Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-05-20
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
From our regular Correspondent.
W.sutScToN II O. Nav

Inc great aOsofolnS topic mere IL the
coming boat race on the Potomac be.
tween Hanlon and Courtney. The lat
ter is now here and is under full train.
ing. Referee Blaikee is also here. and,
in so far as the public is informed at
present, the race will be had on the
10th, as agreed upon. Secretary
Thompson will permit the referee and
the invited guests, including members
of the press, to use one of the Govern.
ment steamers, and this, with one 9th.
er steamer, will be the only boat allow.
ed on the river during the race. So
many and extensive preparations and
precautions have been made to insure a
fair and equal contest, that only the
customary racing chicanary will prevent
it. Our District officials, as well as the
Secretary of the Navy, have entered so
fully into the spirit of the matter with
our people by granting, everything
requisite to success, that we shall be
most bitterly disappointed if trickety
interposes and deprives us of the antic
| ipated exhibition of muscle by these
two athletes. Courtney is splendid
physical specimen of the live Yankee,
and it is but natural to give him our
sympathy and good wishes that he may
"whalen the Canadian and bear off the
palm as we'll as the Sc, 600 at stake.
The inevitable Kellogg case is drag
ging it's slow length along in the Senate,
under what seems almost an intermna.
BILE discussion of its merits and de.
merits. Yet aside from the legal hair
splitting disquisitions of such able law.
yers as Senators Hill on the one side of
the question, and Carpenter on the
other, an occasional argument appears
containing much general interest. One
of these was the speech of Wade
Hampton, who took the ground occu.
pied afterward by Mr.. Carpenter and
others, that, whether elected by fraud
or not, the Senate was now barred from
refrying the case and unseating Kellogg,
through the fact that he had been for.
merly seated, and there was, therefore,
no power existing to undo the wrong.
He said, in reply to a personal appeal
from Mr.. Hill, that he had followed the
palmetto flag on bloody fields to uphold
the honor of his State, and though he
regretted the necessity which COMPEL.
ed him to differ in opinion upon this
question from Mr.. Hill, he but followed
his convictions now as during the war.
1t is not at all likely that Kellogg will
be disturbed in his seat this session,
notwithstanding the persistent effort OF
Senator Hill to oust him, for General
Hampton undoubtedly represents the
balance of power in the test By vote.
and should he adhere to the sentiments
expressed in his recent speech, Mr.. Hill
will appear in the minority on the final
issue.
For number OF years Congress has
heen procrastinating the "CIaim OF the
Choctaw Nation, but it reappears in the
new Congress to clog the wheels of leg
isla,icn and crowd out matters of ma
tional concern. The House occasionally
devotes day to its discussion, to the
exclusion of vastly more important
matters. Back of this claim Is power
iul lobby which, like the Pope of Rome
seems to have an inherent power OF
perpetuation, for "a. far back as the I3d
Congress it was pushing the Choctaw
bill as vigorously AS Today, and was as
successful then as now in finding cham.
plons for the measure, notwithstanding
a legislation is asl ed for that will enrich
many a spoil. hunter.
Senator Morrill, deserves the nations
thanks for opposing the proposition to
extend one OF the Capitol fronts and
put in the edifice the Congressional Ii
brary. IL is inexplicable why able Sen
ators should urge that the grand outline
of the Capitol shall be utterly destroyed
by constructing at right angles from It's
centre this proposed building, which is
no more a necessary adjunct to the Cap.
itol than the Patent Office. A space OF
several acres will be required for the
accommodation of the present stock of
books, while provision should of course
be made for future accumulations, hence
when Mr.. Morrill, urges a separate struc.
ture. he simply acts as any sensible man
should. The Capitol should not be
broken in any of its external proportions
or outlines. II is now the finest and
grandest legislative building in the world
and it is to be hoped that ignorant leg.
islators and worse architects may keep
their vandal hands from off il.
One by one our old landmarks are
disappearing under the march of i'm.
pIovement. So great are the changes
occurring that soon little will be left of
old Washington in the northwestern
part of the city. Opposite the Post.
office building, on the south side of +
street, few weeks ago. stood the "Sea.
ton Mansion" plain old fashioned
dwelling. house, which bore every mark
of having been erected by former gen.
Grafton Of people. More memories of
the great men of the city's past cling to
its walls than to those of any other pri.
vate mansion occupied since 1910. Har,l.
ly a notable who figured prominently in
in the political affairs of the nation, prior
to 1850, but made his home at some
time or other under its portals, Presi.
dents Monroe, jackson, Van Buren,, and
Harrison; Lafayettei Chief Justices
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