The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-03-04
Washington Letter.
sW"ofHS VOH HUOttTs
tFrom our regular Correspondent.l


as eloquent eulogy by Senator as
that ofSenator Voorhees, upon Brumidi
the recently deceased artist of the
Capitol. A Congressional speech
usually is as destitute of oratorical
graces as lawyers argument before a
jury upon some dry, knotty legal quib
BILE, and Senator Voohees' efforts are
not exceptions to this rule. But OH
this occasion he allowed his fancy full
rein, and paid the deceased tribute
sparkling with beauty and sentiment.
The Government was indebted to
Brumidi some $500 for extra work re-
touching the canopy of the dome,
which moneys could only be paid the
heirs under a resolution, which the
Senator introduced, and which, of
course, was adopted without debate.
Mr.. Voohees referred to the artists
services in adorning the Senate COM
mittee rooms and panels and corridors
with pictures of men, and animals,
and birds of America, whose merits,
as works of art, would suffice in Eu-
rope to make him famous, and to en-
title him to a burial-place with the
nobility and the great and said: 1.-THE
birds, especially, are all there, from
the humming bird at an open flower
to the bald eagle with his fiery eve
and angry feathers. / have been told
that the aged artist loved these birds
as father loves his children, and that
he often fingered in their midst as if a
strong tie bound him to them" We
have often thought that the aged artist
was mentally so engrossed with his
art that he knew little else, hence can
appreciate the orators fine idea of the
old mans love for his works. 1t is
possible that he will be remembered
through his art, as Mr.. Voorhees, said,
long after we had ceased to exist as q
nation, and even after the Capitol it.
self had crumbled into ruins. Yet so
little attention was paid him i'm the
last obsequies, through the entire alb
sence of demonstration and of attend
ing strangers, that it seems Brumidi's
greatness, like that of Milton's will
not be really recognized till long after
his death.
An interesting debate arose in the
Senate upon a motion to repeal the
law prohibiting the appointment of
ex-confederates to the Army and Navy.
Mr.. Edmunds forced the debate, as he
said, for the pupose of settling the
matter, and as usual, he and Mr.. Thur
man antagoized. These two great
men flock horns" upon nearly every
question arising in the Senate. Both
are lawyers of pre-eminent ability,
and can split hairs with the incest
possible determinations between tive
edledee and tweedledum, and differ
ing as they do in politics, they neces-
sarily oppose each other on all issues
with the slightest political bearing in
them. The debate was not concluded,
and it is not likely the statute will be
repealed in advance of the coming
presidential contest, inasmuch as this
repeal involves an immense amount
of political capital which, like the
"bloody shirt" cry of past campaigns,
may have an immense weight for the
No one doubts that under
the next administration, no matter
who becomes President, the Army and
Navy will be opened to the South as
to the North. Yet just now neither
party Will assume the responsibility of
breaking down existing distinctions.
MIR. Thurman, however, took advanced
ground in favor of repeal
The House is rapidly bringing its
'evising the rules to a conclusion, and
will soon possess new code. Some
If these rules are great improvements
lpon the old, and others are equally
obnoxious. For instance, in our iudg-
nent no appropriation bill should
contain any provision not strictly pre-
aiming to appropriations; and yet the
lew rule is even more unrestricted
han the old, thought which has crept
ONE of the most pernicious legislation
# the past 20 years. Had the presi-
lent power to veto clauses of an ap-
'ropriation act it would matter little
What swindling riders were tackled
Ipon it in the rush of the last hours of
congress.
Cincinnati bore off the palm in the
ecent struggle among our cities to
ecure the holding of the coming DEM
cratic presidential convention. We
lad hoped Washington would be sell
cted, inasmuch as we think it the
etter place, all things considered.
But at the committee could not resist
he destinations of Cincinnati beerapd
ork, and concluded to give that city
he preference, we cheerfully submit
D its decision, and will hold our i'm
ossible bronze horse on costly pedes-
ais, and glorious hash houses, for the
enefit of those who, in the future,
nay be blessed with finer and more
ppreciative tastes than the present
lembers of the National Democratic
Last week we referred, in pretty
trong terms, to Admiral Lee, who
bstinately blocked the way to our
ecurinp School of DaSi0n b,, .oe,,