Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-11-29
frsm our regular eorTssPeaaeR'
WASHINGTON LETTER,
Washington, u, g., Nov, g5th, 80,

lion Of all internal revenue laSes-ir
order 10 cut down revenue receipts ~
tho Interest Of tho protective tariff, 81
the meeting called to perfect thli
measure was adjourned over until after
Congress assemblies, There Il little
likelihood that q majority Of tho eom'
mIttee will over be brought TO favor
this proposition, Another reason why
the committee thought they could do
nothing In advance Of the session was
tho lack Of u report from our absurd
Tariff Commission, which has been
rambling about tho country all SUM
mcr Hence Judge Kelley aud his
hi colleagues Of the committee amused
themselves by chatting each other on
politics aud the results Of the late clcc-
tions, Wa, perhaps the whole thing
h very funny to those Congressman,
but Il Il not 10 amusing to the sOrcly
oppressed taSpaycrt, who want some
relief from the unreasonable imposts
they are compelled to pay-noi on
their whi,kcy, but upon the neccssarcs
of life, There isa memorable historic
portrait Of u Roman Emperor dddling
while Rome was In flames, to which
the lcyiiy aud inOction Of this Ways
aud Means Commiilea seems to give
fresh point Us an Illustrations
Speaking OF the Tariff Commission,
that illuslrouS body, aside from all the
ridiculc il hOs earned, stands fair
chance Of finding itself sutton before
an indifferent Congress for bill Of cx-
panscs neither provided for not con.
tcmplaIcd in the act creating it, Esii-
mates Of the expenses Of the hippo
drOmc outside Of salaries at $40 day
each, show that the average cost per
witness has been about $3.50, which
even the commission confess to be rath-
cr steep considering that several of the
members have been prominent in their
opinions TINT the witnesses generally
had nothing 10 offer in their testimony
OF the slightest importance. This av-
eragc has been helped materially by
items in the expense account of over
$4,000 for palacc-car accommodations
A deficiency will need to be reported
Tor these expenses. And then what do
We get for il all. After summering
for five weeks ut Long Branch and
makinga pleasure tour ''about seven
thousand miles long," through seven
agreeable cities to visit at public ex-
pensc, il is announced that the Com
mlssioners will report sin favor of
making the least possible number of
changes, and none of them important,
IN the present tariff" and that ''the
present probabilities indicate a post
ponemcnt of general tariff revision I'M
til the regular assemblage of the next
Congress in December, 1888. This is
all strictly in conformity to the origin
al "do nothing programme of the in
ventors of this ridiculous and costly
commission. The opinion prevails
here that the threatened shutting down
OF IRON manufacturers is n preconcertcd
movement to bull-dozc Congress into
letting the tariff alone, but if investi-
CATION proves this to be true the effect
will be very different from that intend
ed.
The second trial of the Star-route
conspirators is set down to begin early
next month, and if the government has
got rid of all the spies and tools of the
thieves in its employ, and if an honest
foreman of the jury is secured, perhaps
there may be better result this time.
Ex-senator Dorsey is back in town
looking ill and worn. 1t is said that
he and Brady have had final falling
out, and that ex-senator Spencer will
turn up to testify next time. One
hears great deal of "they say" in
regard to the trials-that Judge Mer-
rick is excessively. angry at the prose-
cution neither going on nor leaving off,
and has lost his temper two or three
times; that they want the next trial to
come Oft before Judge Macarthur,
Judge of the Circuit Court, instead of
Judge Wylie, and a great deal else
that may or may not be true. But
this much is certain-a scamp, or a
gang of scamps,' is thought to stand
much better chance before Judge Mac
Arthur than Judge Wylie. Judge
Wylie stands the abuse that has been
heaped upon him with great equanimi-
ty, and a broad and capacious smile
Eliminates his countenance when he
reads that he is a blockhead, Ounce,
scoundrel, etc., in the Star-route jour-
mails. The people of bad character
don't seem to understand how exceed
ingly robust a good character is.
Primo.
~ The Boston Pilot, whose own
ers, including Archbishop Williams,
undertook to pay the depositors who
lost by the failure of Patrick Donahoe's