The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-11-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


tant session beyond the fact that II was called
to I'll the gap between the single life of Presl-
dent Arthur and utter vacancy OF the Office.
Yet wthall the session furnished n consldern-
BILE amount of interest, short as 1t was. The
decision of the Democrats to elect the Presl.
ldent pro tenn. while they had n temporary
majority, was in itself the means of exciting
considerable political interest, and 1t provoked
a retalatory feeling among the Republieans,
that resulted 10 the election of Judge Davis.
Now that IL is all past and results only are
look at il is generally admitted, on both sides,
that some sort of a compromise by which one
candidate had been agreed upon would have
been better for both parties and generated
better feeling both In and out of the body. But
so long as the active principle of our politics is
the spoils of Office this sort of political wisdom
may not be looked for. Mere temporary sue
cess-to get, and, If possible, to hold, without
much regard to means-is the rule OF action.
Touching the appointments made and con-
frmed during the session 1t may be said that
for the most part President Arthur has been
simply administering upon the estate Of his
predecessor. The most important nominations
were those of Judge Folger to be Secretary of
the Treasury, Gen. James to succeed himself
as Postmaster General, and Mr.. Hatton to sue
ceed Mr.. Tyner as First Assistant Postmaster
General. Nearly If not quite all the other
nominations were appointments Of the late
President.
1t is now very generally believed here that
Judge Davis will in the future act with the
pnnuh1in Tbara lie douh bot ho
Democrats elected him President pro tenn,
they would have secured him beyond perad-
venture. But this in the past, and the Demo-
Gratis may as we'll face the fact that in all their
calculations for the future the big Senator from
Illinois must be counted as against them. Sew
eral of the Democratic Senators said on Satur-
day last that they would sooner have straight
out Republican in the chair than Judge Davis,
and If the Republicans brought in a motion in
December to elect one of their own number
they would make no opposition. But with the
vote of Judge Davis secured, the Republicans
have no incentive to attept change, and they
have plainly indicated this view. So far as the
officers of the Senate are concerned the Demo-
cratic incumbents have some reason to feel
easy, for Judge Davis has repeatedly expressed
himself as opposed to turning men out of office
unless for cause. He dined with the President
just before he left for home. When he comes
back he will make the appointment of keeper
of the Senate cook shop, for which nearly all
the restaurant keepers in town have been run
ming after him. The Republican party has
frequently furnished evidence that it is the
most compact and best disciplined organization
the country has had of late years. 1t rarely
makes mistake, from party standpoint.
When Judge Davis was elected President of
the Senate the Democrats did not feel so bad
and thought the Republicans had fooled them
selves-that when they most wanted his vote
they would not get 1t. But the record of the
session proves that the Republican, knew just
what they were about. On every political
question after his election Senator Davis either
voted with them or refrained from voting at
all which amounted to the same thing, and
his boasted indep pendence is no more.
The session of the Woman's National Tenn
perance Union just concluded here, was an in
teresting one and fruitful of pleasant Incidents
The most prominent and widest known figure
In it was Miss Susan B. Anthony, who is to-day
scarcely year older in appearance than she
was twenty years ago. Her hair is slightly
tlnged with grey but time seems to work
changes very slowly upon her calm, intelligent
face She appeared on the platform dressed
in black and wearing the gold spectacles which
have become so familiar in carcature. Next
to Miss Anthony Miss Frances e. Willard, the
President of the Union, is perhaps the best
knnVn ha iS ale IL,
point of ability, and probably first in womanly
qualities. Miss Clara Barton, who will be re-
membered for her services in the Army as
nurse and doctor, and Mrs. Woodbridge of
Ohio, the Secretary, were among the other
prominent ladies in attendance. The most
thrilling scene of the session was when Miss
Willard took the hand of her mother, who had
been brought there unknown to her, and in
trembling accents introduced her to the audi
ence as ''the dear heart that never failed me-"
She paid an eloquent tribute to the aged moth
er who stood beside her. The scene in the
church was remarkable; not an eye was dry
and many ladies actually cried aloud The
old lady thanked the Convention and then
kissed her daughter, whereupon there was a
fresh outburst of emotion.
Speaking of kissing, one would hardly ex-
pect to hear mnch of that sort of thing in a
Convention of rather strong-mnded women.
Yet there was good deal of it going on. At
one of the sessions Mrs. Morrison, delicate
looking lady from Indiana, rose to ''a question
of privilege" and ascending the platform said
she wanted to kiss Miss Anthony In the pres
ence of the American flag and of the picture of
Gen. Garfield, who in the proudest moment of
his life turned aside to kiss his wife and moth
er. Suiting the action to the word she gave