correspondence chit-chat
of the Bohemian will be thrown into the
waste basket as useless matter, !. e., if it be
written entertainingly. The first named is
like the husbandman, who harvests the crop,
and the latter the cleaner who often finds
much grain left behind.
On returning to Washington after some
what of an absence in other great cities, the
place seems village-like in most everything
except houses and population. There is that
lack Of alertness, rapidity of motion, exten-
siveness of business, &C., which mark tru-
ly business city, 1t is sui generis and to a
great extent always will be. STILL Washing
ton has materially-very materially-im-
proved in business and all other respects
quite constantly since the war, and the pres
ent revival of trade is felt largely here as
elsewhere. Real-estate men are highly elat-
ed over anticipated improvements in their
trade, and the merchants, receiving cash for
nearly all they sell, are ecorrespOndingly cheer
full. The late Ohio election has put the en-
ployers into the best of spirits, so that they
are more liberal in their expenditures and
should New York follow suit they will be al
most fully assured that Grant, Blaine, or
some other good republican will be our next
President.
In fact, | have not seen at any time since
the Hayes inauguration SO cheerful a cOndi-
tion of things here as at present. Employees
if they choose, can take their pay in gold a
circumstance which has not happened to any
one Of them since May, lS6l-nearly twenty
years ago.
THE ONO SUCCESS,
The leading men of the republican party
here seem to consider the success in Ohio
the best feature in political sentiment that
has presented, or may present, itself in the
coming struggle for the Presidency, because
it has broken down entirely the ''Ohio idea
which distracted the republican as well as the
democratic party, especially in the West, and
which idea has caused the strong hard money
plank fiom the first adopted by the former,
TO shake at times and appear as if ready to
break.
Now the plank has proved itself stronger
than any one could have thought, and SINH
lar plank having been entirely thrown over
board by the democrats, they can scarcely be
expected 10 FISH it up again in time for the
Presidential year, and if they do it will only
prove the utter shiftlessness and falsity of
their political character and will only demon
strate the soundness and correctness of the
political and financial position of their oppo-
nents.
The democratic leaders here are already
eursing Ewing as having been their Jonah
They as much as give up New York to the
republicans, and assert that the only hope
they now have of succeeding is that of re-
turning to the hard money theory. This will
ALLEVIATE from them the nationals on which
they have greatly counted for next year; and
thus they are placed-a foot on each stool
and likely 10 fall between.
IL is TO be hoped that New York, with her
pronounced hard money theories, will give
this raeiiatory party such reprimand as will
teach them little sense and principle, if pos
sible, in the future.
The CoAfsG CONGRESS.
Much speculation exists relative to the poll
icy which will be adopted by the democrats
in the coming Congress. In view of the de.
cided reputation Of their states rights and
financial theories and probably, also, their
attemps at repeating wise and judicious elec-
fion laws, it is thought by many that there
will be complete back down. Others asser,
that, instead, they will be more assassins thar
ever and will be led entirely by Southern
leaders now that the fact that the South alone
is the democratic stronghold and reliance fol
nearly all the party success. Whichever
horn Of the dilemma they take, it would
seem TO work against their interests; for a
baek-do would show a cowardice and the
weakness of their former position while a
stout adherence 10 the old ideas would still
further tend to strengthen their opponents at
the North. The probability is, that they will