The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-03-25
Washington, Letter.
from Our Regular rCorrespoiitlcnt.

things lively for politicians
generally. The Senate eiection Com
mittee created quite iiutter of excite
ment among all our nation:savers by
their declaration that Senator Kei-
logs's seat was vacant, and that Spot
ford is legally entitled thereto. The
Republicans insist that such action is
in its tendency, and por-
tends serious future trouble, since in
tended as one of the means by which
the Democratic candidate for President
may be counted in next spring, wheth-
er legally elected or not in November.
On the other hand, the Democrats say
kellogg never was elected; that this
action is strictly i'll accordance with
right and justice, and that the people
viii! next fall sustain it when the facts
are properly rut before them. AT any
rate, nothing has occurred in the Cap
iLOl this winter which has induced
more outside discussion and debate
than this move. Mr.. Kellogg and his
friends claim that Senator Hill, who
pressed the matter to vote, was actu-
ated by personal rather than party mo-
tives, and intended it to divert public
attention from himself in the Ray
mond scandal. Whether this asser-
tian be true or untrue, Senator Hill
has certainly stirred up hornets nest
in attacking Mrs. Belva Lockwood.
Our recent prediction that he would
regret his action has been verified, for
she is after him with all the fury of 4
woman scorned." Though he tries
to ease her blows with charges of at
tempted blackmail, falsifier, etc., she is
terribly persistent, and the end is not
yet. She publicly accuses him of Sc
ducing young girls, and of being bad
fellow generally, and no one doubts
she will have the last word, whatever
he may say and do in the future. She
undoubtedly acted in good professional
faith in filing a bill in the courts against
him for Miss Raymond, as the evidence
to sustain her on this point is indis-
dutable. Miss Raymond's denial OF
ever having charged the Senator with
Seducing her is unwarranted under the
facts yet there is no evidence, beyond
her own allegations, that her charges
had the slightest foundation in fact,
but the endeavOr to saddle all respons-
ibility for her statement upon Mrs.
Lockwood was unfortunate, as it puts
her, not Miss Raymond, in the catego-
ry of shyster and blackmailer. She,
therefore, as a purely personal matter,
has gone into fight against him with
all her ability and aroused woman Is
ire, which will, to say the least, be an
unpleasant one to him before she gets
through with him, as she can throw
dirt equal to any male lawyer at the
bar. One of the sequences of this quar-
rel has been the introduction of a bill
into the House to prevent blackmail.
Notwithstanding the need of slrin-
gent statute upon this matter, yet this
bill will not now become Il law, for it
will meet Il fatal opposition from the
lobby, which, as it is composed largely
of women, has strength enough to de-
feat any measure encroaching upon
their privileges. a little restraint
placed upon ONr Legislators won't hurt
them, and perhaps it is better to have
no prohibitOry statute. Some of these
solons have not sowed their wild oats
yet, and their friskiness leads them Of
ten into bad associations. The exist
ence of a law against blackmail might
induce others, whose walk is now COM
paratively straight, to yield to the
temptations which surround the innO-
cent and unsophisticated legislator.
AT last the domestic infelicities
which have been known to exist be-
tween ex-senator Christiancy-noW
minister at Peru-and his wife, have
eliminated, and we are promised il di-
vOrce suit rs full of nauseating details
as any in which the Prince of Wales
ever figured as witness or participator.
Mrs. Christiancy returned here some
months since from Peru, and her hus-
bands friends assert that her conduct
has been quite reprehensible, though
only in keeping with her actions for
several years past, not only in this
country but in Peru. He has applied
for a leave of absence, and will return
here to institute proceedings against
her for divorce. She, on the other
hand, charges him with extreme cru
city, and asserts her innocence of crime.
1t is not ut all likely that Mr.. Chris
tiancy will invoke much sympathy for
himself, no matter what his witnesses
may prove against her. She was n
mere child when he married her,
younger in years than some of his
children, and beyond that, was desti-
tute of any of the solidity of woman
hood. She was regarded as volatile and
frivolous, and could not fail to make
the wedlock of such extreme disparity
of ages and temperament an unhappy
one, even if, as she insists, her skirts
are clear of unfaithfulness.
The President has approved the bill
one hundred additional pen
sion clerks. Now there is prospect
of some relief from the great delays of
the Pension Office, and a hope that the
business of the office, which is fully
year behindhand, will be brought UP
to point where a pension claim has
some show of being adjudicated. AS
now go in that important bu-
reau, which is SO unfortunate as to
have the poorest of executive heads, a
claimant has little assurance that five
years will see the end of his case. a
hundred more clerks will of course, eX-
pedite, to some extent.
The epidemic of crime has lately
swept over us, bringing full portion
of suicide, murder and outrage. The
citizens of northwest X street We're
startled recently with the discovery of
the deak bodies of Reilly, an Irish
and his wife, in their room
over the stable where he worked. No