The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D.. c.,
Nov. 3. lSS3.l

rumors of coming cabinet changes
which have been flying about during
the last week are pronounced false;
vet it is an old and tolerably philo-
sophical saying, that where so much
smoke is seen there must come tire.
There is certainly some ground tor
saying that botE Attorney General
Brewster and Secretary Folgef are
not unlikely TO retire from the cabl
net after the elections are we'll over.
The Postmaster General has been
mentioned as the coming head OF
the Treasury department. These
changes may for various reasons
never occur, but there is no doubt
that the President desires to have
some skilled political hand at the
rudder Of the Treasury during the
coming year. that department being
a power in politics." 1t is to be
the work Of the administration to
capture Indiana next year if possible.
Mi. Arthur, it is said, has confidence
in the political talents Of Mr.. New,
who refuses to pull in yoke with Fol
ger; but if it is proposed to utilize
New, it would hardly be accomplish
ed by putting Gresham over him as
the two are unfriendly.
Whatever may be the record of
this administration in history it has
certainly achieved distinction in the
popularity of its head gear. So
striking and original in shape and
style are the hats worn by Mr.. Arthur
and some of his advisers that it
would seem as though some princi-
pie were involved in the eccentricity.
The President, in the first place, has
a hat made over a block of his own
fashioning. The crown is about
four inches higher than the prevail
ing styles in silk hats, while the brini
is fiat and very wide. He has a cas-
simere felt made on this block for
summer year and a silk one for
winter wear. The President is so
tall that this hat e%longates him in a
most distressing way. He loves an
old hat. He is still wearing his old
summer hat, although its ghostlv
whiteness these cold fall days gives
one a chill. He and Fred Douglass
are the last men in Washington who
still wear q white hat. Even Brewster
has given up the piratical yellow fun
hat and its mourning band with
which he entertained the people OF
the eastern wstering-places this sum
mer. Secretary Folger has wore a
little straw hat all summer and oc'
casionally wears it yet, varying il
with an old soft black hat ten years
old or a hard Derby hat of the style
of the last century. Mr.. Freiinghuy
sen, great in his department, wears 6
black silk the year through. He
Keeps up to within three years Of
the style. War Secretary Lincoln
wears new and fashionable hats
Bill Chandler wears hats no respecta
bic junk dealer would buy. Pos
master General Gresham ear g
silk hat with the nap carefully brush.
ed granger fashion-all the wrong
way-while M. Teller smashes 8
soft, seedy black hat down over his
sharp hawks face.
The fight being made against the
swindling pension agents ofthis city
and elsewhere has created almost o
panic among them. There is nc
doubt of the dishonest practices o.
many of these scamps, and it is the
meanest kind of swindling, for while
they have not robbed the govern
ment of large sums, like the Star
route thieves, they have through
misrepresentation and false pre-
fences extorted sums of five and ter
dollars from hundreds of poor sol
diers, for many If whom the pay
ments were actual hardship S. There
are firms here who have accumulated
enormous fortunes by this means
but they are also honest attorneys il
the business here who must suffe,
more or less because Of the practice:
and exposure of the dishonest ones
1t is a fact that the fee allowed il
pension cases il entirely inadequate
compensation for the work to b.
performed by a n upright practitioner
and that this, combined with tn
/, policy of the Pension bureau as in
augurated By the late Commissioner
Dudley, has had q tendency to throw
the business into the hands of shark.
and rasCals who have neither knowl
edge Of its requirements nor fitness
for the practice. In q future letter
, shall give some Of the remedies pro
posed by those who have made tn,
subject a study.
Among the former public mel
} who have been in Washington re
Gently l noticed ex-senator Thurman
r and ex-Congressman William Pit
Lynde, of Wisconsin. Mr.. ThurmaI
looks gray and feeble, having chang
5 ed considerably. slice he left til
Senate, owing, no doubt, to his sui
. ferings from rheumatism. He say
, he has no future ambitions, and oul,
desires rest. Mr.. Lyrde, Xix
, Judge Thurman, came to argu
l cases in the Supreme Court, and say
he has no desire to return to Con
gress. He says that General Bragg
so we'll known here, is only temper
arily defeated, and that he is certain
of a nomination and an election t
Congress next year. Speaking G
: Gabe Bouck, the hrass-buttone6
b~lue-coated woman hater, Who serve
2 in Congress for two terms and dis
tinguished hi rself by voting mo
= so loud he could be heard in AleXar
dria when a proposition was up look
: ing to woman suffrage, Lynde say
he has no idea of trying to com
back to Congress, but is rich, an,
r wants to be'Governor Of Wisconsir
Bouck underwent q queer transfer
nation when he came TO Washingto,
5 to serve in Congress. He'had neve
. worn q white shirt or q waistcoat be-
fore coming here. His shirt was