Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-03-07
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., !Mar. 3, 81

WASHINGTON, ID. o., Mar. y, %.
The capitol is, by fur, the most popular
resort in Washington this week, and the
evening sessions of con gress are the most
attractive to visitors, for then the galleries
are packed with strangers accompanied
by their city friends. The House draws
the largest crowds. Buncombe and parrot
speeches are the rule, which. with monkey
gesticulation, make so good a show that
the spectators get the worth OF their
money, since the seats ARE free. They
enter heartily into the turbulence below.
which has reached its climax this week,
in perfect uproar of noisy, stormy,
wholly unintellgible discussion. At times,
nearly every member will be on his feet,
and two dozen of them addressing the
chair at the same time, amid cheers,
applause and laughter, which render not
only their own words, but the utterances
of tho chair inaudible. Of course the
chairman refuses to recognizes anyone
until they can come to order, but no
recognition is asked for or desired. But.
in spite of all this fun and fury, these last
days of the forty seventh congress will
never be remembered by tho soon depart
ing members with unmixed pleasure.
Home, rest and relaxation will doubtless
flor time at least) be boon to all of
them, for their souls are being sorely tried
now by train of grievances following
close upon their heels and DIGGING every
step, in the shape of thousands of constitu-
ents just arrived in the city, aided by
thousands of others already here, and all
wanting q thousand little matters attended
to before congress adjourns. These
pilgrims are from every section of the
United States, from Maine to Texas, from
Florida to California; each has his pct
project. 1t may be the passage of little
bill, or tho obtainment of little Office.
but no matter how small the rest Of the
world, it is a life and death scheme to him,
and at this high pressure stage of tho
session he asks his congressman to run it
through at once. Every senator and
member is ransacking his brain for inven.
ton to elude this ubiquitous mob, which
in turn is manoeuvring how to intercept
him on his way from his bedroom to his
breakfast table, and at each successive
movement he makes during the day, until
he places his distracted head upon his
.yillow at night for short, disturbed
repose, his stolen slumbers even being
haunted by visions ofhis vigilant pursuers-
When he starts for the capitol he is tugged.
pulled, button holed and talked at until
constrained to break away by force and
take horse car or carriage rs his case may
be. When he arrives at the capitol he has
TO run another gauntlet before he can
reach the cloak room. Once upon the
floor he finds half dozen of the privileged
class, the ex- congressman, waiting to
make other impossible requests. Every
few minutes he is handed card from
some influential person from his own
state, (perhaps his next door neighbor
when at home) for whom he has the
highest regard, and who cannot, with
polteness and safety to his political
existence, be denied the "few words" that
invariably lengthen into IN interview of
fifteen or twenty minutes. He tries to
glance at the letters on his desk, but his
fellow members surround him and ask his
assistance in furthering their projects, for
each is in turn assailed in the same way.
He is forced 10 listen over and over again
to the same questions, requests and
inquiries as to the probable result of the
cherished scheme, until his once active
brain is added and his clear understand
ing muddlcd. Truly, the last days of the
are hard.
Washington will undergo u great
change in its general crowd and aspect
between the fourth and fifth days of March.
Many of the senator's aud representative
will leave the city with their families on
Sunday, having secured seats and berths
on the trains for that dav Political life
in Washington is said to exercise most |
demoralizing influence upon the average
congressman by destroying re fish for and
to private life forever aftcrward.
More than half of the present congress
will soon have chance TO test the truth
of this, and mediate over the epheme raj
character of political influence. The city
now so abounds in greatness, that you
rub against it at all public places, jostle it
on the street corners. confront it on The
avenue, see it everywhere; but much OF it
is on the point Of vanishing, TO return to
its original insgniiicance, and will leave
no trace or footprint here.