The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-05-13
Washington, Letter.
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent

GFrom Our Regular Correspondence
WAsHINaTON, D. c., May s, 1880.
Though there is much that the Dis
trict of Columbia has to be thankful
for to Congress, yet there are times
when it is made such a cat's-paw of
and wish, at least, that mat
ters were conducted differently. For
the Senate devoted two whole |
lays to discussing whether $4,000 |
should be paid for the leased chur, h |
building now occupied by our Police
Court, and finally decided, by strong
to make the purchase. Ar
rayed against the proposition were our
District Commissioners and many lead
ing citizens, who showed. by indis-
putable evidence, that the property
worth over $14 900 at the ut
most, and beside, was located in an
part of the city,; Mr.. Beck
the District in his most
the final vote, which doubtless was as
much a surprise to him as to us, for
the sole end accomplished was making
q present to congregation that wanted
to dispose of an old rickety edifice that
would have fallen down long ago but
for the strengthening walls built by
the city since leasing it for police pur-
poses. Again, Congress proposes to
give SOC, 900 for charitable purposes, of
which sum one-half is charged to us.
But were the District Commissioners
to determine whether this appropria-
ton should be made, our judgment is
that the amount would be pruned at
least one-half. Congress has happy
faculty. at times, of disbursing liberal
ly certain funds that do not belong to
the Government, and now that we
have to pay half the bills, it is often
wonderfully profuse in ordering ex-
penditures which our people deprecate,
just as in those wholesale charities to
to church corporations and hospitals.
We are well aware that if we were
relegated again to the tender mercies
of the herds of unwashed voters who
swarm in Murder Bay and our other
slums, the experiences of our popular
Iy elected Legislature of past years
would be re-enacted. 1t We'd with the
Boss Tweed dynasty of New York in
squandering millions. Yet, for all
that, we wish Congress would heed
our wishes in regard to our so-called
charities, and certain other appropria-
tions asked for only by a few citizens
who have axes to grind.
!. Senator Voorhees, delivered an inter-
esting and valuable speech upon the
necessity for Congress to provide addi-
tional accommodations for the Con-
gressional Library, and made a very
strong appeal to the Senate for imme-
diate relief, which will, in all Hkeli-
hood, be given in yearor two. It
always requires several years to per-
feet such desired legislation as he asks
for, after its necessity is admitted.
Mr.. Voorhees, said that there are in the
library 375,O 900 volumes, while there is
only shelf-room for 2S0,0O0, leaving
95, 600 volumes to be piled on the flo. r
and stuck away in hooks and corners.
In addition to these volumes there
are $120,OOO pamphlets, and over 5000
bound volumes of newspapers, besides
large number of valuable maps and
charts, all of which have to be packed
away like dry goods in acrowded store.
One-fourth of the books are not pro-
vided with shelf-room, and when they
are called for whole stacks must be
overhauled and dark recesses ran
sacked.
Strange to say, both political parties
here claim to be happy over the veto of
the marshalship rider upon the de-
ficiency appropriation bill, as. both in
sist that the President bas given them
a strong political boost for next falls
The one bases his belief on
the ground that the people will con-
denim the President and his party for
the bloody shirt policy ,and
its various consequences; the other
upon the ground that the people will
uphold any course calculated to protect
the right of the ballot. It is fortunate
for the country that the President can
please everybody by squelching certain
but we fancy some will not
express themselves as delighted next
fall as they profess to be just now over
his action.
1t is persistently claimed that Con-
gress will adjourn at an early date, and
that the appropriation bills are in such
D state of forwardness as to permit the
solons to perigrinate homeward about
June 1. But we are SO skeptical on
this point that we feel positive that
July 4 will find the Capital, ss full of
Senators and Members as it is to-day.
The presidential conventions will af-
ford food for at least three weeks of
speeches, and then few
lays more will be requisite for the con-
,ideration and passage of the appropri-
alton hilIo TT ic n ,1ffor y,osci biIitv