The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1882-04-01
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, ID. G., March goth, 1882.
With the passage of the anti Chinese bill and
,he antipolygamy bill two very important and
exceedingly troublesome questions take them
selves out Of the way, for a time at least, so
far as Congress is concerned. The Chinese bill
was really Democratic measure, and had the
support of nearly every Democratic Senator
and Representative, though one of the most
effective speeches in its favor was made by
Republican Senator, Jones, of Nevada. Difficult
as the question is to deal with, there is no doubt
that the present measure is approved by vast
majority of the American people, and that it
contains no rea! infracton Of the spirit of our
institutions. 1t is certainly hard to reconcile
the position of those ultra protectionsts who
insist upon high tariff to "protect American
labor and still vote to admit to our shores
swarms of Chinese who are the most sklful and
cunning of all laborers. Bet as Mr.. Jones put
it, at is not the American laborer but the lord
ly manufacturing capitalist who is to be protect
ed as against the European capitalist, and who
is to sell everything he has to sell in an Ameri
can market where other capitalists are driven
out from competition with him, while he buys
that which he has to buy-the labor of men-in
| the open market and demands for himself the
broadest free trade ? the labOrer, however. is
compelled to buy from his capitalist employer
in protective market"
On the anti-polygamy bill the Democrats
we're placed in somewhat false position, for
while they appeared to be fighting the bill they
were almost to a man heartily opposed to
Mormonism, but fighting for certain underlying
principles which the bill as it stood seemed to
violate. There was no question on either side
of the House about the propriety OF bill for
crushing out polygamy. The only question was
whether the bill as passed by the Senate, would
accomplish that object, and whether certain
provisions of this did not provide a remedy
which was worse than the disease. Many
Democrats thought that the precedent of inter-
fering with the right Of suffrage at the polls,
when the voter bad notbeen tried and convicted
of any crime, was 80 dangerous that they could
not bring themselves to vote for the measure.
Among these Democrats were Belmont and
Hewitt of New York, and a number of others
equally prominent But teey all stood ready to
vote for any measure whish would effect the
abolition Of polygamy without impairing the
| fundamental rights of citizens in other parts Of
the country. The majority of them did finally
vote for this one rather than be misrepresented
on the question.
The Garfield Chass~i etter is still discussed
hs.o. and there = considerable diifesS
of opIScS Aotive underlying its p0bli-
cation se inns time. II was at first said to be
brought out in the interest of Gen. Fitz John
Porter, and then that the purpose was to dam
age Gen. Rosecrans' chances for the chairman
ship of the Democratic Congressional Commit
tee but these theories we're too far-fetched, and
lacked the FIRST elements of probability. Further
consideration led to more general conclusion
that some other and deeper object must have
been at the bottom of the matter The letter
was marked confidential was of the most pri-
vate and personal character. and must have
been among the papers of the late Chief Justice
Chase, which came into The possession of his
eldest daughter, Mrs. Sprague. When this idea
got started everybody said, ''Oh Mrs. Sprague
must have given the letter to COnkling! And
the publication was unquestionably for the pur-
pose of throwing odium on the memory OF Its
dead writer. for whose character ex-senator
Roscoe entertains what be believes TO be lofty
, contempt. He wants to pursue vengeance be-
} yond the grave, partly for self-vindication and
partly in the hope of inficting some injury on
Garfeld's political friends and Eexecutors.'
+ This theory is not much disturbed by the
admission of Mr.. Jacob Schuckers that he
, gave out the letter. He was once q friend Ol
| Judge Chase, clerk 10 the Treasury here. and
is reported to be identified with Conkling'
! friends in New York. But whatever the truth
. of this may be, if the motive which led to the
|, publication was to blot the memory of Garfield
and to advantage his political enemies, the indi
cations are that the shot will fall far short of tn
!, mark. Garfelds course as President and th'
pathetic manner of his death endeared him tf
the people of this country and cast a mantle
= over any frailties be may have possessed. Th'
mind of the country is settled about him, ant
> attempts to change it by any such means as thi
will react upon their authors, whoever they are
> Every observer at the Capitol can not fail +
notice that there is something touching and al
most awe-inspiring in the sudden hush that fall
i on the otherwise disorderly House of Represen
y tatives when the venerable Alexander Fl. Steven
= makes one of bis rare and powerful addresses t
y it. Such tribute of deep and respectful atter
:, ton is perhaps never accorded to any othe
c member. When that shrill, strange voice
heard, the laugh and jest die away even to tn
r remote corners where small knots of member
!, are hayiug their little jokes, cigars 60 ou
y while the distracted smokers are intent o
"a listening, and one by one gentlemen in the rea
y rows come tip-toeng down the aisles to e
le nearer to that invalid chair which is wheelin
&c nervously first to one side and then to the otht
~ in the little semi-circuar space before tt
'e speakers desk. and before the fery-eyed lit
gray haired orator has finished crowd ht
gathered about him respectfully attentive, al
silent as they never are at any other time, 1t
= plain from the aspect of the House at sut
x times that the big soul within this little pai
- I, racked body is impressing itself more strong
ia on every hearer than whole session of ia
from almost any other. PHoNo.
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