The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-05-08
WASHINGTON Letter.
from our regular Correspondent.l

the fate Of the Army bill was short
lived. 1t has been vetoed, and the
question, "What are you going to do
about it?' confronts the Democratic
Congress. Undoubtedly the President
has accepted the counsel of the stall
warts of his party in this matter, and
his message is entirely satisfactory to
them. 1t was written by Secretary
McCrary, who is the best representa-
tive of the radical Republican element
inthe Cabinet. That it was substau-
TALLY ready before the bill had even
passed the Senate is evident from the
quick time in which it is returned.
just what will be the final outcome
| am not now prepared to predict with
any degree OF confidence. The Re
publicans are certainly very much
elated, because they had more than
half expected that the President would
sign the bill. The Democrats were, at
first, little sullen and uncertain, but
the tone of the caucus indicates that
they are likely to stand firm and refuse
to pass the appropriation bills. They
are moving cautiously,l but show no
signs of backing down; and, from ali
| can learn through expressions of the
leaders, think an early adjournment
will he taken, leaving the army ana
executive appropriations to be made
next winter.
Both parties claim to be fighting for
fair elections. The position of the
Democrats is that there can be no alb
solutely fair elections while one party
has the power to use tho army at the
polls, and to appoint numerous super
visOrs and deputy marshals to interfere
with voters, and with authority to
arrest opponents on sight. They
maintain that the States should have
control oFall elections, those OF rep
rcsentativcs in Congress included ;
that this was the ancient way of the
country, which worked satisfactorily
until 1870, and that the laws then en-
acted by the Republicans were cal
culated to give that party undue infiu-
ence with voters; that the supervisors
and narshals are partisan agents,
exercising corrupting and irritating
influence at The polls, and that their
appointment is II dangerous power OF
interference to be given to the party
which may happen to possess the
Federal Government. The Repub-
ltcanS, on the contrary, insist that the
Federal Government not only has the
right 10 interfere i'll thc conduct oi
Congressional elections, but that the
interests OF pure and free elections de-
mand that this interference shall con-
tinue; that the Federal power snail,
by its agents, keep peace at the polls.
control the registration, and canvass
the ballots. AS | have said, both
parties express themselves in favor OF
fighting it out on this line ifit takes
all summer.
Several cases OF three-card monte
sWinuling lave been reporte,&,tely to
our locu! authorities, and stranger.
visiting Washington are warned
against these sharpers. 1t is singular
THAT people viii continue to be taken
III Dy swindie as old as this, and one
that has been so often and thOrouyhlv
exposed. Two or three days ago two
gentlemen from Iowa, on their way to
Texas, stopped over to see the sight:
OF the Capital, and fell in with some
monte men who represented themselves
as guides, and succeeded in going
through them to the extent of $500
The swindlers approach strangers and,
pretending to be guides, show them
about little, and then, upon one pre-
text or another, enticc them across
the river where, with the aid OF
accomplices, cards are introduced and
the sWindie executed. If the expert
cnce OF others will not suffice to keep
men of ordinary sense from trying
their hands at this sort of thing. their
only safety is in keeping out of the
company of agreeable strangers en-
tirciy.
The surcst evidence that spring has
came again is the inevitable circus.
And nothing on earth sets Washington
as wild IL does one of these travelling
combinations. This week we have
mad Cooper, Bailey & Co.'S London
Circus and Mcnagerie, and it took the
whole community by storm. 1t is pro-
verbal, in rural towns, that people
who never go anywhere else during
the year, will shut up house and spend
their last half dollar for Il circus
ticket; but L do not believe there is
another large city in the whole country
that can turn out such a crowd for
that kind ofa performance. Tuesday
night the canvass was filled till there
wasn't standing room left, and 1900
people were turned away after the
refused to sell any more
tickets. Congressman and attaches Of |
oreign diplomatic corps were num-
)ered among the throng. The electric |
ight with which the monster tents
ire illuminated was ohe of the attrac-
ions, but | observe that even our
lational solons Appeared to be inter