The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-03-03

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services rendered the
nation. By this act of justice he is
put on the pay roll. with the rank of
General during life. All patriotic
citizens will respond, amen.
The nomination of Mr.. Conkling by /
President Arthur as a Justice Of the |
Supreme Court took all the officials and |
unoficials by surprise. The President |
had not impaired the secret of his pur-
pose to more than two or three private
friends. The nomination of Mr.. |
Conkling, contrary to what might have
been expected, is received with decid-
ed favor by the leading Republican
presses of the country, also with many
strong endorsements on the Democrat
lc side. His eminent qualities as
statesman, his honesty, integrity and
devotion to the right, cannot be sue
cessfully controverted. That his pub
lie record is faultless will not be
claimed; but it is as nearly so as that
of any other public man who has so
long been prominently before the coun-
try. All fair-minded men will forgive
the one, and but one, great mistake of
his life, in resigning his seat in the u.
S. Senate.
Mr.. WILLIAMS AND THE JAPANESE
INDEMNITY FUND.
The report of Mr.. Williams, of Wis
consin, on the japanese Indemnity,
which was alluded to two weeks ago,
reached final action in the House. Mr..
Williams moved a suspension of the
rules, to take up the bill to restore to
Japan the sum of $1,77O, 1000, being the
principal, with accrued interest,
the original amount, as long ago
as 1864, Secretary Seward decided
the U. S. was in honor bound to pay
back to the Japanese Government.
Mr. Williams pressed the immediate
action OF the House on this long stand
ing obligation in few well-timed re-
marks. The bill passed without dis
senting vote, amid applause.
wAsHINGToN's DECENTRALIZATION
PRIATELY AND APPROPRIATELY
OBSERVED.
The chief event in Washington the
past week, as well as elsewhere, was
the occurrence of the 22d of February,
which is one of the legal holidays.
The motive which prompted the OBJ
seryance of this day was patriotic and
commendable, but the manner in
which it was commemorated here had
but little or no appropriateness to that
event. Had traveller from another
country been visitor, he probably
might not have seen or heard ANYTHING
to remind him that it was the celebra-
ton OF any particular event. There
were all sorts of gatherings of people.
The theaters and places of amusement
were thronged; the beer and LIQUOR
saloons, it is said, had more than
ordinary run of customers, the logical
outcome of which was that Judge
SHELLS Police Court was overcrowded
with culprits. Bands of music and
military companies marched and coun-
ter-marched, but such parades are so
common in the city, it led no one to
suppose all this had any reference to
the birthday of Washington.
There was, however, at least one
place in the city where the day was
commemorated in accordance with its
true design. A small company of old
men, some of them leaning on their
stats, and tottering with age, assem-
bled in the City Hall at II o'clock.
This is an organization known as the
/" Oldest Inhabitants Association"
1t has existed for years, undergoing
changes of membership; as some from
time to time drop out, and pass to the
unseen country, others from the oldest
inhabitants of the city step in and fill
the vacant places. Their average
number is kept yearly to about fifty.
1t is an interesting body of venerable
men to look upon. Some with snowy.
white hair, others bald, andlall bearing
the lineaments as having. passed the
allotted three score and ten. They
have retired from active business life,
and are lingering here awhile before
they go hence. Their distinguished
manner calls to mind the old Roman
Senate, as described by the historian.
when confronted in the Forum by the
King of the Gauls. One of the mem
bers was the chosen orator of the day:
his theme was the traits of character
and noble deeds of Washington. The
countenances of his aged hearers were
lighted with a glow of patriotism as
he discoursed on the achievements of
the Father of his Country.
And now the query arises, will the
old men of our country, half a CEN
fury hence, evince like devotion to
the memory of Washington? Or will
the deeds of our Revolutionary ances-
tors fade out as the years roll away?
GRAND PROJECT IN THE INTEREST OF
PEACE ON THE AMERICAN CONTI-
NENT.
Among the great mass of bills which
are continually being introduced in
the Senate and House, there is perhaps
hardly one in five hundred that con-
templates, on a broad basis, the well
fare of humanity in the great brother
hood of nations. Once in a long while
some member Of Congress rises supe-
rior to home interests alone, and takes
a wider view Of national obligations.
A measure of this kind has been
brought before the Senate by Mr.. Gull,
of Florida. A war, terribly disastrous,
has been raging the past year or more
between Chill and Peru, which threat
ems the total ACKNOWLEDGMENT of one of
these governments, as we'll as embroiI-
ing other Of the South American gov
ernments in the contest. Senator Gull
proposes the United States shall inter-
fere by taking steps for a congress. to