Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-20
CAPITAL DEsOLATIoN.
Washington Drsariness During the
Congressional Recess.
NOTHING GOING ON IN SOCIETY.
Spring that Brings New Life TO
Nature and ReyiYes Trade in Most
Places, Puts aQuietus on
the City.

away fishing, the seat Of government
is a desolate place. The shop young
man" stands behind his counter; the stalls
of the money changers are deserted, ana
the great heart of the boarding house
keeper, sufficiently expansive to take IN
all who come and then wish for more Is
sad and desponding. The seat OF govern
ment still remains here, but to what use
when the government, neither in its exc
cutive nor legislative branch, occupies it:
And. as with the girl who nurned the dear
gazelle, sit is always thus" or, at least, ie
happens once year, and then the seat
feels a shock as though, for example, the
national workshops were blown sky-high
and it remained seat no more.
shadow OF a Great Fear.
There is within the lids Of the Revised
Statutes a dreadful section, the mere
thought of which causes the average Wash
ingtonian to turn blue. 1t IS numbered
thirty.four. Let me explain. Congress Is
constitutionally bound to assemble at least
once year here in Washington and the
President is obliged to live here while
Congress- is in session. But neither Con-
eress nor the President, to the everlasting
regret of a host of people, remains mere all
the time, Aud if it should come TO pass
when Congress is about to convene tnat'
from the prevalence of contagious disease
or the existence of other circumstances, II
! would, in the opinion of President Arthur,
| be hazardous to the lives or health oil the
members to meet at the seat ot government
then that dreadful section comes IN; Tor IN
| such case it authorizes the President oy
| nroclsmatien to convene Congress at such
| other place as he may judge proper. IhlS
| is what the calf bound volume declares may
he done. II was dreadful act OF wisdom
| passed by the Third Congress, having the
| spproyai of George Washington, a. D.,
| 1884 when the government had no partlc-
| ular seat after il had been carried from New
| York 10 Philadelphia and before it reached
| its final resting place on the banks Oh tne
Potomac. What would happen in the dlre
| event of such a proclamation would oe 10
the average Washingtonian, herein before
mentioned, but prolongation of the con-
ditiOn OF affairs which has temporarily set'
tied down upon us,
During the Recess.
To the curious inquirer who asks, What
is Washington without the presence OF
deserted caravensaries, the empty dining
rooms and dismantled establishments re-
turn a melancholy answer. 1t IS true the
work of the departments goes on about the
same; the clerks draw their pay with un-
! deyiating regularity, spend portion Tor
the necessaries OF life and, with much per-
sistence, disburse the remainder among
the lottery companies, building associa-
tions and other combinations invented for
their amusement, improvement and power
ty But what are the pickings from a lot
Of inditferently paid clerks to an enterpris-
| ing people rendered preternaturally sharp
by many years OF grasping for the loaves
and fishes and slices which come in with
! Congress and its train? They may be
| likened to an ante prandial beverage, whose
only effect is to whet the appetite.
The Feeling Elsewhere.
From these premises and by natural
! ratiocinatiOn the conclusion is reached that
the average Washingtonian would like to
| have Congress in session all the time. Such
| is the fact True il has been asserted that
what is WaShington's loss is the country
gain; it has even been asserted that out.
side of this city's limits the great heart of
the nation heaves a sigh OF relief when
| Congress adjournS and that the great In
dustrial interests Of the country, agitated
| anu uuCc4NalLA NdLAS ~ IS sh CVSSNNdl SSbbAS
down serenely when il is ended as though
danger had been happily passed. A grave
and reverend Senator from Nebraska, or at
least as grave and reverend as could be
found in his section in his day, Upton by
name. when advocating long holiday re.
cess, stated that he had just arrived in the
Senate Chamber fresh from the people, and
| he knew the country was never so happy as
when Congress was away.
A distinguished foreign diplomatist,
whose Office required him TO remain in
Washington, asked of his associate what
they did when Congress adjourned? He
was informed that it was pleasant place
| TO live in until the warm weather set in,
when they could go to Newport. why
said the new conner, 81 understand that no
body but colored people and dogs remain
| in Washington after Congress adjourns.
That season is now upon US. A few Sem
ators who own residences still linger but
| they will soon pass away and Washing
ton, though the weather may be warm, will
be left.
Dnso1ation.
The permanent population Of the city is
about one hundred and fifty thousand, and
it is TO be presumed the old residents, who
existed before the war and haven't done
much else since, move out from their seclu.
sion occasionally to visit each other in
much the same spirit as actuated the deni-
Eehs OF the faubourg St. Germain in the
early days Of Napoleon, but society" ex-
lists here only for Congress. The President
never gives a reception save when it is in
session; there are no dinners at the
foreign legations; no luncheons at the
| home of Mrs Senator Golvia; no germans
at the palatial mansion Of Mrs. Commits.
sioner Smilax; the kettle-drum at the
mortgaged residence of Eugenia Anthra-
cite is still and the horn of the marine
band is not heard in the land. The Presi-
dent in his trip to Florida has initiated
what will probably be series OF absences
| during the summer; members of the Cabi-
net may be relied on to follow his exam
! pie; the General of the Army will make
| his last tour of inspection of the posts; the
| diplomatic corps Will HE away 10 the
| noun tains or TO some cottage by the sea:
| Senators and Representatives are already
among their constituents, and for many
| months 10 come there remain behind only
the glare of the sun, the moving shadow OF
| the monument, dull aud deserted streets,
and over all, like an invisible pail, the ma.
laris from the fats.
In Gods name" exclaimed the Senator,
shall We deprive the CitizePs of the whole
nation of a holiday blessing by refusing 70
| adjourn over for several weeks
But this feeling is regarded by the aver.
| age WsshiRgtonian, the one who keeps
the hotel" as the result of malice, hatred
and all uncharitableness on the part of
! those who desire to have the seat OF gov
! ernment transferred to the banks of the
| Mississippi or TO where Cslifornias waters
roll down the golden strands. Be this as it
may, Mr.. Edmunds, acting Vice President
BY grace Of the independent party, who
recently quite filled the seat, and who
really is grave and reverend Senator with.
out guile. once said the law of compensa.
tion exists to b'ess everybody; and SO il
Washington is blest twelve months in two
years and the country "tothered" Joe
SAYS in BLEAK Rouse"-snd vice versa
shy, then the fitness Of things is illustra
ed and no one Eeed complain.
Good Time Coming.
But let US no despair; there is a good
time coming; there always is. The first
Monday in December, which has been
without exception fair and beautiful for
fifty years in succession. will come again
And then will Ieturu-1h, glidSoma ttv,
the Senators, members, Territorial dele
gates. officers Of beth houses, and wives,