The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-01-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lFrom Our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
Ion 30 9 ~

Jan. ZA. lOoo.1
The Republican National Commit
tee held a session here a few days
ago and had something of a time
trying to determine how the dele
gates to the next nominating con
vention should be chosen. Many Of
the members seemed to feel that it
made very little difference how the
thing was done, as there would be
little chance for the candidate any
way; but others who are themselves
ambitious or the representatives of
ambition, wanted to have things fix
ed to their advantage. 1t was on
the whole a rather gloomy gathering
Headers, wholly lacking in the dash
and spirit of the "grand old party"
in its harmonious and prosperous
days. About the most touching in
cident was the resignation of Star
route Dorsey as Secretary of the
Committee. The ex-Senator's let
ter, a most plaintive and heart-rend
ing document, was received in ST.
lence. There was an atmosphere of
solemn GOODNESS about the room
which seemed to say, awe are sor-
~, old fellow, bus you have got
caught and we can do nothing for
you. The time was when we could
have deied public opinion and a
ried you through as we have many
another, but now we are too weak"
Dorsey in his letter endeavored to
give himself a tirst-cla certificate
of political character, which was
thoughtful on his part as it supplies
what his colleagues in their nervous
ness might have neglected to offer
him. The certificate which Mr.. Dor
sey himself furnishes leaves nothing
to be desired. 1t is perfect. 1t sets
forth that but for Dorsey there would
probably have been a Democratic
victory in 1880, that all his acts as
Secretary of the Committee-his
enormous collections of money and
his liberal dispensation of soap in
Indiana-were known to and approx
ed by the candidate for President
and Vice-President, that with him
rested the supreme responsibility
for the results of the campaign, and
that if any man has ever deserved the
gratitude of his party and fellow cit
liens it is the self-sacrificing, patrio-
tic and indefatigable S. W. Dorsey.
And yet there + people callous
enough to keep asking what the eX-
c%ellent Secretary did with all the
money he took to Indiana, and heart.
less enough to wonder how long Mr.
Dorsey is to succeed in keeping out
of prison. We also hear hints about
Washington that there ere other
members of the committee who are
quite as little calculated to reflect
credit upon the Committee as the
friend, adviser and co-partner O
Brady.
The women's rights people are pre-
pairing for the annual convention o
the woman s~uffragists, which is al
ways held in Washington during The
session of Congress. 1t is by some
considered the most amusing even
of the season, and however disap
pointed the disciples of progress may
feel, they certainly enjoy their sea-
ces with the congressional commit
tee which is deputed to tackle then
and luxuriate in the boundless lib
erty of talking back. 1t is SO awful
ly funny! 1t is worth most anybo
dy's while to come over here and en-
joy the sparring matches between
the ladies and the Congress of tn
United States. Senator Vance ant
Senator Vest are invariably saucy t.
them-that is, as saucy as they dar'
to be-and get sat down upon witt
great regularity and vigor. 1t does
not bore Senators and Represents
tives in the least to listen to thei
stirring appeals, and indeed if thos
stirring appeals were left out a goo
many legislators would be grievousl,
disappointed.
f Elk Secretary Robeson's tende
testimonial to the character of hi
, bosom friend Mr.. Roach on the foo
of Congress the other day must hav
/, drawn tears, humorous or otherwise
:, from the eyes of those who heard il
If Mr.. Robson had merely said tina
, Mr.. Roach knew how to build ship
I and get a good price for them h
would have given his friend a geo
: advertisement; cut he went SO muc
further that it is impossible not t
. believe that Mr.. Robson hopes t
become Secretary of the Navy agai
/ one of these days, and that AZ
Roach will take. as good care of hi1
as he w did in other days. "I'.
tickle you now if you'll me after
while"i is a very old politico bushes
principle, and people who know Nj
Robson and Nj. Roach will not b
in difficulty about applying it.
The hard time that Senator Hoa
p has recently been having to get hin
self re elected to the Senate remind
me that one of the biggest jobs tina
" has been introduced in Congress thi
l. winter is his proposition to purchas
with Government money at $50 eact
about half a million voting machine
j, invented by a Boston man, and sur
6 ply them to every election distric
e in the United States. Just what til
merits of the machine are / have nc
o yet been able to find out, but it
some sort of glass continuance wit
the ballots pasted on an endless bel
for the supposed purpose of preven'
ing fraud upon the franchise. Blu
as the election judges would handl'
d and possibly tamper with every ba
lot, the security of the thing is nc
SO apparent. The only certainty o
the face of the present returns is tha
the man who makes the machine
would be suddenly made enormous
ly rich if Mr.. Hoar's propositio
+ should be adopted. Speaking {
n rich men, while walking down th
Avenue one morning recently in con