The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-05
SMALL TALK
Ahnut Men and Things.

About Hen and Things.
1t is reported that preparations are already
being made for the establishment of q literary
bureau at the capital for the dissemination of
campaign reformation relative to the contest of
1884 The bureau is to be of an independent
character, and its object is to inform the peo-
pie of this country why they should elect Ben
Butler President and why they cannot do
without him, as the candidate of the laboring
man with brand new platform of his own
manufacture.
80
Congressman Carlisle passed through Wash
ington Saturday. He says he is confident of
election as Speaker of the next House. He
declares that Mr.. Randall has not over sixty to
sixty-fye votes, while he is good for ninety to
ninety-fye to start with. He says the tariff
question will be opened again, and his party is
not afraid to meet the issue arising from the
agitation.
public man, who has seen almost his three
score and ten, gave me some interesting remini-
sciences yesterday of the way the 4th of July
used to be celebrated. Said he '.When I was
young the memory of the Revolution was still
green in the minds of the people and the sto-
ries OF the war were current yet among the
people. It was not an uncommon thing to
meet man who had fought at Monmouth or
Brandywine or had been at Valley Forge, or
saw the wind up of the British at Yorktown
The leaders in the long war were our heroes
then, and naturally, with everything fresh in
the minds of the people, the 4th was a glorious
day. 1t was an epoch in each year, and was
kept as grand national jubilee There was a
parade OF the militia, a firing of cannon and
martial music from morning till night Every
man, woman, and child who was we'll was
there from miles around 1t was no unusual
thing to go fifty miles Oh horseback to cele-
bration. Those were celebrations in the literal
sense of the word. The orator of the day was
usually a man who had been contemporary
of the leaders in the war or in the Continental
Congress, and he would carry his audience to
the widest pitch of enthusiasm by recounting
the grand achievements of the struggle Com
pared with such celebrations the day now
seems to me to be a mockery. People act
rather as though they were ashamed of it than
proud of the events it commentaries. I am
glad TO see that in most Of our cities they are
doing away with these farcical celebrations
altogether. | would rather see men honest
and not 90 through performance which IS
really bore to them, while they pretend to be
celebrating grand climax in our national his
tory. The fact is that the vast immigration
which has filed up the country with families
who We're not on this continent during the
Revolution, and the terrible contest between
the States, has dWaried the events and men of
the struggle for independence SO that our peo-
pie have lost the spirit of the day The
Fourth is little now but a name.
The old gentleman who thus lamented the
decline of the great day of his youth has moth
ing to do with the manufacture of the toy
pistol, and spoke from purely patriotic motives.
The last of the old whisky ring cases seems
in fair way way to be settled. 1t is that
A. c. Hesing, known long before the days of
Tweed III New York, as the Boss /" in Chicago
He was Mayor of the city. elected on the ''Peo-s
pies ticket He was sole dictator of county
and city offices. Even a State and National
election was not TO be thought Of without con-
sulting the " Boss" He was chief editor and
proprietor of the Stats Zeitisg, the most infu
entail German papers west of New York. He
was millionaire. The exposure in 1870 of
the gigantic conspiracy to detraud the Govern
ment out of the whisky tax, to the astonish-
ment of every one, revealed the fact of his COM
plfcity in the matter. The conspiracy, as is al
ways the case in such numerous ring, in
volved number of towards, who, to make
their own peace, fastened to the grand jury
room and became ''squealers" Hesing was con-
victed, and from a naughty and powerful boss
was changed to a felon before judge. There
was a thrilling scene in court the day he WAS
sentenced. The Boss was hnmbled, and
rose before Judge Blodgett, and pleaded, with
tears in his eyes, for mercy. He was sentenced
TO six months in jail and served his time. He
came out a broken down man, ruined in pride
and pocket. In addition to the criminal pros
ecubion there was new trouble awaiting him.
In the days of his wealth and power he had
gone on the bond of various distillers, and the
Government now proposed TO collect damages
for the estimated loss of tax. They were sued
and Judgment fora large sum obtained The
principals had nothing so the sureties were
called on to pay thousand times as much as
they possessed The matter has been pending
for years Some of the old BOSS (" friends
have faith that there is work in him yet aud
have offered some 5000 to the Government as
a compromise 1t is believed that the Secretary
of the Treasury will compromise the case AS
provided for in the statutes and give the old
man new lease of his business existence. He
can never again recover his vantage ground,
however, for new set of political mongers
have grown up, and they do not know the great
leader of the old regime that reigned in Chicago
Immediately after the great fire, from which
all things date.
80
President Arthur will not spend the summer
at the fashionable watering places, but as far
as possible, in the opposite direction. He will
go West about the middle of this month, and
you may depend upon it he viii have full
outfit of fishing tackle He does not care much
for gun, and will not go to butchering elk
and mountain sheep, but he is a patient and
skillful angler. He understands every twist of
ooI1 hoo, 1v1r k1rI .c,.. 80 IL
voracious pickerel instinctiyely. He will have
just taste of business while he is gone, be-
cause he will have the end of the telegraph
wire in his pocket all the time and keep in con-
slant communication with Washington. He