The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
wAsifINGroN. d. c., Jan. 30. 1854

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. 30. 1888
Editor Register and journal Con
gress is rather stupid than sensation
| al just now, the tariff question occupying
most of the time. There is plenty OF
food for thought and discussion in this
| subject, If all the truth about it gets out,
but there is no telling just what will hap
pen to it in the present mixed condition
OF things. Politicians are again discuss
ing the possibilities of an extra session
after the 4th of March, and it is said the
President is by no means averse to call
ing one, looking upon it as so much rope
wherewith the Democrats can hang
themselves. There seems to be gener-
al expectation, or rather apprehension,
that there will be an extra sesson-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 galleries move
about restlessly for while and then go
away sad and weary. 1t is very dull.
And the groups of men III the corridors
of the capitol during the day and at the
hotels in the evening, if they talk the
tariff at all, talk it languidly. Indeed. to
most persons, especially most Congress
men, the tariff is quite as clear as
logarithms. The superficial observer,
therefore, might fail to find any excite
ment. But o. truth the country never in
"a time of pecae held its breath in more
anxious suspense than now. The rooms
of members who represent" protected
Interests arc crowded with impudent
but trembling visitor and literally filed
with statistics, protests, appeals, and
who knows what else: "Our business
is stagnant." This suspense Is worse
than defeat" Pass some bill and pass
1t quickly"
There is some talk going around about
Don Cameron's not being a candidate for
reelection after the expiration of his
present term. Who ever said or believed
such thing knows not human nature,
much less Don Cameron. What man,
ever yet being in the United States Senate,
in the fullness of his powers, wanted to
get out of it? To be one of seventy
eight men selected from nearly fifty
millions! And perhaps, too, all the dig
mites, the pleasures and the Importance
of senatorship are really unknown un-
til a man has tasted them. Mr.. Cameron
has palace at Washington-it may be
assumed that he desires to live here, and
what greater prestige could he have in
Washington than to be a United States
Senator? His wife has large family
connection here and Don means to stay
In the north wing of the capitol as long
rs he can and nobody will blame him
either. The capital is very gay now.
Weather does not interfere with class
of people in Washington known as visit
ing friends. The friends go everywhere.
On reception days the hall doors are
open and the footman stands, salver in
hand, and all they have to do is to drop
card and march boldly in and intro
dnnl thnmc lxrno Iii nd nt
visiting craze in Westinghouse is So
easy to go to places that people go to
| them just as they go TO Avernus. because
| it is tdcHiS decenSus. An army of people
are here who spend their lives going
in and out of other peoples houses.
Formerly class Of very nice kind Of
people would go to the cabinet recep-
tions 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 short
season before Lent and feels aggrieved
over the impossibility of wearing cut all
its new clothes in the few days that re-
main. The apportionment of reception
days and evenings gives the people who
live more in other peoples houses than
their own chance to escape from home
every night as well as every day. Sem
ator Pendleton's family have Monday
evenings, General Beale's have Tuesday
evenings. the Frelinghuysens and the
McClellans have Wednesday evenings,
the Don Camerons have Thursday even
ings, and great many people have Fri
day evenings the Lorings wOuld-be
. Secretary Loring-the Portuguese min
lister and Mrs. Isham Hornsby have Sat
urday evenings, and half the town has
Sunday evenings. Mrs. George Ban
croft, wife of the historian, receives on
! Mondays. but Mr.. Bancroft seldom ap-
pears ut her receptions. lie works in
his study until o'clock and then takes
. walk or ride. He does not talk
much of the past. to the regret of those
who converse with him, for although
/ past his eightieth year he is a man of
the present and thoroughly informed on
current affairs. He needs to make no eX-
, cuse of failing health or eyesight or any
plea of decadence. He is just as en-
tertaining at dinner now as he was
forty years ago--so say the older people
to the younger people. The first reg
ular public reception at the White
House is TO be given next Tuesday even
ing, when the president will be assisted
by his sister, Mrs. McElroy of Albany.
DON PEDRO.