The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondence

ny lOuT IOuR years VI wal ldAlAhS "
inspire the masses in the hastings
and the forum, party managers in
Congress have not been fortunate in
finding new issues with a talismaniC
power to inspire either the leaders OF
the rank and file of the party. They
were confronted by an anomaly IN
like any previous precedent, and both
parties in Congress were handicapped
because there was no great question
upon which the scattered ranks OF
either party could be rallied. There
were numerous efforts made by the
Republicans to snatch success out OF
the possible mistakes of the Demo
Gratis, but they were keenly alive to
the necessities imposed upon them by
the approaching campaign, and thus
the opportunities for prof1ting by
Democratic blunders were not so nu-
merous as formerly. Under these
circumstances the session was not a
source of jubilation to members u
either party who were fortunate
enough to be reelected much less tC
those who had been forced to surren-
der their legislative honors to others
1t was truly sad sight to look down
from the galleries upon the galaxy OF
statesmen that were scattered to the
four winds by the fall of the speakers
gayel at II M. on the 4th of March.
One hundred and forty-eight mem
bers of the last house were so salts
factory to their constituents as TO Sc
cure reelection. One hundred and
seventy-seven defeated ones took
their last lingering look upon famil.
lar faces, said tteir good-byes, and
left to be comforted in the quiet and
calm of the loved circle at home.
Some still linger about the capital,
hoping that the President out OF SYM
pathy for their discomfort may find
a niche somewhere into which he can
put them, where they can earn liv-
ing during the sombre days of the
future. The next house will be filled
with new-fedged politicians, and as
the Democrats will have fifty.seven
majority over all, they may be ex-
pected to have things their own way
on that side of the Capitol.
The business of the Post Office de.
partment shows the marked increase
and growth of the country, as well
as the eXpertness of the clerical force
in the various bureaus of that depart
ment. In 1861 it cost 81 1865 to settle
each 1000 money order and postal &C
counts, while in 1882 the cost of set
ling the same number was only 1922
The number of postal accounts settled
by each in 1861 was Liza, while in
1882 the number was increased to
1870. Quarterly postal accounts
numbering BOZ $3.50 were settled dur
ing the year 1861 by 1856 clerks, and
during the same period last year
8,79S,312 money orders were issued,
handled, and audited by a clerical
force of 114-making an average of
THIS settled by each clerk, being
about $50. for each working day in the
year. These figures show that there
is no ground for the charge that the
public service is laggardly done, or
that it needs civil service to reform
the methods by which the work is
transacted.
The District was fairly treated by
the late Congress in the way of appro-
priations; S350,0OO was provided to
take up the old decayed wooden
payements and replace them with
our excellent asphalt roadways which
are famous all over the country as
being the finest drives found In any
city on this continent. The failure
to provide for the continuation of the
work of retaining the Potomac flats
will be a serious drawback, and will
Involve no small loss to the contrac.
tors and to the government. The
water supply is provided for, and the
surveys are so far finished and test
pits made that the whole scheme
will soon be laid before the Secretary
of War for definite action preparatory
to advertise the work of building the
nine foot conduit, which is calculated
to be large enough to pour a volume
of Potomac water into the city sufi-
Gent to supply population of75O, 900
one hundred years hence. The sup.
ply from the Potomac is exhaustless,
and as it sweeps down the mountain
gorges of Maryland and Virginia for
two hundred and fifty miles, with no
cities, towns, factories, or mills lying
along its banks, the citizens of the
capital will not be subjected. to the
use of impure and filthy water, as is
the case with many cities in the
land.
The question of what is to be done
with the Mississippi in the near fu-
ture is one that is soon to call for the
most candid consideration of states