Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-20
fr.m our regular correspondents
WASHINGTON LETTER,
WashIngIon, y, @. Dee, 10. 'ss,

The agitation Of meashies ipf ie'e'
nue reduction Is bringing to Washing
ton three very powerfully reinforced
Hobbies, representing tho iron, whlskey
and tobacco Interests, Of course II Is
too early to predict what Is likely to be
done with any oflhese Interests, aud In
spite Of the evident purpose to deal
with the various subjects Il would be
safest perhaps to hazard tho opinion
that no appreelablc result will be
reached, simply from lack Of agree
ment, but representatives of all the
interests involved are here, TO say
nothing Of tho usual train Of camp
followers aud lobbyists, endeayoring 10
influence action their particular way
that i IN the way which will enable
them to pocket tho greatest amount OF
profit, The whlskcy interest want u
reduction of the tax, but they want an
extension Of the time for holding spir-
is IN bona great deal more, while
nothing short Of u complete wiping out
of the tax on tobacco will suit the rep.
rcsentation of that interest, The iron
lobbies will be perfectly willing to as
sist the whisky aud tobacco men in
making their points, but they will clio.
vate their voice the minute anything Is
said or done about cutting down the
tariff on the metal in which they opcr-
ate. They have organized for war
and they mean business, Meanwhile
those patriots about Washington who
are ready 10 help everybody to impress
their views upon Congress, for con.
sidcraiion, welcome the coming of all
these interests with money to spend.
The Republicans in Congress are
talking over the demands of Malone
and Riddlcbcrgcr, touching the organ
ization of the Senate next March.
These two worthless have served notice
that they propose to dictate who shall
hold the offices of that body, and some
of the more decent Republicans do not
take kindly to the demand. They
think the party has carried Malone
long enough and that it would be best
to unload even at the expense of per-
hitting the Democrats to organize the
Senate. The new Senate, which will
organize on the 9TH Of March, will he
queer body. 1t will almost certainly
be composed Of % Democrats, SO Re-
publicans and the two eadjusters"
above named. who will of course hold
the balance of power by virtue, of
which should they act Independent of
either caucus, they could practically
pane the President pro TEN, the Secre-
tary, and all other Offices and commit
tces-a great power for two such men
to exercise. And they are not modest,
honest lago. You can judge from
Mahone's assessment circulars that he
is not a shrinking, timid, bashful
young creature, but that lie is like the
widow Butlcr-hc knows what he
wants and is not afraid to ask for it.
Malone weighs only ninety pounds,
but he has got cheek enough for man
of five hundred. OF course he will
insist on George Gorham's election as
Secretary. Gorham has been Mahone's
Moses in the party and held the Ad-
ministration up to his support, allow
ing him full liberty to appoint and dis
miss in all the departments and to as
sess and bull-doze in the most arbitra-
ry manner. There is much opposition
in the Republican. ranks to Gorham,
and year ago he could not be elected
Secretary because certain Senators of
his own party declared they would not
vote for him. He did more than any
other one man to bring about the con-
dition of things that made the murder
of Garfield possible.
Nothing has occurred here to give
more gratifying evidence that the
judicial branch of our Government has
at last hidden farewell to sectionalism
and subordinated party and personal
prejudice to justice and patriotism, than
does the recent decision of the Supreme
Court in the suit Of the Lee heirs to
recover the Arlington estate, now
vast Union burying ground. The es-
-atc was sold by the Government dur
ing the war for non-payment of taxes.
Although the amount of the tax was
rendered the Tax Commissioners took
the ground that they would not receive
the amount from any one but the own
cr in person; and as the owner, Cen
eral Lee, was in command Of the Rebel
army, he could not or would not ap-
pear. The Court now holds that the
Commissioners had no right to impose
any condition, that they were bound to
accept payment of the taxes by whom
soevcr rendered, and that the sale Of
the property under these circumstances
was taking without compensation,
from which the Constitution protects
everybody not convicted of crime.
Four of the Judges-Waite, Gray,
Rradlev and Wood-dissent. Int their