The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-15
WASHINGTON T T
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
Dec. - 1881.

Inc nrSL week OF Congress hes
been quiet and undressing. l do
not remember an opening more so in
the course of my six years observa-
ton at the Capital. In the Senate
the opportunity for a little excite
ment over an attempt to change the
officers of that body was early shut
off by the declaration of Judge Das
Wis that he should vote to continue
the Republicans in possession of the
Committees and the Democrats in
the enjoyment of the other Offices
The House has done nothing but or
II is not a very remarkable
body Intellectually, especially onthe
Republican side. The progress of
that party in the lower branch Of
Congress has been gradually toward
mediocracy for some years. In the
44th Congress, elected in the year
that the Democratic landslide dis
placed Ben Butler and many other
prominent Republicans, the party
still had left fol- leaders such men as
Blaine, Garfield, Kasson, Hawley,
Hale and Frye. OF all these Kasson
is the only Que left, and he has been
out Of the country SO long that he
has apparently lost his grip as a lead
-er. Even the Michigan "screech
OWL" Conger, who usurped the func-
tions of leadership in the last House,
is no longer present, and the rotund
Robson of New jersey, alone comes
forward to fill the gap. !
A slender majority thus led, and
made up of some Half breeds, a few
stalwarts, several Greenbackers and
two Repudiationists, will find itself
opposed by a solid minority possess
ing such leaders as Randall. Hewitt,
Carlisle, Blackburn and a dozen
others, all head and shoulders above
the strongest men on the other side.
This, taken together with selection
of a Speaker who is not a %parliamen-
tartan, nor even a ready, clear head
ed man, presents an unpromising
outlook for the majority. The only
dramatic scene thus far, occurred on
the opening day when MI. Moore,
the fresh young Republican from
the Memphis district of Tennessee,
bounded up the aisle from his seat,
waving his arms wildly in the air,
and objected to swearing in Mr..
Chalmers, of Mississippi, in a stream
of turgid rhetoric poured forth in
s~tentorian tones Hi lnngdage aud
behavior were so utterly ridiculous
that the whole house broke out in
derisiva laughter. When Mr.. Moore's
name was called, Gen. Bragg, of Wis
consion, rose, and mimicking the
melodramatic style of that gentle
man, objected to his being sworn in
in almost precisely his language when
objectiong to the admission Of Mr..
Chalmers. This brought down the
House in rounds of applause, but it
had no effect on Mr.. Moore, who will
require more time and sad experience
to discover that new members, un-
less of t~ranscendent ability; must
be a little difident or they will be
very severely .sat down" upon.
In the determination of the Speak.
ership contest we had another illus
tration of the magic of the Cameron
touch in Pennsylvania politics. The
delegation from that State was sub
stantially solid for Hiscock until
Don, the son of his %illustrious father
took them in. hand and won then
away from their positive pledges
What promises he made of fayors
from the Administration can only bt
guessed at. Anyhow the Speaker
may be said to owe his elevation tt
the Cameron influence, whether he
recognizes it or not. According t.
all accounts he has an usually diff
cult and laborious task in the ar
rangement of the Committees, ant
an intimate confidential friend ofhi'
said recently that it is likely to b,
two weeks before they are announc
ed. There never has been more of
struggle on the part of members tt
get on fayorite and important Com
mittees, and not a little ill feeling
has already been created by the con
ficting claims of those who want tn,
same places. Old members thinl
they ought to have the preference
over new members, which claim ne1
members are not always ready t.
concede. The Indiana Republican
members have been in an uncomfort
able state of mind for some days, be
cause they failed to support Keifer
In sticking to Ortiz SO long they fea
they have killed the goose. OrtI
would not let them leave. him as h
set strong hopes upon the dark-hors
hypothesis, and now there is som
doubt whether Indiana will get
single important craftsmanship. On
Of the delegations lately emarke
that Indiana would have to go Dem
ocratic again to inspire a little great
er respect in Republican councils.
After President Arthur gets hi
Cabinet disposed of it is unders.oo,
that he will take up the Public Prin
ter contest and select a successor 70
Defrees. This old public function
airy has certainly been in long enoug'
and his administration has bee
scarcely less Objectionable and cor
rupt than that of his predecessor
Clapp. He is too old for such a pc
sition and entirely too cranky. Eve.
if honest himself he has been SUI
rounded by a bad lot, whose contrc
appears to have been absolute
While he has few friends eithe
among Democrats or Halfbreeds, tn
stalwarts or Grant men are maxim;
hot war upon him and one of the lc
cal organs lately reproduced the fol
lowing extract from a letter write.
by Defrees in 1872: "This is tn
most extravagant and corrupt Gov
eminent hat ever existed in thi
country. Grant himself is so full c
whisky that he is stupid and bloat
ed, and the men who manage hir
are of the same sort. But the Who'll
L of unnlaop binds chat -, 20.