Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-06-22
Atnlat9atitI Northwest.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IffOH olr R'9rIs'' !, g g'fs'pe's.s',l -,

wAsHMeroN, d. O.. June ls. 1854
In the minds of those Congressman
who have an idea above and beyond po-
litical turmoil and the spoils Of Office
there are just now serious reflections
concerning the strikes 50 prevalent over
the country and the vari0us aspects OF
the conflict between capital and labor.
The proportions Of the present strike are
already sufficient to cause solicitude, and
so complete is the organization OF trades
union that those familiar with the SUBJ
jeot contend that hundred thousand
men in many different trades may still be
moved to strike simultaneously or IN
platoons. IL is the belief Of some well
Informed men that over-production and
the continued deprivation of foreign
markets will, before next December
cause the stoppage of many industrial
works; and that the suffering and discon'
tent entailed thereby will end seriously
to incraese the feeling of dissatisfaction
among operatives everywhere. The first
question is not whether these strikes are
proper remedies, or who will suffer most
by them. Undoubtedly the strikers get
the worst of it, and it may be that work
ingmen will learn in time that it does
not pay to cut off ones nose to spite his
face and that some of the arbitrary feat
ures of their unions could be profitably
eliminated. But the real question for
Legislators to first consider is: "What are
the causes leading to this condition of
things?"
The republican majority in Congress
has so far entirely neglected to reduce
the burdens of tdxation or preform our
unequal tax system. A glance at the
situation shows that nearly $3.50, 900, ,000:a
year are collected from the people more
than the Government has need for. Mon
opolies, burdensome to may industries,
arc continued in the face of exposures
which are read by the people all over the
country, and eagerly read When Mr..
Hewitt proved the other day from official
documents that a Pennsylvania Bessemer
steel company had made dividend of
seventy-seven per cent and had left over
and above that surplus Of 1876 perl cent
on their capital stock Congressman lis
tened to him with languid interest. But
let them not suppose the workingmen
and farmers do not read it eagerly and
talk it over among themselves. None of
the propositions entertained by the Ways
and Means Committee for looping off
internal taxes have offered any material
relief where it is most needed. Mr..
Kelley proposed to remove the tax on
bank capital and bank checks; but what
good would that do the laboring people
whose every article of domestic consump-
tion is taxed in the interest of some cor
poration or capitalist? The party caucus
has finally decided that it would not be
good policy, in view Of the coming
Congressional elections, to remove the
tax on bank capital. whole tendency
of the Republican party is in favor of
monopolies and capitalists against the
common people, and the sooner the
aggrieved workingmen find out that they
can not serve their own interest by sup
porting every bugbear of protection
brought forward to catch their votes,
the sooner will they stand some show OF
relief from the illsentailedupon them by
the extravagance and unjustice OF the
Republican party. 8Ha8
The old Jumel property on Washington
Heights, now being sold under the ham
mer. is associated with our National his
tory in SO many ways that the reminis-
cences are of even greater interest here
than New York or anywhere else. The
Jumel Mansion is. in point of historic In
terest, without a rival in this country.
1t was built in 1738 by Roger Morris, the
husband Of the fair maiden who said
ssno'' SO decidedly to General Washington.
Around this mansion. which commands
a view of Harlem Review and Long
Island Sound, were fought several OF the
Revolutionary battles, notably that Of the
Crossed Keys Inn, when five hundred
Hessians were slain. many of our
American heroes, Talleyrand, Lafayette,
Joseph and Louis Bonaparte, have been
sheltered beneath list roof. After it came
into the possession of the wealthy
Frenchman Washington made it his
Headquarters for several months, and
Aron Burr would have stayed there as
long as Madame Jumeps money lasted,
only Madame finding that her fascinating
second husband married her estate and
not herself, separated from the gay,
deceiving Colonel after 2 six weeks
honeymoon of 3equivocal sweetness.
However, Burr managed in that short
period to spend 100000 of her money in
furthering his Mexican and otherschem
Madame was a Rhode Islander by birth
Miss Polly Bowen, handsome, accom-
plished and entertaining. She was re-
celveQ WIN nOnor Nv tiic Coukt VI Louls
XVIII and also at that of Charles K.
Many valuable pieces of furniture and
pictures have remained in the house
until recently. In the parlor, where
occurred the short.lived marriage be-
tween the rich widow and the would-be
squandererof her fortune, hung a large
portrait of the Madame and small
picture of Aaron Burr showing his head
and shoulders. In one corner Of the
sparior stood heavy black leather trunk,
once the property Of Napoleon / and
presented to the Madame by General
Bertrand. The trunk bears the tradition
of having accompanied Bonaparte to
Moscow and of showing marks of bullets.
Massive sideboards over three hundred
years old, quaint and beavyold silver, a
clock long past its two hundredth
birthday, solid ebony chamber furniture,
chandelier once the property Of General
Moreau, and other objects of interest to
the collector Of things old and historic
are among the relics. Alexander Hamil-
toms property adjoined this estate and
the tomb of Audubon is not very far
distant, in Trinity Cemetery. PHoNo.
A Word Of Caution.