Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-01-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.

From our regular correspondent.
WAsHINGToN,D.C &C., Jan. %, 1888.
Congress is rather stueid than
sensational just now, the tariff ques.
ton eccupyip4 most of the tine,
There is plenty of food for thought
and discussion in this subject, ii all
the truth about it gets out, but there
is no telling just what will happen
to it in the present mixed condition
of things. Politicians are again dis
cussing the possibilities of an extra
session after the 4th of March, and
it is said the president is by no
means averse to calling one, looking
upon it as SO much rope where-with
the Democrats can hang themselves.
There seems to be gene al expec-
tation, or rather apprehension, that
there will be an extra sesSion-and
when Congress once gets its ear tied
to its own tongue it is difficult for it
to leave off. Since the tariff talk
began the people who go to the gal
leries move about restlessly for %
while and then 60 away sad and
weary. It is very dull. Aud the
groups of men in the corridors of
the capitol during the day and at the
hotels in the evening, if they talk
the tariff at all, talk languidly. In
deed, to most persons, especially
most congressman, the tariff is quite
as clear as logarlthms. The super
fetal observer, therefore, might fail
to find any excitement. Bat in
truth the country never in time of
peace held its breath in more anxi.
Gus suspense than now. The rooms
of members who represent" protec-
ted interests are crowded with
impudent but trembling visitors and
literally filled with statistics, pro-
tests, appeals, and-who knows what
else "Our business is stagnant."
"This suspense is worse than de-
feat" "Pass some bill and pa it
quickly" One would imagine that
all the laboring men are starving,
that every manufactory is stopped
and not dollars worth of merchan-
disc is changing owners. Every
member Of congress except the
avowed and uncompromising advo-
Gates of sweeping reductions is re-
ceiving anonymous prOtectioniSt
documents and newspapers with
marked articles. In spite, therefore,
of the lack of excitement everybody
feels that it is a critical time.
There is some talk going around
about Don Cameron's not being
candidate for reelection after the
expiration of his present term. Who
ever said or believed such a thing
knows not human nature, much less
Don Cameron. What man, ever vet
being in the United States senate in
the fuliness or his powers, wanted
to get out of it ? 20 me one of sew.
enty eight men selected from nearly
fifty millions And perhaps, too,
all the dignities, the pleasures and
the Importance OF a senatorship are
really unknown until man has
tasted them. Mr.. Cameron has a
palace IN Westinghouse may be
assumed that he desires TO live here,
and what greater prestige could he
have i'll Washington than to be a
United States senator? His wife
has a large family connection here
and Don means TO stay in the north
wing OF the capitol as long as he can
and nobody will blame him either.
The capitol is very gay now. Wealth
er does not interfere with a class of
people in Washington known as Wis
ting friends. The friends go every.
where. On reception days the hall
doors are open and the footman
stands, salver in hand, and all they
have to do is to drop a card and
march boldly in and introduce them
selves. There is "A kind of visiting
craze III Westinghouse is so easy
to go TO places that people go to
them just as they go to Avernus,
because it is facilis descensus. An
army of people are here who spend
their lives going iE en4 out of other
peoples houses. ~ nerly class
of very nice kind of people would go
to the cabinet receptions when they
had no acquaintance with the lady
receiving, but merely to pay their
respects, but the friends have broken
all that up.
Society is making the most of the
ouOlb oVeoOh OClOlC llCHO duu lCCIo
aggrisved over the impossibility of
wearing out all its new clothes in
the few days that remain. The APP
portionment of reception days and
evenings gives the people who live
more in other peoples houses than
their own a chance to escape from
home every night as we'll as day.
Senator Pendleton's family have
Monday evenings, General Beale's
have Tuesday evenings, the FIRE.
linghuysensand theMcClellan's have
Wednesday evenings, the Don Cam
erons have Thursday evenings, a
great many people have Friday eve
niags, the Lorings-wOuld-be Score
tary Loring-the Portuguese minis.
ter and Mrs. Isham HDrnsby have
Saturday evenings, End half the