The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-11-03
Washington Letter.
From onr Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. e.,

aUHNt tulCC VI" ~ 'o''
Material enough has been suggested
to President .Arthur by the dlslnter-
estcd gossips for three or four hrst-
class Cabinets, but somehow be has
not seen fit to let the selections De
made in this way. Evidently the
President has found what q difficult
picce OF work it is to construct Il po-
ii,icaI cdiGce chat shall coluport exact.
" with his own wishes while it also
meets the expectations Of the public
and satisfies the demands Of his own
party. There have been many con-
sultations at the Presidential residence
in which representatives of the stal
wart element are chiefly the partlcl-
pants. One Of the great difficulties
so far encountered, so am credibly
informed. is the desire ou the part of
the President to so arrange that Mr..
Conkling can come in after while.
The final declensiou of Ex-Governor
Morgan, nominated for Secretary Of
the Treasury, was a great dlSappoint-
mept.
In the course of the immense buSl
ness transacted by the Treasury De
partmert great many very cnrlous
and amusing things occur. The
public ut large have little idec of
the enormous correspondence re
ceived 10y the different Government
Departments, from all sorts and con-
ditions OF people, in all parts Of the
country. That received by the Treas
ury is probably the largest Of all.
Every now and then letters come IN
without signature aud containing
sums Of money which is ascrlbed
to "conscieucc'' aud credited to
a fund bearing that name Of course
there is DO means of knowing who
who these conscience stricken people
are who have at some time taken from
Uncle Sam that which did not belong
to them. aud finally restore it for
their peace Of mind. They olay be
ex.otiice. holders or contractors, or cit
izeus who have had unjust claims
allowed them. Not many days ago
an anonymous letter came from Gin
ciunati containing $500 in coupon
bonds and a small sum in Treasury
notes. Not word of explanation ac-
compauied the iuclosed and 1t is DOT
known what the object Of the sender
was, unless contribution to the COP
science fund" is intended. The
bonds we're cut and mutilated beyond
Identification except as to their
amount. As an illustration of the
fuzzy things that occur: 4 gentle
man residing III Chicago recently
wrote to his wife from New York to
forward some coupons to the Treasury
for redemption and to send the num-
bers to him. The faithful spouse
obeyed his request literally. The
coupons caue to the Treasury with
the numbers cut out and the officials
we're at a loss to understand it until i
letter came from the husband in New
York saying that his wife had careful
| ly cut them out and sent them to him,
iostead Of sending a memoranda Of
the numbers as he intended.
Last week a tall angular man Of
some sixty odd years came to town
from Ohio with $4,000 in six per
cent bonds for redemption, and be
made Rome howl with his demands
for gold. He went up to the Treas
ury and taking stand in the cash
room commenced the delivery Of a set
speech in favor Of paying gold for
bonds. When told that be could
have gold if he preferred it, but that he
| would ind Treasury checks or green
blcks more convenient, his worst
suspicious were aroused. lie had
paid gold for the bonds and wanted
gold in return. So the entire amount
was given him in yellow coin. 1t
weighed about sevcnty-fve pounds.
The old man sat down aud carefully
counted it over two or three times
and then slowed it away 10 an old
leather valisc. When, with this
strapped over his shoulder. be started
down the street staggering under the
load, an officer was sent after him to
see no harm came to him. On all
other subjects this old man appeared
sane and sensible enough, but upon
this point an hallucinatiou seemed to
have taken possession Of his mind.
He looked upon the Treasury officials
with suspicion, somewhat as did the
man down in Texas last summer who
having a nutilated $50 Treasury note
which be wished exchanged, refused
to send it until the uew one was for
warded. He wrote that he Was an
homes: uian aud could be depended
upon but Implied some doubt wheth-
er that vas case with Government
officials.
1t is stated that Congress is to be
made the arena for another battle of
the -pirils this winter The whisky
distillers are understood 70 be in read
mess for a fresh effort to get the tax
reduced from ninety to fifty cents per
gallon, and the brewers are intending
to appeal for change to an od 0alo:
rem tax ou malt. It is no unusual
thing for Congressman to wrestle with
this class of spirits. They are quite
familiar with them, as rule. But
there may be constitutional objections
to the majority of them voting on this
question, it being Legislation in which
they are personally interested.