The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent ]

1t is marvellous what hard time the |
Government bas hunting for its often
ders-such bad men as Howgate, Nick |
erson and others This reflection is in
duced by the report that government
detectives are now cunning in Canada
for Major NickersOn, with small show of
success. 1t is now about two years since
Howgate took French leave of his quar-
tiers in jail, and during that time he has
been seen by private citizens. in two or
three places, unless the private citizens |
dre uncomfortable liars Once he was
Virginia, where he is now said to be. Yet
there is no prospect of his capture, and
it Is questionable whether there exists
any real desire to capture him But it
would seem that nobody could have any
interest in the escape of Nickerson, and
he has been proven such mean scoun-
drel that there is every inducement to
catch him. Like the fugaciOus Howgate
Major Nickerson probably had large ex-
perience as scout during his earlier
days of military service. The remarkable
ability which they both show in lodging
suggest that they must have taken les
sons from the Indian warriors of the
plains and mountains. The bigamous
NInlra1QOD clinS around pf oil rht k,,t
keeps up the fiction of legal communi-
cation with the War Department by an
address in the care of Philadelphia
friend. As he is retired officer and not
assigned to any duty, he cannot be dis
missed for desertion nor can he be tried
for court martial while he is absent, as
the law provides that he shall be faced
by his accusers and the witnesses against
him. So far, then, he has legally the
upper hand of the department; and mean
while, there IS no authority for stopping
his pay, which continues to run on. What
IN abOminable rascal the man is was re
vealed in the procurement of bogus
divorce from his first wife, his outrageous
treatment of her for no cause, and his
entraping OF an innocent woman into a
second marriage, which has been nulitied
by court. Secretary Lincoln will have
to go to Congress next winter for special
legislation which will enable him to rid
the army of disgrace to its rolls.
The Postoffice Department is threaten
ed with an inundatIon of Hatton. The
young man who has the portenuous ap-
pendage of First Assistant Postmaster
General Of the United State" hitched to
his patronymic is not to have his ambi-
ton curbed by false assumption of mo
desty, when there is such a splendid
opening for fame gid the Postoffliee Di-
rectory. He may have struggled against
fate and draw poker as an editor of a
Western newspaper but two short years
agone, but in the augustness of the first
assistant Postmaster Generalship, there
remains 40 remembrance of the ADVERSE
" suggested by unpaid board bills, store
clothes and grim visaged washerwomen.
Indeed, The HattOn of those halcyon days
so rich in expectancy and so fruitful OF
Disappointment, when there was no one. in
all Christendom who thought enough
about this particular Hatton to name 6
pOstoffice after him. Nor probably would
anybody have thought of it now, haC
Hatton not had the self-sufflcient con
seriousness that the.name was not born tt
die. So the frequent applications fol
new posto@ces throughout the countr!
are Hatton's opportunity, and when tn,
people of Squabelty Gulch and Bdngtowl
Hollow ask for postoffices, Hatton urge
the want of euphoniousness, telling thu
Department that such names are neither
synchronistic or even synechdochical
while the name of Hatton is translucent
mellihuous, symmetrical, and altogethe
supra mundam. The effect of Hatton'
intense respect for the name of Hatton
if it has not filled his ambition, it has file
several pages in the Postofice DIRECTORY
until now there IS said to be but ont
name, and that the Father of his Coun-
try that stands out in holder relief in thu
list of postoffices. And it will not b.
long before Hatton will get aheadof thai
If, by an official oversight, Hatton glue
his name upon two or more offices in tn
same State, there is nothing easier thai
to ring the changes upon il, and so haven
Hatville, Hatberg, Nationwide and wors
of all Hat-off, which of course is sug
gestive of Hattons Importance and It'll
to respect from all who have to do wit
the postoffices. Should Hatton surviv
through his present term of Office, it
doubtful if ihe United States Governmer
will ever need her Postmaster Geners
with first assistant attachment.
1t is evident that in the reduction {
single rate letter postage from three t
two cents has not been made too soor
The estimated surplus of the Postofic
Department fer the last fiscal year
$2,500,000, or 81, 100, 600 more than tn
surplus for the preceding year. TIL
surplus has become far to large. IL la
never intended that the postal servic
should be made source of revenue t
the Government. Its efficiency is reacl
ed when it gives the people prompt an
cheap letter carriage. The extroardinar
surplus of last year gives a reasonabl
assurance that the reduction TO two cent