Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-12-19
nv aINaTON LETTER.

Matte II y agf sblican Committee--
Wssn yi| Monument - Mar.
r1ed Npn7giy RiKhts-TaxAtiOn,
40.
Special Corr zoe Of the Republican,
ron, D. C. Dec. II.
The 10. hl4 corridors Of the Ar
gton Hotel presented . very lively
scene this morning. The members, of
the Republican National committee be-
gan to assemble At ten O'Clock, and
canvassing WAS brisk. Senator Don
Cameron was evidently the favorits and
was declared elected chairman.
The joint committee on the compile.
tion of the "Washington Monument"
have submitted q detailed report 10 the
House. They ask an extra appropria-
tion and it is estimated that the work
can be accomplished by the spring Of
1883. The delay in the completion Of
this monument has become q National
disgrace. The monument fever seems
to be all the rage. They talk of giving
"Adam' monument. We are GER
tainly glad OF 1t, for We know OF know
man more deserving. he has been
dead 80 long that the interest on his
debts, ought 10 sumee 70 erect an obe'
lisk.
The funeral of Judge Edmunds, our
City postmaster, was largely attended,
and he was one OF the few great men OF
our city whose place Will DO hard to
hl.
The rush for oiiices IN this city is so
great that Deiegatlons nave been walt
ing for some days, TO see the Grape tax
en- OH the door KNOB, as a signai Ior an
advance upon the Whlte House, 70 Sc
cure the otfice. A four thousand dol
lar ofilce can evoke dozen delegations
that will reach from the Capital to the
White House. lhere Is an old iaoie
which is frequently told at the Post
Ohce Department, whlcn ls very ap'
propriate TO the present case: "A pa
triot who had firmly resolved to serve
his country IN the fost omce Depart
ment, II 1t was only a thousand dollar
place, communicated his determination
to the Post-Master deLeral. he was 30
persistent IN MS opportunities that
finally the Post Master General promis-
ed him that he should Do appointed as
soon as vacancy occurred. While ram
bling on the banks OF the canal one
evening the asplrant Tor ONCE beheld
crowd OF excited men. lie hurried to
the spot, just in time TO see them drag
from the water, the ilfeless form OF al
man. de recognized the body at once
as that OF clerk IN the Post-ofilce De-
partment. The aspirant made strike
for the 7. o. Department, and almost
breathless made an appeal to the Post
Master General to sign his appointment.
But he protested that there was no va
cancy. "Ies there IS, replied the as
pirant, just saw them pull the body
of a registered mail clerk out OF the
water. All! exclaimed the fost-mas-
ter, the man that saw him iall IN, got
the appointment hall an .hour ago.
Once year the question arises now
to tax the people OF this District. the
rest OF the year Is spent by the people
in skirmlshing after money with which
to pay their taxes, ana IN studying out
the meaning OF the hundred or more
laws which Congress has passed 1or
their government. The system OF
their taxation is annually shaken up,
so that the only thing a man can de-
pend upon in rs the TACT OF being taxed.
Now 1T is proposed to pass new TAX
law. Invisible property Is exempt
In some respects the law could be made
stronger and more beneficial. For
instance book agents are required to
pay only twelve dollars.For twelve dol
lars he can buy the privilege OF
talking man into buying a book
he don't want, and calling himself a
fool for six months afterwards. No
lad valorsm" tax can be levied on
brains. fit were possible to impose
such tax many people would escape
the imposition altogether. If taxation
was more equltably distributed 1t would
be greatly lightened. One difficulty
that meets legislator who attempts to
frame license bill is the impossibility
of equalizing tax on professional men.
1t is easy enough to arrange the law so
that grocer who does large buEiDess
will pay more than the peanut mer-
chant. If taxation must be it should
be confined to certain things. TIE
man in the third story front room
wLo spends five nights in the week
practising on his violin, should be put
down for a good round sum. The old
gentleman in the boarding house who
sits next to the landiady, always gets
tbe first cup of coffee and the hot cakes,
and tells the same old stories every
aav oupht to be assessed at a high