The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-01-15
Washington, Letter.

Washington, Letter.
[From Our Regular Correspondcnt.l
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 8, 1880.
Congress drags its slow length along.
Neither house has got warmed up to its
work as yet, and beyond the introduce
ton of bills and transaction of routine
business, has not made much of rec
ord. The members and Senators
dropped into their seats on the 9Th as
quietly as if at labor on the 5th, and,
as usual, consumed the morning hour
with routine matters. Motions to ad-
journ then prevailed in respect to the
memory of Senator Houston, Of Ala
bama, who died during the recess.
The elephant, which the House has on
hands in the shape of the new code of
rules, submitted by the Committee on
Rules. is huge one. No one disputes
the necessity which exists for careful
revision and pruning out of the obso-
lete and unnecessary provisions of the
old code, but how to do it without
treading on the corns of the various
committees, is serious problem. The
Republicans, Of course, will resist
amendment, inasmuch as their parlia-
mentary strength lies in the compli-
cations found in the present rules, and
this opposition, if unfortunately back
ed by that of Democrats who are too
sensitive on grounds of etiquette, may
lead to most undesirable amendments.
General Blackburn well said that if
technicalities were to govern the ques'
ton Of adopting the code, as submit
ted, no conclusion would ever be
reached by the House.
The agony which has exercised the
faithful who wanted to serve the
country as our city postmaster, with
81 900 year attached, has been ended
by the appointment of an Ohio man to
the position. A Mr.. Angler, clerk
in the General Post-office Department,
is the lucky aspirant, and but for his
relationship to Hayes, lightning would
have struck him before he could have
become our postmaster. His Fraudu-
lency can prate about civil service re-
form, and all such preposterous hum.
bugs, but when any Of his relations
want office, as in this instance, he ap-
points without the slightest regard for
his past utterances. Is it fraud or
diplomacy? Hayes, like Grant, doubt
less feels that he is bound to care for
the relatives, both of himself and wife,
seven to the third degree" He also
appointed Mr.. Corkhill, of Iowa, as
our District Attorney. Inasmuch as
Corkhill has no legal ability. and does
not know the difference between 9
law-book and q medical treatise, If both
are bound in calf, we are in maze a
to what his Fraudulency means by
giving us such rulers.
The residence of Mrs. ex-senator
Stewart, of Nevada, was recently near
ly destroyed by fire. "Castle Stewart, y
as it is familiarly called, has been one
of our curiosities, hence its partial
destruction has excited more than or
dinary interest. Senator Stewart was
one of the so-called "Rsal Estate
Ring" which, purchasing large area.
of vacant grounds in West End" In
1870, induced the investment, by thu
British government, of several hun
dred thousand dollars in the purchas.
of lots from them and erection of 6
residence and Office for its ministel
and embassy. Mr.. Stewart followed
with his castle, expending on it a
least $3.50 ,OCO. Other members invest
ed largely in houses, and, as conse
quence of their shrewd management
of capital, so strong an impetus wa.
given to real estate in that section o
the city that our aristocracy adopted
as fashionable quarters, and have near
ly covered it with costly residences
Hundreds of acres Of commons which
during the war, were occupied onl.
with sparse huts and shanties of thos
who herded their cattle and goats upol
them as public pasturages, are nov
covered with stately dwelling house
that a plebian hardly dare enter OF
any pretext. Castle Stewart stands
monument to mark this change, whicl
has given Washington its best orna
, ment-true progress-and though re
verses have since rendered the Senate
I bankrupt, and sent him back to hi
practice of law for his daily bread, W
here can have only the kindliesJ q
/ feelings for him. 1t is curious to not
the depreciation which has occurred il
the values of the household furnitur
and decorations of Castle Stewart
Though costing over $780, 900, whel
new, an appraiser now estimates then
, to be worth about $40, 900. Lace cuI
tains that cost 81 900 pair in Paris, il
,, 1871, are valueless, of course, and 8
with much which gave the Castle
its palatial features when the Senate
was in the height of his glory. Hi
f gorgeous temple' has faded to him
but to us it, and an everlasting benefi
remains.
We alluded, last week, to Miss HoI
toms attempt to shoot the son of Sena
tor Morgan, of Alabama. Since thel
she has been admitted to bail, Mrs
Belva Lockwood becoming her surety
and has been provided with com
Portable home by Mrs. Spencer, who
with other so-called strong -minde,
women, took her in charge, as she wa
in necessitous condition. Miss Hor
ton alleges against Morgan not onl.
} seduction and breach of marriag
promise, but the vilest persecution
since she came here to enter sui
against him. She got a place in tn
Treasury and lost it through hi