The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-16
S u p p l. E NJ f n 7
Saturday. December rs, 1882.
Washington Letter.
Irregular cOrrespondeIce.)

w hchANoho2NS ~ ~ DSS' - ASS~'
On last Saturday was witnessed an IN
usual spectacle at the United States Capt.
toll; both houses of Congress we're IN ses-
sion throughout the day. The memory of
the oldest chronicler runs not to the con-
trary that Congress has always adjourned
over the first Saturday of the first week Of
the session. The fact that neither house
took the accustomed Saturday holiday Is
understood to mean that the house "means
business" Indeed, the activity of Con-
gress during the first week of the session
is matter of general comment The In.
dian appropriation bill and the consular
and diplomatic bill have been passed. The
post office and pension bills, 1t Is thought,
Will be passed this week, and that the army
and naval bills may be pushed through
before Christmas. Several other appro-
priatlon bills are ready to be reported.
Civil service reform measures, involving
the most radical changes, are urged by
Republicans who, until yesterday, were
ready to declare, with Senator Morton,
that we had "the best civil service on the
planet" Bills reducing taxation and re.
vising the tariff and reducingipostage on
sealed letters to two cents, have been in
troduced, or are in preparation, and alto.
gether it looks as though this Congress
that has wasted Its youth and lus'y man.
hood, will now devote Its eleventh hour
remnant TO work. OF course every one
knows the cause of this galvanic activity
as we'll as he knows that death. bed repent
ance is not vicarious for wicked, waste
tul life, at least not in politics.
A busy week in the Senate was closed
by rafting debate on Senator Beck's
resolution to enquire into the assessments
of Jay Hubbell. Senator Voorhees, opened
the engagement by vigorous attack on
the traditional policy oil the Republican
party, as shown in the methods of ex-
Senator Dorsey and Hubbell. Senator
Hale, of Maine, the son.ln law and heir of
Zachariah Chandler. replied, stating that
the Democrats had raised an immense
election fund from saloon-keepers under
the threat that their licenses would be re-
voked unless they paid. He said that the
Democratic campaign committee was not
so impecunious as the Senator from Indi
ana had been led to believe. Mr.. Beck
SAID that if the Senator desired al investi-
CATION of the action of the liquor dealers,
or the national banks, or the Bessemer
steel makers, or any other great interest in
connection with either party, he would
vote for 1t as separate proposition, but he
did not wish to see that question used to
avoid the Investigation he proposed. If
that investigation should be ordered he
would make the proof so strong of the
outrages inflicted upon government en-
ployes that the system Of political assess
ments would be made odlous even b the
other side. 1t could be shown that men
and women had been ousted from their
places IN the departments whose failure to
contribute was due to absolute inability,
and that in some instances Democratic
friends had given them money to pay these
assessments, SO that they might be saved
from starvation. Mr.. Hale's charges makes
the saloon. keepers more timrd and sim
pie sort Of folk than they have heretofore
been supposed to be. And to give his
you are.another" argument any point, he
would have to show that the saloon'keepers
held their saloons by favor of the Demo-
cratic Campaign Committee, and could be
assessed and discharged like government
clerk. II is known that hundreds of thou.
sands-it may he mlllIons-of dollars were
raised by the Republicans IN 1880, from
the corporations that have tattened on the
legislative iavors of the Republican party.
II is knewn that 100000 was used by
Dorsey, of star.route infamy, to buy sin
Gle state for Garfield. Mr.. Hale might be
informed that the present president, by his
after dinner reference to Dorsey and soap"
admitted more than Mr. Hale denies.
President Arthur is to all appearances
the least discounted man in the party. he
Is the picture of "boundless self-conient."
The earthquake IN November did not ex-
cite him in the least. Las! Tuesday he gave
a dinner to Governor.elect Butler, of Mas
sachusetts. Mr. Arthur has always had a
forduess for General Butler, and the little
dinner was pleasant one. Later IN the
evening the President, in faultless dress
suit with white tic and lilac gloves, &C
compaDied by his son and daughter, was
III box at the National Theatre watching
Madame Modjeska IN tights as RosalInd.
The President seemed to be ANXIOUS that
his little daughter should understand the
play, and she appeared to make brave