The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

and the exchange of pleasant greet
ings, comparison of notes about last
falls campaign and other subjects
kept up perfect buzz of conversa-
ton in the chambers. As usual on
the first day of opening. every one APP
peared in lively humor. The cham
bers with their handsome new carpets
lately laid, and chairs and desks re-
Gently vanished wore a dazzling APP
pearance. Many of the members
desks, especially on the house side,
were decorated with beautiful punches
of flowers, arranged by the fair hands
of
FEMALE ADMIRERS.
| There were more desks ornamented
on the Republican than on the Demo-
cratic side; their friends knew that they
needed consolation in their disastrous
defeat. The Democrats were jubilant
and showed a strong disposition to
discuss the late election, but the mat
ter was seldom first spoken of by their
friends of the other side. Senator
Voorhees, was the favorite among the
senderS of the bouquets. He had no
less than three on his desk. The pref
| tiest was mammoth horse shoe, COM
pOoCu VI ldlC HO"Clcs AhSAS
was, also, a large bouquet
and a handsome collection of flowers
inclosed in fine straw made into the
shapeo shock of wheat. Mr.. Logan's
desk was almost covered in bank OF
flowers. having his initials in blue set
in a surrounding of white flowers.
Senators Ingalls, and Lapham were
also the recipients of tributes of this
kind. In the senate, Immediately after
the prayer, the usual committee to
wait on the ''house" and president was
appointed. Business was then pro-
ceeded with in its proper order, the
some time custom of taking a short
recess after the appointment of the
committees, that the solemn senators
might employ the time for hand-shak-
ing, being omitted. This was a
manifestation of the business
spirit with which congress
meets, the all prevailing idea being
that every moment must be utilized.
After disposing of documents on the
vice presidents table the senate pro-
ceeded to the consideration of bills on
the calendar, under the Anthony rule.
In all the history of senate proceed
ings seldom has such promptness been
displayed in getting down to the work
of the session.
The same celebrity was shown in the
house and doubtless the late warning
from the people that they wanted
work and not fooliShneSS done in
| Washington was the cause of this
uncommon display of business snap
on the part of the congressman. The
TEXAS SENATOR'S
were both at their desks promptly and
Mr.. Coke looked hale and hearty, ap-
parently all the better for the hard
campaign just finished.
In the house the new members
were sworn in and before
the hour of adjournment for
the day vast number of new bills
were introduced, whereas at the last
session the entire first day was wasted
in jollity and fOoliShneSS. The preSi-
| dents message was read in both
houses. President Arthur expresses "a
strong desire to have the star route
thieves punished, and says that the
prosecution against them shall be
pushed with the utmost vigor. 1t is
the opinion of many leading men that
an extra session will have to be called
by the president, for there is an i'm
mense amount of work to be done; if
any thing, more than last year, and
three months time will be entirely in
adequate. Besides it is expected that
great deal of partyism will be dis
played, especially by the Radical MEM
beers of the senate.
THE GORHAM VENILE,
Long the editor of the National
Republican of this city, is making
strenuous efforts to become secretary
of the senate. The Republican is one
of the most Yindictive party papers in
the country, it is not only opposed to
the best elements of its Ownparty but
is steadily engaged in villifying the
baniShed Republicans, simply because
they have the audacity to oppose the
political views of the editor. Blaine
has always been an object of attack
from him, and during the entire sum-
mer he has INDUCED in coarse and
violent assaults upon the eX-Secretary,
and even went so far, several times,
us to read him out of the party for not
aiding bossism in New York and
Philadelphia, and for not recognizing
the tyrannieal little liberal tyrant in
Virginia. Gorham's views are
disgusting to the majority
of the Republican senators,
and it is extremely doubtful if he
will gain the seat that he now so con-
fidently boasts of. Several senators
have already declared their opposition
to him and have stated that they knew
the majority of the members of that
party would vote him down, for the
exponent of the very principles that
caused Republican defeat in the last
campaign. Gorham has been secre-
tary of the senate once before, but it
is pretty certain that he has held that
soft seat for the last time.
THE RoTUND ROBSON,
of New Jersey, showed no disposition
to be prominent at tO-day'S sitting.
Under the Keifer regime last winter
he made himself conspicuous on all
occasions, dipping his grating oratory
into all debates and showing thirsty
ambition to interfere with the
bills of Democratic members. In
this he was sustained by
Keifer. A notable instance of the
mean. meddling nature of Robson
was last winter when the contested
election cases were before the house.
When a southern member arose to
speak in self defense Robson made it
point to stand and continually cry
"order" so as to destroy the effect OF
the speaking. But he is at last handed
over to private life and while the de-
bates in the house were in progress,
to-day, he sat calmly in his seat, not
once rising to speak. Not more than
one-half of the senators or REPRESENTA-
tives were in their seats the first day,
and the published list in the afternoon
papers show much smaller number
than at the opening last year. The
remnants of the
GARFIELD FAIR
still crowd the capitol building and
sometimesit was almost impossible to
move from the house to the senate
side on account of the army of labor
ers moving about and the piles of
lumber, boxes, paintings, etc, it will
be several days yet before the halls are
entirely cleared. The fair has not
been much of a success, and did not
enthuse the city people worth a
cent"
Only three of the Texas delegation
Mills, Wash Jones and UpSon-were
in the city this afternoon. Mr.. Jones,
his wife and three nieces are stopping
at Wizards hotel. Many of the friends
of Congressman CulbertSon were in
curing for him this evening, it being
announced in the papers that he was
in the city,.
The Texas delegation is considered
the ablest in congress, being even su-
perior to the delegation from Ken
lucky. The record made by the states
representatives last winter and in the