The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-01-13
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Jan. 9. 1882.


WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 9, 1882.
Congress re-assembled on Thursday
last, with quorum in both houses.
There is dissatisfaction in the House
in respect to the committee appoint
ments by Speaker Keifer. Some mem
bers who had been expecting import
ant places on committees seem to feel
aggrieyed because their wishes were
not respected. Mr.. Ortiz, member from
Indiana, made a long complaint, be-
cause he had been ignored by the
Speaker. He evidently thinks he
should have been assigned the chair
manship of Committee on Foreign
Affairs, which was awarded to Will
liams of Wisconsin. Some members
expressed themselves in favor of
changing the method of allowing the
Speaker to appoint the committees. 1t
is not probable any such change will
be made; the appointment of commit
tees has been the admitted preroga-
tive of presiding officers of legislative
bodies, State and National. The house,
after a short session. adjourned over
to Monday.
In the Senate a strong hostility to
railroads, as at present managed, has
been developed. A large number of
bills have been offered to regulate
railroad traffic, exorbitant charges, &c.
Also many petitions asking Govern
ment to take charge Of the railroads.
This general movement on railroads,
SO early in the season means business.
But it is hardly to be presumed that in
all this proposed railroad legislation
there is any intent to cripplelthe legiti-
mate business of the roads. Probably
it is only the alleged abuses which are
aimed at, and of this the people will
not complain. Fl is said more miles of
new railroad have been in progress of
construction the past year than dur
ing any preceding year. The great
west is being marvelously developed
by new railroad facilities. Any legis-
latiOn calculated to retard the building
of railroads would be unwise.
But there is matter pertaining to
railroads which deserves serious at
tention. These corporations have be-
come vast moneyed interests, and there
is danger of their gaining a controlling
power of the Government. 1t is well
to guard against gigantic monopolies
before they acquire complete ascen-
dancy over the country. Proper legis-
lation is imperatively demadded to fix
limitations to combinations of power,
and to provide safeguards for the peo-
pie.
WINTER SEASON GAYETIEs IN WASH
INGTON.
The winter seasons in Washington
have for years been proverbial for
gayety and Expensive entertainments.
1t is said there will be fewer costly
parties given the present winter than
formerly; not that the passion for
such pleasurable gathering has abated,
but for the reason the times require
abridgment of family expenses. There
are a large number of residents in
Washington who located here, having
retired from active business. They
belong to the moderately wealthy
classes, deriving their income from
Government stocks and other securi-
ties. These investments were once
deemed amply sufficient to assure a
comfortable living. But there has
been change not anticipated few
years ago. Had it been predicted
that the interest on Government bonds
would fall to as low per cent as now,
it would have been regarded altogether
improbable. There has also been a
like falling off in the productiveness of
many other securities. These facts,
taken in connection with the increased
costs of living, are equivalent to re-
duction of about one-half of the in
come of many families. Washington
can we'll afford to stand the loss of one
half of it's festive amusements, with
still enough remaining to satisfy all
rational lovers of pleasure. There
will continue, as heretofore, extraya-
CANT expenditures for sumptuous enter
tainments. 1t has frequently come to
pass that an evening party given by
private family has cost sum sufficient
to furnish from one to two hundred
poverty-stricken, ragged children with
new suit of clothing.
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS THEIR
oLD-TIME OCCUPATION GONE.
There was a time when newspapers
published at distance from the
National Capital were dependent on
correspondents at Washington for the
latest congressional and other news.
The stage coaches carried the mails
over roads, often muddy and difficult
to travel; on their arrival at the far
off towns and cities the people fiocked
to the post offices to obtain the latest
intelligence, by letters, or from news
papers of recent date, printed in Wash
ington. More than week was re-
quiredlto transmit thelmail from Wash
ington to Kenosha, Racine, or Milwau
kee. A marvellous change has come.
The stage coach, for the conveyance of
the mails, has been superseded by
lightning currents. Even with the
rapid transit Of late attained by the
railways now carrying the mails, let
tiers detailing the proceedings in Con-
gress are old news by the time they
are printed in Wisconsin weekly
paper. In the matter of news, it is
natural for every person to prefer to
be the first to tell it. Inasmuch as
letters written for the press cannot be
the first to impart the news of general
interest they must content themselves
with briefly reviewing what has been
done. Thirty-five years ago Wiscon-
sin and the great Northwest received
their mail matter moved by horse
power. A few years later railroads
came into use, which greatly acceler-
ated the speed of the mails; and last
came the magnetic telegraph, which an
initiated distances. The old-time vo-
cation of letter writers for the press,
once so indispensable for the transmits
sion of the latest news, is gone for
ever. In these days letters written
from Washington for the newspapers
do not pretend to give the latest in
formation of public events. They
mostly indulge in comments and criti-
cisms on what has already been spread
broadcast all over the country.
WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN ASSOCIATION
IN WASHINGTON.
The organization in this city known
- &l,o yU;coo11;, DoppI1iaoY, Accnaio