The Evening critic., 1883-03-22
THE CRITIC ABROAD.

IHt CRlIlC AbRUAU.
1t is said that when the President first
proposed his junketing trip tn Fortress
Monroe and Florida he invited every nom
bef Of the Cabinet, as matter of courtesy,
except Brewster, Attorney-Geueral
why was this thus p was asked by many.
1t now leaks out that the President did not
want the bibulous Attorney General be-
cause of his well-known weakness for
"tankiDg up" when on trips of this KIND.
He remembers to his disgust and sorrow
the famous Yorktown pilgrimage, when
the old man got on MS hlgh
horse and made Rome howl with
his fucny antics. Some of Brewstcr's
friends, it is understood, have appealed to
the President to reconsider his determina-
ton not to allow the Attoruey General to
go, and have asked him to at least have the
newspapers announce that he was invited.
The President, however, remains firm, and
will on no account let the old man share in
this trip at least. SO Brewster is left out.
Washington city was once described by
that celebrated statesman, John Ran
dolph, of Roanoke, as the City of Magnif-
cent Distances and truly it is such. 1t is,
doubtless, further from every place in the
crate than any other city on Gods green
earth. But that is old. The magnificent
distance" Of our wonderful city Is not its
only, but only one of its very many pecu-
liar attractions.
Away out West, in beautiful and COM
paratively new country, there is au unat-
tractive, muddy little stream called Post
Oak, and the country it drains is called the
Post Oak Valley God has done much
for that noted spot, but He let the devil
take o hand in its makeup, aud he cursed
it with chills and fever. When the coun
try was being settled emigrants from the
older States would be attracted by the rich
ness Of the soil, the beauty of the country
and the many allurements that surrounded
this Post Oak Valley aud they
would settle there and take a
"claim." They would soon fall
victims to the raging malady, sown by his
satanic majesty-the chills-and after
shaking for six months they would sell
out, or pull out, and go back to her
people," In about one or two years they
would return and perchance buy the same
tract of land for double the price they had
sold it for; so it became common saying
that when man once got drink of Post
Oak water he would come back for an
other sooner or later.
Now, the Critic has written all this to
get down to point from which he could
inform the gentle reader that the pecu.
liarities of this wonderful Capital City may
begin with magnificent distances" but
they by no means end there. Washington
has many attractions that out draw the
late Charles j. Guiteau-magnets, as it
were, that bind one to it as if by hooks OF
steel.
The Critic has been carried into this line
of thought at seeing so many Of our states
men still in the city, now more than two
weeks after the sine die adjournment.
Some of them are winding up their busi-
ness y those from the North don't care to
go home until the weather moderates a
little up home;' while others from the
Sunny South do not care to step, as it
were, from midwinter into midsummer y
and so it goes. Only this morning the Critic
saw an ex-member who has been unkindly
treated by Western constituency in this,
that another man has been selected to take
his place. About month ago THE CRITIC
published conversation with this same
unfortunate statesman, in which he ex-
pressed himself as longing for the quietude
of his own tireside, where he would be sur
rounded by his own little family. More
| than two weeks ago he was set "Scot
| free" and one would have thought he
would have boarded the first train to make
rush for the quietude of his own fire
side,p but, like Afary's little lamb, "still
he fingers near" What is the great at
traction that thus binds so many to us with
such great tenacity? d? No Post Oak water
here. May it not be that the waters of the
Potomac possess all of the essential draw
ing properties?
General Browne, Representative of the
old Burnt District" Undiana), writes q
friend that he will be in Washington some
time in the early part of next month. He
comes here on legislative business, no doubt
Just now the Republicans of Indiana are
booming General Browne for the United
States Senate, to succeed Senator Voorhees,
| If the boom continues to grow in volume
| and a Republican Legislature is elected fol
| 1Ss4-s5 General Browne will be elected
| United States Senator with but little effort
A short time before he left Washington
| for his home in Indiana-a few days afte
| adjournment of Congress-General Brown
said to the Critic, in speaking of his poiti
cal future generally and the Senatorship il
| particular:
| II am not candidate for the Unite,
States Senate or anything else. My prcsen
actions have no regard for my future.
do nothing politically with view to re
election or toward securing the Senatorshir
/ have been given a great deal of strength
by the people of Indiana, and I appreciat
it so fully that want it understood tina
| am not q standing candidate for any
thing. / am trying to repay my constitu
ents now by work, and not politics
| maninulation y