The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


richest green. Long lines of shade
trees skirting our beautiful avenues
are putting on their brightest spring.
time verdure. Avenues and streets
are filled with hansoms, coupes and
carriages drawn by prancing steeds.
The city is full of visitors. and our
entire population are stimulated by
the new life of the budding spring.
time. To one familiar with the WASH
ington of antebellum days, the chang.
! ed appearance of the city is most mar
4 velous. Then those who were so
unfortunate as to be compelled to
visit it found so much dirt. filth and
discomfort that they turned their
backs upon it, and with the greatest
I possible dispatch. Now 1t is the win
ter Saratoga of this country-a city of
/ which every American has just reas-
on to be proud. Delivered from the
smoke, SCOT and dust of manufac.
ing town it has instead art. culture,
gayety, fashion and wealth, potent
influences which are growing more
and more outreaching every year.
The cost of living is no greater than
in any northern city. while the win
tiers are vastly preferable to those of
the frigid north. The attractions of
society, the sessions of Congress, re-
ceptions, levees, &C., make one con-
tinued round of pleasure, charming
and enchanting our winter residents.
The drives in summer to the Sol
diers' Homes, Arlington, Washing
ton Heights, or through our 81 ,666
trees along 100 miles of shaded streets,
are most attractive. Surely it is not
strange that, more than ever, the peo-
pie of this land are learning to think
of this as their capitalize Paris of
America.
A sight of the new two cent postage
stamp, to be introduced October list,
calls to mind the changes in the pos
tai system of the last forty years.
Then Abijah, if he had sweet Abb
gal 500 miles away, had to pay Uncle
Sam twenty-five cents to carry the
tender missive to his absent dulcia-
ma, and if she made reply the ardent
Abijah must be gallant and pay a
quarter more. Counting was expen-
sive in those early years, and when a
gallant swain won fair damsel the
twain were Joined together for better
or for worse. The divorce market was
t very dull in those staid old years.
Then every letter sent was entered on
way bill which was transmitted
with the letter. The changes in the
rates of postage and methods of dis
! tribution are no more marvellous
than those that have occurred in
, other departments of the natural and
, scientific world. Railroads, steam
ships, telegraphs, gaslights, sewing
machines, steam plows, dynamite,
nitro glycerine, friction, matches,
steam monitors, yapor engines, Cali
, fornia gold, oil wells, canned fruits,
! electric lights, telephones, and the
! other ten thousand helpful aids to la
Dor are all Inventions or discoveries
| made during the last few years. These
, are but the hitherto undiscovered
thoughts of God, and the generation
now Lying has been assuming do
: miniOn which was given when God
said centuries ago: Let us make man
: and give him dominion over all the
earth. We may we'll ask: In what
direction the footprints of material
. progress will tend in the coming
years? In what fields are to be found
the inventions that are yet to startle
the world during the life of the pres
ent generation The thoughts of in
! Yentive genius to-day are the pulsa-
: tions of new born material forces and
adaptations tomorrow. The cumula-
tive thought of all past discoveries is
toutreaching into the pregnant future.
The ultima thule is so far outlying
I that generations yet unborn will find
= that the field for new discoveries is
an ocean rs vast and measureless as
|, Eeternity.
> The Democrats at the capital are
not happy over the little unpleasant
ness in Chicago. 1t was not kind in
Mayor Harrison to fire off his colum-
3 bad loaded with anti-DemocratiC
free.trade arguments at the meeting
: of the Iroquois Club. The gathering
I was intended for sort of mutual ad-
+. miration society-an assemblage OF
, wet nurses who have had an exper-
. fence of more than twenty years try
ing to keep the party alive. The oc-
: easion and place was drought to be
lust the time to stir the sluggish pulse
D of the party by stimulating injections
8 of free-trade taffy for the working
5 men. The scheme, though we'll con-
: ceiyed, did not work well, even in
Iii ~ Nhn In.