The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent,
WASHINGTON, D. c.,

WASHINGTON, D. c., i
Dec. 10, 1881.
There has never been a greater
scramble for Office than that inaugu-
rated with the opening of this Con-
gross. IL beats everything. The
city is full of strangers and they are
nearly all after something. Six
years ago when the Democrats came
in control of the House of Represen-
tatives it was the first sight they had
caught of the "spoils' for many
years and naturally there were nu-
merous applicants for the two hun
bred small offices to be filled. We
alfremember the terrible howl that
went up from the Republican press
about the hungry Democratic mob
But there has been right here in
Washington during tie last two
weeks a larger and more ravenous
mob OF office-grabbers. than was seen
in December 1875. This great Re-
publican party which has had 100,-
600 offices under it's control for
twenty years scrambles harder for
the few small, places under the House
than did the whole Democratic par
ty when these few loaves were all it
had to dispense. 1t is a party of
fesh-pots and spoils. But for these
it would have been beaten every cleo
ton for the past ten years. Take
them away now and the party would
never control another Congress Or
carry another general election
Clerk Mcpherson has had a hard
time satisfying the different State
delegations whose demands exceed
his resources. Then in addition to
this the old crowd who held office
under him before have all come back
except those who are dead. And
the overflow from the House cast
eager chances toward the Senate,
where the corpulent form of Judge
Davis alone stands between them
and the seventy or. eighty positions
now held by Democrats under that
ibody. Even ex members Of Congress
are candidates for the privilege of
opening the doors which were once
opened for them. i
Aside from the avalanche of bills
dumped into the two Houses there
is little worth talking aboutin Con
gress as yet. Perhaps every con-
ceivable matter upon which Congress
has authority to legislate has been
thrown into the hopper already, and
the performance has but just begun.
1 notice plenty of Congressman 60
ing around with. pockets bullying
out, waiting their turn. Among the
mass already offered there are bills
to repeal taxes and to impose taxes,
to erect public buildings, improve
harbors and dig out the beds of riv-
ers, erect ~interoceanic canals, pro-
vide against epidemics, create addi-
tional executive Departments, to a.
mend the Constitution in several
particulars, grant pensions, and to
do or undo every possible thing that
the ingenuity or cupidfty of men
could suggest. A large number are
old acquaintance that have made
their appearance in Congress with
regularity for years past, and many
of them were presented in the last
4 Congress and failed for lack of mer.
it or lack of time to reach them
The adjournment of the present Con
gress will find these bills suspended
hin the same manner and for the same
reasons, but their familiar faces will
doubtless be found OF the calendars
lof the succeeding Congress. New
members always introduce the great
Z est number o fmeasures because they
generally imagine that their future
Importance is determined by the in.
genuity displayed in this direction
: at the start.
Senator Logan's bill to place the
great American beggar, Grant, Oh
the retired list of the Army viii pro
badly pass the Senate, but 1 doubt
if it gets through the House. Sena.
tor Edmunds' 500, 900 bill providing
for the payment Of the expenses at
tending the illness and funeral Of
, President Garfield will pass. both
houses. 1t was generally believed
that this amount would not be suf
/ ficient to cover all demands, but
doubtless the Senator has made q
correct estimate, based upon infor.
nation. The bill offered by Repre-.
sentative Hewitt of Alabama, in the
House, to amend the arrears of pen.
sion act, ought to pass. The effect
Eofit would be to cut off the arearages
for the time intervening between the
date of discharge and the time of fill.
ing the claims in the thousands OF
cases now pending. President Ar.
: thur states in his message that it
) will take $235, 100000 to settle the
$4,000 pending claims, and it is es.
timated that Mr.. Hewitt's bill would
save 5000, 000, 1000 of this. One OF
the novelties comes from Mr.. Phelps,
Of Connecticut, who wants authority
given the President to appoint a com.
mission of three colored persons to
Inquire into the intellectual condition
of the colored people of the Southern
States, their needs and what, if any
thing, can be done by the Federal
lGovernment for thei- relief.
We are promised some new devel
opments in the Star Route frauds
1t is stated that within a few days
there will be made public a remark
able report on the straw bond sys.
tenn that prevailed under Gen. Brady
and under which the Government
lost heavily. AS to the Philadelphia
! cases it is understood that certain
persons who were behind the osten
sible contractors will indemnify the
: Government for losses sustained
| rather than risk criminal prosecution
Mr.. Dorsey is reported to W a ranch
of great value, but it is believed thai
he is under such heavy pecuniary
obligations to James Bosler, ex-In