The daily gazette., 1882-11-18
WASHINGTON LETTER:
PREPARING FOR THE wINTER
SESSION..
SOME DEPARTING STATESMEN.
Red-Faced Kobber Robeson--nfnhonc'&
Frnitless Political Predfa~
tions--The Washington Monument.
: tspectal correspondence Of The Gazette. !

- Especial correspondence OF the Gagette.l
WASHINGTON, Nov.17.-Two weeks heneaI
the streets of the capital will be enlivened BY.
the presence of our returning eolons. As .
body the. members of the present House Of
Representatives who come back to finish
the remnant OF their terms, are not likely to
be very cheerful lot Many OF them Will
be here In form, while their political re-
mains lie buried In various parts Of the
country. Only 146 of them have been re-
slsssea iGl shf psH @ H6s HSHssf sfrns d eaa$p
Of the latter are Robson, Of New
Jersey, who snapped his ingers on
the floor of the House, IN the face
Of those who questioned his
course, and asked what they were going TO
do about 1t; and Page of California, whe
fathered the River and Harbor bill. Robe
son never dreamed of defeat. He had JUST
purchased new residence here, and wax
preparing TO assume his poaition as "boss,,
OF the House in fine style. He was In town
last week, and l saw him driving up Penn
fylvania avenue in stylish tounout, his
face as red as spanked baby. That big
appropriation for 'new navy" to be con
structed under themanipulation of Robesou
and Bill Chandler will hardly be put through
this winter, and 1t is doubtful whether therk
will be any River and Harbor bill
Congress win find plenty of unfinished
business waiting for it when it assemblies.
All that was left over Of last session viii be I
waiting for 1t, and 1t is likely that the three
weeks before holidays usually wasted Ia
hobnobbing and squabbing will be three
working weeks. OF the 293 clerks In the
House of Representatives there Is but one
Democrat, and he was the only one who
refused to pay his assessment. Speaking
Of assessments, it seems that the storm
which has been raised over Jay Hubbeli's
head is not likely to subsde, and II he does {
not respond to the demand from the CON
trlbutors for an exhibit, the matter inay be
taken up in the new Congress under cover
Of an examination into the Virginia
election. Malone, 1t is said, gbts S10U, 900
Of the 100000 raised, and evcn yhffen had
to resort to fraud to avert defeat,in all his
districts. Anyhow the government en-
ployees feel that Mahone's four or five Con-
gressmen and the election of 'Tbfir 'Ochtltree
in Texas, General Chalmers in Mississippi,
Kellogg in Louisiana, and MaGlneylin South {
Carolina, is mighty small getptp for all
their sacrifices and the exhibition of such
large fund. Some of the clerks are now
paying 10 per cent. month intei'est for tho
money borrowed TO meet Hbbbell,s de-
mands. large sum was sent:sto North
Carolina without much effort In producing
results.
There is great rejoicing all along the Re-
publican lines, even amid the ruins of their ,
be Democratic when the Democratic House
comes in. In other words a minorityof the
people will prevent the majority from chang
ing existing laws. Democrats cannot com
plain of this, for II is constitutional, it Is
nominated in the bond, but it is worth while,S
to note again the tendency of the Republic
can party TO e3ult iu any chance TO keep a
majority Of the people from controlling the
country. This was done outright In 1876,
and later was carried so far that when
usurpng minority Executive vetoed the acts
of Democratic Congress, not Republican
was found with courage enough TO utter q
word in condemnation Of such assaults on
the rights of the people. But speak
ing OF the next Congress, a great deal
Of talk is going on here about tho
Speakership and other offices of the new
House. In fact the canvass Is already as
accttve as though the organization was 10
be effected at once, instead of a year hence.
The friends of EX-Speaktr Randall feel con-
fdent, but upon an examination of the LIST
Of members elect, l should hardly conclude
that he could succeed. The Tariff question
will be the main issue, and Mr.. Carlisle or (
ex-senator Eaton would be nearer in accord
with the great majority Of Democrats ou
that question, and likely 10 make a broader y
organization of the committees. Both Sam
Cox and Frank Jlurd are said to be candl-
dates. Hurd and Morrison of Illinois were
sou Hutchins and ex-Congressman Martin
of Delaware have entered the lists for Clerk.
The Washington monument will be COM
pleted in time TO be dedicated by the Demo-
cratic President in 1884. 1t will be finished
TO the height of 3i2 feet before the first Of
December, when operations will be stopped
for the season. The stone cutting viii con y
| tinue, however, during the winter, and the
remaining EOS feet will be added by June,
1884. Several plans have been submitted
for the terrace that is to surround 1t. Tho
one which will probably be adapted Is 200
feet square, with two flights of steps, On
the four faces of the terrace will be four
plaques, designed and sculptured by Mr..
Larkin &. Mead. At first it was conten-
plated to put them on the four sides of. the
monument itself--a design which was hap
PLY abandoned It's II would have niarred the
severe beauty Of the shaft. No trivialties
in ornanlentstOn are 10 be tolerated in such
an obelisk, and none will be attempted.