Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-12-15
w AsHINGToN LETTER.
lFrOa ouT Rsgui0r cOrrspoadeat.l
WASHINGTON, ID. c. Dec. 8, 1881

lffOH oHr Regular C0rrepondenfl
wAsHISGroS, d. c. Dec. s, 1881.
While the Congressional clans have
been gathering and joining in the skir-
mish over the organization, things in the
political arena have been crystalizing.
The city is full Of politicians, Office seek
ers and schemers. And as the fog Of un-
certainty gradually lifts and disappears
the well-developed outlines Of our new
Administrations policy is plainly dis.
cernable. The plans and purposes OF the
Arthur reign are now pretty clearly un-
derstood by all observers OF political
events. As intimated some weeks ago.
it is complete Grant restoration. Gar
field and his policies are gone forever,
and there is now a stalwart revel in
Washington. There has been some ILL
concealed affectation about the depar.
ture, but it deceived nobody. Grant,
Conkling, Jones. Cameron and other rep
resentatives of the old guard at Chicago
are, and have been from the first, the
influences near the throne, and the fol-
lowers of Garfield are unbidden, The
Star Route thieves have felt the sunshine
that penetrated their gloomy retirement,
and they emerge from their hauntS in
defiant strength. The organs OF the
stalwarts which live on Washington
plunder, were so impatient of their re-
venge that they could not wait for the
funeral train to frown their defamation
upon the memory of Garfield. The Re-
pudiator and Confederate prodigal came
up from Virginia, and the fatted calf
was brought before him, and the spOils-
men swarmed from every point of the
compass to enjoy their patrimony.
The atmosphere of the Capitol is preg-
nant with the changed conditions and
the results of returning Republican con-
troll in all the branches of the Govern
ment. The session of Congress just open
ing is bound to be prolific of jobs, large
and small, and the presence of lobby
more numerous than has hung around
the hall of legislation for years, is al.
ready felt. During Democratic suprem-
acy in Congress the lobby had but little
show. All subsidies were stopped, and
appropriations cut down to the lowest
point. The wall that went up from
those who had previously fattened upon
''liberal appropriations" was heard on all
sides here, and the scheners prayed for
the return of Republican control. 1t has
come and with it will come renewal
of the hherality in appropriations which
was characteristic of the rule of that par
ty, The buzzards who scent the plumber
from afar, are already lowering around
Capitol hill. Southern patriots of the
old carpet-bag and scalawag sort are also
sure of the re.esCablishment of Grantism
IN Washington. A small segment of
them in Mississippi are SO sanguine that
the good old times of bayonet rule have
returned that they have determined to
make up Estate Government" of the
odds and ends defeated in the late elec-
tion and come on here for recognition. -
Some of the Northern organs which were
. loudest in denunciation of the Grant
methods in South Carolina and Louisiana
hail this as sign of the breaking of the
solid South"
in a former letter that President Arthur
was not IN earnest in his professed de-
sire to successfully prosecute the Star
route thieves. If any politically yerdant
reader has heretofore beliexed the con-
trary the depressing history of the prose-
cutions since Garfield's death must suf-
fee to undecieve him. Brady and Dor
sey have been the political chums of
Grant, Arthur and the present ruling dy-
nasty. They will never go to prison or
wear the stripes which will so become
.~em. Under any civilized administra
ton in Christendom the scandalous state
of things made public in Gibson's report
would be followed by energetic action on
the part of the authorities. But here we
see not only..the journals owned and edit
ed by the ring thieves pretending to
question the standing of the Govern
ment's agent while ignoring the facts he
produces, but newspapers throughout
the country, known to be in very close
relations with Arthur, echoing the
thieves and seeking to discredit the Gov
ernments agent. The prosecuting attor-
new for the District who is a friend of the
accused, and by many believed to have
been ''spgared" by them, openly shows
his sympathies against the cases and the
Acting Attorney General joins the thieves
in throwing official obstacles in the way
of Gibson's report reaching Congress. All
these obstacles in the way of Furnishing
this particular group of rogues are not
mere accidental incidents of a vigorously
prosecuted case. They arise from SYM
pathy and cooperation in quarters where
the very life of the peoples case is con
fided. When Grantism and it's creatures
are out of the way we may hope to see
no more covering up" of damaging
"trails" but until then triumphant rob-
berry is a spectacle public attention must
franuontlv dwell unon pHONO