Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-03-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence of THE ItERALp1
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1879.

WAsUIXGToN, March 10, 1879.
On Tuesday, at II o'clock, the
45th Congress expired, and now our
city is as quiet as a rural college
town in vacation. The flags which
noated over the Capitol at all hours
/ for days prior to the 4th, indicating
thereby continuous session, have
been furled and taken down, the
thousand Of lights which CLEANED
from the dome and windows Of the
Capitol from dusk to dawn shine no
longer on the darkness. The crowds,
which thronged our streets, pour
ing toward Congress have disappear
ell, and quiet now reigns supreme
both i'll and ont of the Capitol. Scores
OF men whose reputation as orators,
as lawyers or wise legislators, made
them the noticed Of the crowd, APP
pear no longer in the long drawn
crSwd Of humanity, which extended
J during the closing days from the
Treasury to the doors Of the Capitol,
and now only the great unwashed citi-
zen, unknown to fame, appears upon
our famed Pennsylvania AvcEuc.
On Saturday the great struggle be-
gan both in the Senate and House up
Oh that legislation which was to con-
trol the future, and, save an occasion
al recess Of few hours, there was q
continuous session until on the 4tb,
both the Vice President and Speaker
declared the 45th Congress at al end
The called extra session shows how
well the democrats succeeded in their
designs.
Thousands Of citizens who never
visit the Capitol save in the conclud-
ing hours of Congress, poured into.
the lobbes and galleries during the
protrac5od session, and gave busted
feature to tile Capitol not seen since
the adjournment in July last. The
Pre-idcnt's message converting the
next Congress mars the feeling of re-
lief that the country was to be spared
the inf1iction Of democratic action till
next winter. The steals and swim
dies which appeared in the ten days.
predicting the 4th Of March, and
which the lobby tried to inject into
The appropriation bills were so enor-
NOUS and SO patent that it is difficult
to refrain from wishing that Congress
might not reconvene for gears to come
even presnm;ng the inpossibility that
democratic supremacy in matters Of
legislation does not necessarily mean
most serious injury to all car best ma
tional interests.
Much rs The presence of our legis-
lators cnlivens our city, making bust
ness brisk and pleasure predominant,
yet the fact that the country has so
much to fear from their presence here
arouses the gravest approximations
that the good done may be largely
overba anced by the i'll results flowing
out Of the iniqu'tous democratic fire.
eating laws. Just think Of one amend
ment which proposes TO turn over the
Government Printing Office, with all
it's material, amounting in value to
over million dollars, to enc firm for
the pitiful rental Of $4,000 q year; q
sum not sufficient to pay for the
wear and tear Of the printing presses
alone, and but for the determined OPP
position OF one or two Senators, this
measure would have been pushed
through the Senate by the lobby
which is operating for the democracy.
The Post, the daily democratic paper
here, serves notice a!rea y upon Gov
ernment Printer Defrees to vacate the
premises, and says that just as soon
as Congress convencs, every Republic
can that can be reached must be sum
marily bounced. The proposed steal
of the Government Printing Office is
but one Of the many now seriously dis
cussed ; and the millions to be squan-
dered under bills which became laws
on the 4th, are rot q "patching" to
what the immaculate followers Of the
er-whitc-washed Tilden have in
hand for the 10th Congress.
SO many Of the new Congressman
are here that we are in the midst of
the log-rolling and wire-pullIng for
Speaker Of the House. Sam Randall,
that prince OF political manipulators
and OF hocns-pocus navy yard sales, is
excrting ell his energies, and has, as
some Judge, the inside track. But
whether lie can retain it under such
combinations as the plucky Blackburn
can effect against him, remains to be
seen; yet we believe he will, for The
word fail is not in his lexicon, and we
hope he will, for he can do less ham
in the chair than out of it. There are
several dark horses cavorting around
the lobbies Of oar hotels, but not one
OF them has the ghost Of chance to
reach the chair. Half Of these are
like the applicant for cabinet posi-
ton under President Polk, who was
satisfied finally to accept the door
keeper-ship Of the White House horse
stable, inasmuch rs nothing higher
could be had. We will yet find sev-
eral of Randalps opponents paste.