News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-03-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
March 10, 1884.

MdTCu lOy 1901.
One of the most remarkable habits
that has grown up among correspon-
dents from this city, that has been to a
large extent encouraged by the pub
fishers of some of our large dailies,
is that of saying mean and ugly
things of our public men. The habit,
it is true, is largely confined to cor
respondents of Democratic papers,
but occasionally we find Republican
papers admitting such stuff to their
columns. We hold it as an indisputa
BILE fact, that the Representative and
Senators sent to Congress, to a great
extent, reflect the character of their
constituencies, and that in no way
can the character of a people be bet
ter read than in their public men.
We hold that it is the desire of the
Democratic as well as the Republican
party, to elect to place and power
their best representative men, and
that the disposition TO picture our
public men as public plunderers, gam
blers, drunkards, and debauchees, is
contrary to the truth, and is a dero-
gation,n not only of the men denounced,
but of the whole people, and gives to
the world a false impression of the
American people and their represent
tatives. The willingness on the part
of reputable papers to publish such
stuff has made it possible for more
tfnr fot 90
say ''there is not 4 man / know in
public life that / have not at some
time said something mean about.
That there are creatures who some,
times worm their way into public con
fdence who are not worthy, is true
but this fact does not authorize the
license that is taken for the genera
dennnciation of public men that is in
dulged in. particularly by correspon
dents of Democratic papers.
The latest object for the venom o
this Democratic class of scribbler
las been Hon. L. NJ. Bowen, Repub
lican Senator from Colorado, who ha:
been described as ''poker sharp, ;
sort of cowboy in bar-keepers
clothes, rough, who bought bis
seat in the Senate" A stranger OF
looking down from the gallery upon
the Senators below would never from
this description select Senator Bower
as the person alluded to, and should
he be pointed out, they would see 6
slender, quiet, mid toned, thorough
bred gentleman, whose face indicate:
keen comprehensive intelligence anC
culture equal to any Senator on thu
floor. Senator Bowen is a seif-mad'
man who had only his own energ,
and ability to make him what he is
and all the inane nonsense about hi
having purchased his seat is best an
swered in the fact that he had not
thousand dollars in the world when b
was elected, and the other stuff is re
futed in the further fact that his hab
its are those of a gentleman fit to rep
resent the Centennial State that b,
does not gamble, and is in no sense
debauchee. He has thus far modest
ly refrained from any display in tn
Senate, but the occasion will arts
when he will show to the country tina
Ais State dill wisely in selecting hin
as its representative in the Senate.
When the Centennial exhibition
scheme at Philadelphia was started
the hackers came to Congress for I
loan, to be paid out of the receipts
The loan was made, but not repaid
until after lawsuit and considerable
cost to the government. This exhi
bltion was in the nature Of great
national show, but now there comes