The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-10-25
Latest from the Capital.


The city of Washington in her most
gorgeous toilet of fresh paint, pressed
brick fronts, and machine swept streets,
is ready for the return of the Govern
ment, and to be again recognized as the
Capital of the nation. Society, with
passe smile, stands on the threshold of
the winter season, somewhat eclipsed by
politics just now, but after the 4th oil
November, she will have her day and her
night too.
The President reoccupied the White
House very quietly on last Tuesday. He
has been tolerably busy during the week,
signing an accumulation of papers that
require the Executive signature, but his
labors are not of the harrassing kind,
On Thursday he moved out to Soldiers
Home where his young daughter and her
cousin Miss McElroy have been living for
two weeks. Mrs. McElroy, the Presi-
dents sister, will not return to the White
House until the Christmas holidays.
Meanwhile the household will be in
charge of servants. The President seems
TO be disposed to end his few Presidential
days in peace. He drives daily to Sol
diers Home as soon as he disposes of Ex-
ecutive business.
There is no truth whatever in the
gossip about wedding at the White
House this winter.
Hon. L. P. Morton, U. 8. Minister to
France has been in Washington during
the past week. He will return to Paris
next month. He has made a successful
Minister. Old fashioned diplomacy has
been superseded by journalism and tele-
graph wires; while fnesse is fast giving
way to plain talk and common sense.
The role of foreign minister consists
chiefly in giving big dinners. The
amount of money Minister Morton spends
to keep up his grand establishment with
its retinue of twenty servants, horses and
carriages is said to be but little less than
$4,000 per annum. Mr.. Astor, our Min
lister at Rome probably spends as much
as Mr.. Morton does.
In six weeks Congress will assemble
for a session that must terminate in three
months. No time will be wasted in Or
ganization, for that work was well done
last year. There is an immense amount
OF business on the calendars, and many
important bills are well advanced-some
of them as far advanced as they ever will
be, for each of the two houses will put a
quietus on some of the measures thai
have passed the other.
The November election will be almost
month old when Congress meets; the
tremendous excitement of the bitter con
test will have subsidized, and the immuta.
hle decree of the ballot box will have
been ACCEPTED. The chances are highly
favorable for b1sy and useful session.
in which the public good WI be deemed
quite as important as partisan 's .sSESee
tages.
But there is no hope at all that the on
great work most imperatively demanded
the reduction of taxes will be per
formed. On the contrary, we shall, in al
probability, continue for some years t.
raise eighty or hundred millions NOR
than the needed revenues, piling VI
money in our vaults to tempt to extrava
gance and corruption.
The citizens of Washington, whethe
in or out of office, are almost to man
woman and child, in favor of the cleo
ton of Mr.. Blaine. 1t is a question o
convenience with them. They do no
wish to be disturbed by strangers. Gre
GERS, butchers, shopkeepers, cooks an
chambermaids are all Republicans, be
cause their customers Or employers are q
that party. The present order of thing
is good enough for them, or, at leas
they do not wish to be put to the troubl
of forming new commercial and indus
trial relations with a horde of hard u
and economical Democrats.
The pyramidal capstone of the Wash
ington monument is completed and stand
in the sheds of the monument grounds
The workmen say that many people, es
pecially young ladies, insist on perchin
themselves upon this stone, in order
say that they have stood upon the ape
of the Washington monument. Thi
involves standing upon space six fee
square and five feet from the ground
which to most of the ladies who try it,
as dizzy an experiment as it would be 70
the average monument workman to stan
upon the very summit of the complete
monument.