Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-15
THE FEDERAL CAPITAL.
A JOKE ON LEONIDAs CESAR
HOUK.
Pensaeola's Public BuiIding-The South
carolina Prosecutions Convictions
Not Looked f0r-"The Father of His
Country" versus 'sOId HickOry''-A
Happy Solution Reached.

AoHsacoia EuDfic bultdlng-The SOutl
Carolina Prosecutions Conviction.
Not Looked for-''The Father of His
Country" versus 'OId HickOry'-A
Happy Solution Reached.
WASHINGTON, March 13.-An anus.
ing incident happened in the office of the
third assistant Postmaster General yes.
terday. A well-known newspaper man
was in there talking to Hazen. He told
him how, during the Garfield fair, the
capitol employees ran one of their number
as candidate for the watch to be voted to
the most popular Democratic candi-
date for President; how the newspa-
per men joined in, and how
that which was started as a Joke
resulted IN the watch being given Wig
gins, the fortunate subject of the Joke.
Inc many funny incidents connected with
Virgins candidacy were detailed, much
to the amusement of Hazen. The news
paper man concluded his story by saying:
''Ihe watch for the Republican candidate
for the Presidency went to- some other
id fool whose name / do not know >,
The story-teller left Hazen's office and
went around to the Office of the Superin-
tendent of the Railway Mail Service. He
had not been gone a minute before
Representative HOuk, of Tennessee. came
III to see HaZen. He was the man who
got the watch put up for the Republican
candidate. Pulling it out to see what
time 1t was he detailed to Hazen how he
had got 1t, saying: 81 would not take a
thousand dollars tor it, A thought
struck Hazen. He wrote note around
to the newspaper man asking him TO come
back, as he had a friend to whom he
wanted to introduce him. The
newspaper man returned; introduce
tons were made. HaZen told the
scribe that he had been laughing
so much over the joke which he had told
him, that he would like Houk to hear it.
The story was told just as it was before,
and wound up with the same words: ''The
watch for the Republican candidate for
the Presidency went to some other id
TOOL whose name do not know" "HOuk
was that id fool,' said Hazen. Hazen
was the only one who laughed much until
Houk said: 'Well, it's pretty hard to tell
whether the treat is upon me or upon the
teller Of the story" They went out and
had two rounds, the newspaper man-he
really had money enough =" setting 'em
upn once and HOuk doing likewise.
The District Attorney for Florida has
not yet made report upon the validity of
the title of the ground which it is proDOs-
~ 1tAt~AA ~ PuAOheoCu ny lI6
for the new building at Pensacola. No
doubt is entertained of the clearness of
the title, but this form has to be gone
through with before the government pur-
chases any land. As soon as the land is
acquired by the United States, Architect
Hill will commence the preparation of
the plans for the new building.
Hon. Richard III. Crowley, of New York,
who has been designated by the President
to prosecute the election cases in South
Carolina, is in the city getting his instruc-
tiOns. These trials will come off next
month at Charleston. You will remem-
Der that the first of these cases tried re-
suited in acquittal. The government
does not expect conviction in the COM
ing trials. Crowley is employed as a forlorn
hope. He is a shreWd lawyer, and it is
hoped by the government that he may do
something. AS have stated already, it is
not expected that there will be any con-
victions. In this connection a report
made to the government by Mr.. Ker, of
Philadelphia, who prosecuted the first
cases, is of interest. Ker reported, it is
learned, that it was impossible to convict
with white men on the jury. All the
Democratic talesmen are alleged to have
taken an oath together that if
any OF them were drawn for
duty on the jury they would
never vote for other than acquittaI. Lead
ing DEMOCRATS Of South Carolina are re-
ported to have corr 1manded the jury not to
vote for conviction. 1t is even charged
that the wife of one of the jurymen told
her husband when he started for the court
house that she expected him to do his
duty. She wanted him ''to be a man" and
vote for acquittal. If he did not do his
duty she did not want him to ever come
back home again. These charges are
made with great deal of
circumstantiality, and the government
believes them to be true. Most people
will find in them but an attempted excuse
for the failure that was made by the gov
ernment in their political trials.
There has been conflict between the
heads of Andrew jackson and George
Washington. Let it not be thought that
the bodies of the two have been
resurrected that their skulls might enjoy
buttfng match. 1t all grows out of the
new two cent postage. In the postage
stamps now in use there appears upon
the three cent denomination the head of
George Washington. On the present two
cent stamp is the head of Andrew Jack
son. On the 1st of October the three cent
stamp goes out and the two cent STAMP
becomes the denomination that will
be most used. The great question
arose: Should George WashingtOn's head
so die with the three cent stamp and An
drew jackson remain feature of our
postal systemf Another great question
also arose: Should George Washington
be put on the new two cent stamp and
Andrew Jackson's profile be reIegated?
The post office department wrestled long
and earnestly over these questions. 1t
would not do to wipe out George Wash
ington. 1t was thought to be almost an
equal sacrilege to etface '1Old Hickory"
The department was in quandary. Sud
denly it was thought of that with the two
cent stamp there would also have to be a
four cent stamp for double postage. Hap
py sOlutiOnH 1t has been ordered that
George shall stand forth on the new two
cent stamp and that Andrew shall adorn
the four. POTOMAC.