The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, D. c., |
~ . 1000 I

WASHINGTON, D.. c.,
Dec. 3, 1881
1t is too late in the day to waste
many more words on the contest for
Speaker. but we have had such a
warn time over it during the last
week that there is difficulty in turn
ing ones thoughts in any other direc
ton, especially when there is little
else going on. Before this letter
reaches a majority of its readers, it
will be known throughout the coun-
try whether the forty or fifty major
ity Of Democrats in the House stood
up squarely for Democratic princi-
piles and elected q Democratic Speak
er, or whether they had been frighten-
ed by the ghost of somebody or some
thing into naming Il who is to all
intents and purposes a Republican.
1t will in the end be found to be q
question ofno little Importance to the
Democratic party. The most ridicu-
lous feature of the contest has been
the candidacy of Springer, the "spring-
ing Springer" of Illinois, who had
no more chance of election than u
Down Col. Pinclover, and whose fitness
for the position just about cores
ponds with his chances. His motives
are pretty well understood here to he,
first, a trade in his own interest and
second, jealous enmity of his coileage
Col. VIM. r. Morrison, infinitely his
superior in brains and influence, and
one of the ablest Democrats in Con-
) gress, who was the manager of Mr..
Kerr's canvas for Speaker of the
44th Congress and subsequently
chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee.
: 1t is announced that both Malone
and Riddleberger will go into the
, Republican senatorial caucus, and a
complete change Ct all the offices of
that body will be made unless a hitch
of some sort occurs over the candi-
dacy of certain aspirants. Mahone's
candidate for secretary, Gorham, will
not be very cordially supported by a
number Of Senators, and there is
some doubt whether two or three
may refuse to vote for him caucus or
no caucus. Still there is a strong de-
sire to put all the Democratic officers
: out. This recalls the fact that when
the Democrats had a majority of nine
in the Senate they appointed only
thirty seven new employees of theii
F: own political faith, and kept thirty
three of those appointed previously
by the Republicans, and that, with
the exception of the Secretary of the
Senate ana Chief Clerk, the united
salaries OF the Republican employees
retained amounted to $4,000 more
q per annum than those Of the newly
, appointed Democrats.
: Payson, of Illinois, who has made
3 a good deal CT point for himself fight
s ing the railroad companies claims te
forfeit land grants, made a tour o.
inspection throughout the West this
summer. He made some interesting
discoveries about the relations be
tween the Central and Southern Pa
Il cifc Railroads. He says that the
P management ofthe two roads is prac
e tically identical. The directors of The
h Central Pacific have contracted tt
pay themselves as directors of tht
Southern Pacific q rental largely i,
excess of the receipts from the new
road. This taking moLey from Ont
e pocket to put into another has or
advantage. 1t lessons the amour
Of money the Central Pacific will b.
called upon to pay uader the Thur
man act. He also found that tn,
s directors of the Southern Pacific ha(
organized bridge companies alon:
the line and were charging them
r. selves such high rentals that the poo
stakeholder had a pretty dim chance
for any dividends, SO long as the pre-
sent condition of things continues.
Between the work required to b
done by the railroad, telegraph AM
u electric companies and the land grab
bers, the lobby this winter must 0
o necessity be a most formible one
There are several measures of vas
e public concern which the people ar
demanding that Congress shall legis
late upon, and they are measures taa
d conflict with the monied interests G
It the organized monopolis who will no
Or only be ably but numerously repre-
sented in the lobby. We will see il
~ the outcome whether the public i
these matters has got to be throttle,
and kept throttled until it tires G
seeking redress at the hands of Con
gress.
it One of the grossest s%tupidities c
e all the Legislation on u postal affair
10 is that which requires the post oflic
III which a letter is deposited wit
- insufficient postage. to open CORES
n pondence with the person to whol
,e such letter is addressed, informin
g him that a letter awaits his attention
&c on which there is due postage to til
amount generally of n cent. Th
y Government forwards this missile {
the same destination that the lette
g with insufficient postage could hav
just as we'll been carried, and th
DELINQUENT amount collected there
. but the stupid law compels the pay
% ment of a three cent postage rate b
s an innocent party as Il penalty for til
delinquency Of his correspondent
And yet our postal system is prc
e. nounced perfect! PHoNo.
b
. The Esanviile Riots.
The effort made by the Repuhlica
IL papeis to wave the bloody shirt