The Baltimore County union., 1883-12-01
CorrsspondsHes BdifiAoSs County UaioH.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Pardon OF Sergeant Mason-Tho Presi.
dents Message-The Fight for the
Speakership, Etc, Etc, Etc.

NAeHiNstoNs ". u, nov. -tth, 1883.
Editors UaioH The pardon Of Sergeant Mason
by the President is considered one Of the most
graceful of the many graceful that the latter
has performed since he came into the Presidential
chair. Mason, who was IN command Of a squad
Of soldiers, while relieving the guard ut the Dis
trict jail, where Guitcau was confined after his
assassinaton Of President GARFIELD. on the ith of
September, 1851, stepped aside from the squad
aud fired at Guitcau through tho window Of the
lattcrs cell. The act was u serious breach of mil
itary discipline and upon trial and conviction by
court martial, Mason was sentenced TO bo dishon-
orably discharged from the army and 90 undergo
a confinement Of eight years at hard labor In the
Albany IN. W penitcntary. Tho sentence was
thought a hard one by outsiders, but within mill
taFy circles II was considered just for hagTant
a military offence, aud IL has been said that ever
since the President has been prevented from per-
forming the gracious act Of last Saturday by army
influences. II will bc remembered that quite n
fund was raised by sympaihiking people for
"Beiiic and the Baby" (Mason's wife aud child,)
who were in destitute circumstances when Mason
was inearccraiei In the penitentiaTy, but noW Il
will be meet that after more than two years con.
fnemcni in Jail aud pententiary-whiehs shoald
be esteeaied sufficiently severe punishment for
the olenco committcl-Mason should return To
his wife and child and enjoy his Thank giving
dinner with thcm, and also 20 enjoy, perhaps.
soine of the bcncvolen, gilt which the people made
20 the latter.
The President left Washington On Sunday night.
TO attend the centennial celebration ceremonies OF
Evacuation Day" in New York city yesterday.
lie. Immediately after the ceremonies were over.
returned % this city. being 80 busily engaged in
getting his mefsage ready for Congress next Mon
day, that he could spare no time 10 remain away.
The President h preparing his message al the
Soldiers Home. where ho is subject 20 less annoy.
ancc aud Interruptions. and comes into the city
each afternoon after having worked upon his mes
sage during the forenoon. II is said 10 be nearly
IN ell f.,Fu tat 9.. La.
very able state paper. containing many Important
and statcsnanlike sugge.ii1ns aud rocotnmenla-
iions. such a. be Is capable uf making.
On last Saturday. notwithstanding the prnnu-
Cation oi an opinion by Attorney GcneTaI nrew-
ser that the G1gcEnincnt has no authority to adopt
the new standard Of railroad time without action
Of Congress authorizing IL. Secretary Fogcr Issued
an order that tae ncS standard should be adopted
IN the Treasury Department On and after yesier-
lay, which nccesitaicl the setting ol the clocks Of
that Department forward eight minutes and twcis Q
seconds. Any cmpiusccf. therefore. Oi the TFeI
sury Department who wcic late a; Office yesterday
morning hai to make tLe excuse that thcy forgot
TO set forward their clock. oF watches. They say.
howeycr. that II they 10 have to 80 earlier to o:ce
by eight Iinutcs ia the morning: than the om
pluyecs of the otaeT Department. IL Nhich the new
standard has not been aipptoi thry al.p get out
earlier by lha; much timc IN the afternoon. which
j. c0mpCnsatury-t1 them.
"fhc cpniba, deepen ~ tac Gsht f,f ~.
Sreakegship Of the House iiFcaiy the combat
ants have bcea cunfrnntiu; Zach ether luF more
than wees, and now the second week is Tapi l!y
passing by anil there are but a f,u more Ia5, l,f,
in which u wage the cpHicst. ON SATURDAY the
caucus will bc held. which Is tp decide who .ha!l
have the nomination aal caRst,i iuci,i election. -
iaF il i rish; iiicult. Or, Ia fc,. impossible.
tell who IL ahead. 90 wh1 l. {" come out winner.
CoBgressmen have commence! t. r,aT IN thickiy
from all sections Of the country anI. ihcy cone.
of the sgTpgiscs 90 all paste. B. t. dal :Eaay
that were confidently counted iol ili.s one ~ that
of the candidates Glr suiac one else. direct,
Is opposite often tu the one supposed. inl. alsO.
candidate can count any "a IA tu!ii tor him,
for all the can nlidatcs haze sgpp"ftefs Ia all the
sections aud in nearly all thc lcc cations almost
the only exceptions To- this bciag 10 ths is'esa-
iiuns coming FROM the sevesal cInlidaic.' own
State. Bu; il must be admitted that. although
the race may NJ TO the prcscHi. be considered
nip aud tuck especially betNccn iessfs Ran.
dail and CaFlislc that the latter has TycSit ei
larger accCssinns among the new arriving Con-
grcssmcB aud can count up more among those no~
,n the city than the former Yet the friends uG
the former are promising dcnogcucut that will
place the Kentucky son IN the shade when il comes
into caucus and the vote is taken. MF. Cox claims
the whole New York delegation 90 BE- solid for
him. anil no doubt il will DO on the iFst ballot :
and he also claims considerable strength from
some Of the other States, even oi the South. Ran
dali. uf course, has the solid support Of Pennsyi
wanna anu most or AL tue Eastern STATES some ut
the Western States and feW votes of the South
Carlisle claims his own State. several Of the Wcst
erD, a. well as nearly all the Southern and South
western States. And thus the matter stands
The slogan of the Randall ineG is that the "busi.
ness interests of the country mus, not be dis
turbed." and Carlisle in reply asks whether doc
tors. lawyers, teachers ministers. clerks aud farm
crs have business interests tha; Congress should
recognize. intimating that Randall and his friends
only include capitalized interests the "business
interests" of the country. Also. II is said that
Randall has opened n literary bureau here which
is pouring forth the greatest amount Of literary
matter to the iEiary that will be done 90 the
country By the election Of the 'frce-tTadcT, Car
li,lc 10 the Speakership. Among the workers
here .or Mr.. Randall IL lion. Fred. Talbot, from
your district, ani the only one. believe. of the
Democrats of the Maryland delegation yet here in
the city. The dark horses" though compelled
To biIe their time in the background are work.; /;
hard. some in their own interest aud some in the
interest oT other candidates whose nantics, il
they themselves don't succeed, they hope 10 catch.
The death of Joseph II. Blaekfan, Chief Of the
Foreign Mails Division of the Posioficc Depart
Hcnt. which occurred after two days illness of
pneumonia, on last Saturday afternoon, il much
regretted among all ihe employees of that Depart.
ment, he being greatly respected among them all.
Anon