The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-01-05
DUK WAsHING1'dE II tTER.
CAPITOL EPISODES: CONGRESS AID
JoFRNs - eHR4SFMsAs- SCENERY
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fStSc CHRIS ,afsA5~ -SGANAN4-
PROJECTED CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
Washington, d. c., Dee. "A, { ]
To the Editor Of TheMorristewnGazAtte: 4
1t would require very large book
tc record all that Congress has omit
ted to do during the last week. On
Tuesday Senators Conlxfing and La
mar both returned to the Senate
chamber, and, after gazing at each
other with fierce, pOrtentiOusy beet
ling brows; without saying howd'ye,
resumed their respective chairs. Nor
has the House been without its
episode, less dignifed than that
Of the Senate, but not much less dig
nified than the episode of last session
which caused the estrangement of
Conkling and Lamar. You have
doubtless already been fully advised
of the way in which Messrs. Weaver
and Sparks hurled biIlingsgate at
each other, and how other members
We're disposed to engage in the mete.
But the Capitol is now silent and de-
serted. Congress has adjourned for
the holidays, large majority, both
of members and of senators, have
returned to their homes for the en-
ioyment of Christmas.
Never before, within the memory
of man or child, have the shops on
Pennsylvania avenue and Seventh
street presented such a gorgeous APP
pearance, and never before has wo-
men and children had so much mo-
ney, and such inclination to spend it.
Toys, dolls and gimoracks of every
conceivable design and price, fill all
the windows of all the stores. Christ
mas greens festoon the booths in the
market places, and give hateful
emphasis to hundreds of drinking
saloons. The odorous scent of cedar
is in the air. Clinging mistletoe and
prickly holly-every variety OF
green6ry that has Eithstood the win
ter-is now brought from the forest
to decorate churches, homes and
drinking halls.
Standing on the steps of the Capt.
tol, and looking down Pennsylvania
avenue, the scene may we'll remind
the beholder of Paris Where, eX-
cept in Paris will he -see such broad
and perfectly paved avenues I? But
with the avenues the comparison
vanislesE Washington is not archi-
tecturally all that it pretAises to be
provided the Capital shall remain
here. A sweeping fire, such as has
regenerated and renovated great
cities, faam London to Chicago,
would be a heroic remedy; but
nothing milder will sweep away
Enumberless mean looking houses
that GantFFaast strangely with the
marble palaces that UNCLE Sam has
built. There are IaGny projected
improvements for the National Cap
itaf.. In this holy city of "the Great
Republic" as English newspapers
call us, there is lia sqRtaap, The
residents of Washington do not vote,
but we are none the worse for that.
Washington is the special protege
of Congress. Gongrees Ystes for US,
or rather applnpriates for the Ma
tional Capital, and Congress is ex-
pected, either Turing the present
session, or in t .xtra session, which
it is nOW aimsIt gsEtaip will follow
General Garneid's inauguration, to
appropriate t. the draining of the
Po5Qmac marshes, and for the cree
ton Of a National Library Building,
The first is a sanitary sine qua non,
for even Sunset Cox is down with
malaria. lAbstinence from whisky
would reduce much so-ealied malaria
among Congressman A library
building is a biblical necessity, for
there are in the Capitol literal heca
tombs of books with no sAelf5room
for their arrangement.