Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-12-05
from our regular correspondents.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., Dec. l, 'sS

1t IS too late in the day to vast
many words on the contest for Speak
err, but we have had such warm tim,
over it during the last week that Their
is difficulty in turning ones thought
in any other direction, especially whel
there is little else Igoing on. Befor'
this letter reaches majority Of it
readers, it will be known Throughout
the country whether the forty or fft.
majority of Democrats in the Hous'
stood up squarely for Democratic prin
ciples and elected a Democratic Speak
er, or whether they have been fright
ened by the ghost of somebody O.
something into naming one who is tt
all intents and purposes Republican
1t will in the end be found to be I
question of no little Importance to thu
Democratic party. The most ridicu
lous feature of the contest has been thu
candidacy of Springer, the "springins
Springer" OF Illinois, who had NJ
more chance of election than our owl
Col. Pinchover, and whose fitness fol
the position just about corresponds
with his chances. His motives arr
pretty we'll UNDERSTOOD here to be, first
a trade in his own interest and, sec
ond, jealous enmity of his colleague
Col. VIM. r. Morrison, infinitely SUI
perior in brains and influence, and ont
of the ablest Democrats in Congress
who was the manager of Mr.. Karr''
canvass for Speaker of the 44th Con
gress and subsequently chairman O.
the Ways and Means Committee.
1t is announced that both Malone
and Riddleberger will 60 into the Re
publican senatorial caucus, and COM
plete change of all the Offices of that
body will be made unless hitch Of
some sort occurs over the candidacy Of
certain aspirants. Mahone's candidate
for secretary, Gorham, will not be
cordially supported by a number Of
Senator'S, and there is some doubt
whether two or three may refuse to
vote for him caucus or no caucus,
Still there is strong desire to put all
the Democratic officers out. This re-
calls the fact that when the Democrats
had majority of nine in the Senate
they appointed only thirty-seveh new
employees of their own political faith,
and kept thirty-three of those appoint
ed previously by the Republicans, and
that, with the exception of the Secre-
tary of the Senate and Chief Clerk, the
united salaries of the Republican en-
ployes retained amounted to $4,000
more per annum than those of the new
ly appointed Democrats.
Pay of Illinois, who has made a
good deal of point for himself fighting
the railroad companies claims to for
feited land grants, made tour of in-
spectiop throughout the West this sum-
mer. He made some interesting dis
coveres about the relations between
the Central and Southern Pacific Rail
roads. He says that the management
of the two roads is practically identi-
cal. The directors of the Central
Pacific have contracted to pay them
selves as directors of the Southern Pa
cifc a rental largely in excess of the
receipts from the new road. This tax
ing money from one pocket to put into
another has one advantage. 1t lessons
the amount of money the Central Pa
cific will be called upon to pay under
the Thurman act. He also found that
the directors of the Southern Pacific
had organized bridge companies along
the line and were charging themselves
such high rentals that the poor stock
holders have a pretty dim chance for
any dividends, so long as the present
condition of things continues.
One of the grossest stupldities of all
the legislation on our postal affairs is
that which requires the post office in
which letter is deposited with ineffi-
cient postage, to open correspondence
with the person to whom such letter is
addressed, informing him that a letter
awaits his attention, on which there is
due postage to the amount generally of
one cent. The government forwards
this missile to the same destination
that the letter with insufficient postage
could have just as well been carried,
and the delinquent amount collected
there, but the stupid law compels the
payment Of three. cent postage rate by
an innocent party as a penalty for the
delinquency of his correspondent. And
yet our postal system is pronounced
perfect! PHoNo.
ST.. NICHOLAS for December is the
brightest and best number of the year.
1t opens with an Indian legend, told in
verse, by John G. Whittier, entitled
"How the Robins Came" This is
followed by large variety of illustra-
ted articles. Captain Mayne Reds
new story "The Land of Fire." is be-