The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-05-01
Our Washington Letter.

-0p11Q& 1ulb8taO06 a swimming
School Crops and Labor, etc.
WASHINGTON. D. e. April "a, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The House passed the Army appro.
| priation bill, by party vote. The
Republicans, who at the extra session
voted for what is called the "rider =
on the bill, voted against it in a body
yesterday. It is a. follows:
That no money appropriated in this
act is appropriated or shall be paid fol
the subsistence, equipment, transporta-
tion, or compensation Of any portion Of
the army of the United States to be used
as q police force to keep the peace at the
polls at any election held in any State.
The Democrats profess to think Mr..
Blaine's friends, outside of three OF
four States are closing their grip
aud that, correspontlipgly, Grants
supporters are taking a firmer hold.
On the Democrats side, in the South
especially, Hancock comes to the
front. The feeling for him in Louis
lana, Texas, Virginia aud Nortl, Car
olina is represented as very strong.
Both Seymour and Tilden lose by the
late semi official announcements that
they will decline to be candidates.
To be sure, the denial has heretofore
followed the announcement with great
promptness, but I find a great many
politicians here who believe Seymour
will not he candidate under any
circumstances, and that Tilden is
working simply to name the Demo-
cratic candidate.
The Senate has, as far as 1t had au-
tbority to do, approved the Ute agree
ment of Secretary Scliurz. 1t has
provided, however, that three fourths
of the adult Indians of the tribes must
endorse the agreement before it shall
60 into effect. The manner of en-
d0sement is not provided for, and I
think it will puzzle the Indian Bureau
to get an Ineligible ard reliable ex-
preston Of opinion from tho Indians.
Delegate Downey Of Wyoming in
troduced a bill in the House yester-
day, providing for an appropriation
of $500, 600 to commemorate in suit
able paintings upon the walls Of the
National Capital, the birth, life and
death of our Saviour, as told in the
four Gospels. The opilion is gaining
ground that he ID insane, and the pub
lication of fifteen page epic poem in
the Congressional Record, as speech
purporting to have been delivered by
him in Congress, strengthens the i'm
preston.
Among the notable events of the
past week in Congress was the intro
duction of bill creating permanent t
construction faud for the Navy De-
partment. An argument in favor of
the permanent construction fund is
that it looks to tho disuse of the con-
tract system. This system, which in
time Of war or sudden emergency may
be military necessity, is indefensible
on any grounds in time Of peace. The
uniform experience Of the Govern
ment with the contract system has
been that Of jobbery aud favoritism
on the one hand and worthless ships
on the other. An eminent officer Of
the Navy has said that, taking the
navy list as whole since 1865, the
advantage 10 serviceability and dura-
bility of GOvernment-buiit over con-
tract built ships is three to one; while
the cost has been inversely as three
to five; showing that the Govern
ment, by doing its own work, gets
five times as much for it's money as
by letting it out to greedy or rascally
contractors! ~~...z
The pulsations Of spring are in the
air. The tens of thousands of trees
that Boss Sheppard planted along the
asphalt streets of the Capital, five
years ago, have grown sufficiently to
give the city a sylvan appearance.
Young gills promenade in spring suits
aud new hats. Young dandies have
doDDed light colored pantaloons.
Equestrian parties are daily seen on
the boulevards and suburban roads.
There seems to he quite q revival oi
horseback riding in Washington the
habit had become somewhat obsolete.
Our effeminate youth Of both sexes
have, Of late years, given their pref
erence to the more enervating loco
motion of wheeled vehicles. The
Natatorium 10 again open, and Wash
ington can boast Of resort where
ladies aud gentlemen, as scantily clad
as ballet girls, go together for u swim
The rules say that, no gentleman shall
accompany a lady uDless he goes int
the water, and that iu Nd case sl,al
gentlemen accompany ladies to re,
main only as spectators. The custom
| Of ladies and gentlemen swimming lo
getLer is enough to surprise 4 man.