Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-30
CAPITAL GLEANlNGS.
THE RETURN OF THE OLD
GUARD.
A Memorable Christmas-RobesOn
I'm ClOver-A Jolly Reign of Job
berry FOreshadOwed-T1r OfGrant
The Bee fn LOgan,s Bonnet
Slim Chances for Tariff Reform.

WASHINGTON, December e6.-To-day is Mon
day. Yesterday was Christmas day. but the
date under which write is the one that is OBJ
served as Christmas. All Of the departments
and all business houses are closed to-day.
Yesterday the churches were crowded To-day
if services were held they would be crowded
There is hardly person to be seen on the
streets. The gray sky which predicts rain may
have something 20 do with the desertion Of the
streets, but the people are keeping their houses
to-day. and there is nothing stirring. The
present has been by far the brightest Christ
mas that Washington has known for many
years. The Lord has dealt very well with the
people of Washington during the past year.
There have been very few discharges, COM
paratively, In the public offices. and the trade
Of the butcher, the baker and the candlestick
maker has been above the average. The only
thing that tended to mar an unusually brilliant
Christmas was the fact that the gov
ernment employees were not, as usual,
paid off before Christmas. But that
was not much of drawback.
The clerks had resources where they could
borrow at a big rate of interest. and they
availed themselves of the resource. 1t cost
them little more to celebrate Christmas, but
they celebrated it all the same. Ihave noticed
this Christmas very few drunken men on the
streets. There are plenty Of them who have
are thought of, who are drunk. Taking it all in
all, this has BEEN an exceptionally brilliant
Christmas for this latitude.
THE OLD CROWD.
Robson played large hand in making up
the committees of the House. He put himself
second on the Committee on Appropriations,
and second on the Naval Committee. He also
shaped the composition of those committees
so that the old crowd of Robeson strikers and
contractors will have full swing when any big
appropriations for building up the navy are
made Robeson has so shaped the commit
tees of the House that the old ring is very
hopeful Of a return Of those good old days"
and do not hesitate to SO announce them
selves. The proposed building up of the navy
Is being daily surrounded by additional ele-
ments which carry with them mistrust. 1t is
somewhat doubtful under the existing circum-
stances 1t the appropriation which the navy
needs to start it on an efficient basis will be
granted.
robson TO GET EVEN
There are in the Navy Department in promI-
nent places a number of officers of the navy
who were prominent in giving information
which led to Robson having the public ban of
official dishonesty put upon him. These gem
tlemen are much disconnected at the big hand
TheS TRSh see S0PsS0n h@ the Leading dEs Pht Payn 81
the Republican party in the House, aad in
close communion with President arthur and
the stalwart leaders. They think that these
circumstances foretells their fate. They fully
expect to be relieved from their present easy
positions. Robeson will doubtless see that
they are. He Is revengetul and vindictive. He
saw that in making up the House committees
Speaker Keller degraded to the most minor
place General Whitthorne, of Tennessee, who
first unearthed Robson, and he will doubtless
see that all others who were against the Robe
son stealngs are similarly dealt with: Robe
son is power with the present administration
GRANT.
gentleman and a politician-it may seem
strange to have these two generic terms con-
nected-today told the NEWS man that the bill
to place Grant on the retired list would at least
pass the Senate He gave me the information
that Logsn and his crowd had received assur-
ances from Giant that he would retire forever
from politics If he should be placed
on the retired list of the army. Logan
ct al, are somewhat tired of the Grant yoke in
politics and are very anxious to be relieved
tnerefrom. They have ambitions themselves
politically and do not want to be forever bound
to Grant. In view OF Grants promise they
passage Of the bill to put their boss upon the
retired list. They want to get rid of their old
man of the sea. 1t is hinted that Logan, who
is the deadly foe of Lindley Murray, although
the latter Is deceased, has the Presidential itch
very badly and has hopes that he will be the
stalwart nominee in 1884.
THE TARIFF.
II the Morrill, tariff commission bill passes
the Senate it will not pass the House. The
Garland commission bill meets with the
greatest favor in both houses. The only thing
that the high tariff men can do when the Nor
rill bill is defe4ted Is to secure the defeat of
the Garland bill and leave the matter just as it
is. This seems to be the plan which
they will pursue. Unable to carry the
method which they have been
forced to adopt in the public demand
for new tariff, they will endeavor to defeat
any measure which at all comes up to that de-
mand. 1t looks now as If they would be sue
cessful unless the tariff revisionists are very
alert and active. The impression among the
during the present session of anything being
done with the tariff Potomac.