The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

OUR WASHINGTON LETTBR.
To THE EDITOR or THE NEW NORTHWEST;
Mr.. Blaine certainly has cause to feel
that he is popular man, since the no.
tiee that he will make formal speech
always suf1ices to crowd the galleries
aud lobbies with people who are anx-
ious TO hear him speak, hundreds he
ing unable TO gain admittance to the
galleries when he was speaking in sup
port Of his resolution looking to inves-
tigation Of the recent Southern elections.
Every nook and corner was occupied by
listeners; the floor with Senators and
members OF the House and other priv
eleged persons, while the plebeians
jammed the galleries and the corridors,
and with strained attention, listened
during his hours effort Il is not his
eioquence or his arguments which at
tract these crowds, for he is not the equal
Of Voorhees, in oratory, or OF Bayard or
Edmunds in solidity. But there is a
certain animal magnetism about him
NAlANll AAAA az q AilE lAAA1EEaf L4NNAl Is y Us
the case with Henry Clay, and as a
consequence, he never makes his
speeches to empty seats. Mr.. Clay was
the only man ever in tie House or Sen
ate who was uniformly greeted with an
audience, and his peculiar power of fas-
cination or attraction never ceased to
draw around him, and TO the galleries,
a pleased audience. II seems strange
that so many men, blessed with large
intellects, who in the courts command
I princely fees, and whose legal and argu-
meutative powers are unsurpassed,
should so lack in ability to command
] listeners in the halls Of Congress, and
whose auditors are mere empty seats,
and that, too, at times when they are
woe Of our country. We can only ac-
count for the fact on the same gfound
that we admit the power of some Hitter
ate preacher to surpass his learned
brother ministers in swaying the masses
with sweeping revivals. We may often
laugh at the painful lack Of scholarship
the uncouth manners in the pulpit, anC
the ignorance Of all the graces Of oratory
aud yet we have before us the uudis
putable evidence Of power in the effect
produced upon the crowds which pou
in night after night-for weeks to listen
and to be affected by him. So in thu
capital. We do not regard Mr.. Blain
as the intellectual equal OF some of hi
associates, but he has beyond this
magnetic force which the others do no
possess, and through it he has cage
listeners instead Of empty benches fo
his audience.
Congress has got down to its orna
mental work Of introducing bills by th
hundred. An occasional one may b
passed, provided it has no real merit, bu
the real labor 50 far has been in readiu
the titles of the offered bills, and then r,
ferring them to the proper committee,
Mr.. Edmunds has delivered himself {
an able speech in favor of amending ou
electoral system of voting for President
o. but other Senators are handling hi
, proposition without gloves, 81 of cours
: none Of the fearful defects will be RENE
f died, and our next President may Ell
I counter the same difficulty in gettin
= the seat which Mr. Hayes met. No on
2 doubts that Congress should amend on
/ electoral law, but no two legislator
e can agree as TO the mode.
: Congress made provision last winte
/ for enIarging Pennsylvania Aveuu
a where it meets Capitol gate on the west
q by removal Of several houses on tn
north side OF the street. These hav
d recently been torn down, and in a fe,
days vehicles aud pedestrians will 80
. be forced, as in the past, to encouute
each other in a thoroughiare so narro,
e as TO render passage in busy times d
[ difficult and dangerous as in Broad way
New York. The erection Of the Psac
Monument produced this contraction
. but the removal Of five buildings give
+ ample space for all purposes, and add
n much to the appearance Of the CapitC
a grounds at this point. \ small corne
: was also taken OF the botanical garden
d thus the sweep around the moumeut
d much wider, aud certainly much unor
q graceful and pretty.
q Our Chief OF Police has at last give
4 orders to stop our oyster hucksters frol
5 blowing horns while selling their b
!. valves upon the streets. Heretofore
: footing horn greeted one at every turn
y accompanied by screech or yell
II "Oysters" from the cracked throats
a some colored gentlemen. But May,
q Morgan wins our gratitude 10y cuttiu
n off the horn, even though he cannot il
20 terfere with a freeman's right to how
10 bis wares upon our streets FELX.
q, Washington, December 13, ISIS.
\ Franklin county, North Car0lin.
p man, who is 80 years old, Is said nevo
10 to have heard sermon, never read
as chapter in the Bible. never fired gul
and never saw a white couple marie,