McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-05-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., May IS, 1884.

as to be here where nobody, not even
Congress, has any use for him. While
the politicians have carefully shelyed
him, because they dared not trust
him, they seem to be vieing with
each other in giving him a character
for the satisfaction of future employees.
Yet Arthur himself has not given up
the ghost by a long shot. Though he
failed, with all his tremendous pat
ronage and working and wire
working experience in New York,
to get half the delegation in his own
State, he has the temerity, or might
say impurdence, at least, to still con-
slider himself in the field. The anti
Blaine papers, such as the New York
Times, the Post and Harper's Weekly,
are pouring hot shot into the Blaine
camp, but they have about as much
effect as the water on ducks back.
Blaine is running his canvas for all
it is worth, and he has run too many
of them not to know how. While
his sun-stroke business killed him in
1876, and the Mulligan letters in 1880,
he believes that the effect of all that
was then charged up against him has
worn off, but once let him get the
Chicago nomination and you will see
him shown up with as crooked a record
as has been exhibited to public view
since the days of Martin Van Buren,,
and with still more vituperative
campaign.
The unwilling Of the statue Of Chief
Justice Marshall, last Saturday, was
rather tame affair, although no more
so than the statue itself, which is
simply an addition to the already
large stock of cheap bronze and
hybrid marble worked into all posi-
bic styles OF grotesqueness that con-
front us all over the city. Really one
cannot compass the motives that have
inspired the raising Of these hideous
monstrosities at nearly every street
corner. With the possible exception
Of Clark Mills equestrian statue Of
Gen. Jackson, | know Of no single
work here that possesses the slightest
merit, for the figures are not only
poorly executed, but the faces have
no resemblance whatever to the
originals And the cost of some Of
these unartistic abortions is simply
fabulous, beause they were ordered
by Congress and the Government
foots the bills. The statue of McPher-
son, which is as unlike him as the
sculptor could possibly make it, is set
down as having cost $4,000, and
would be dear at any price. The
Jackson statue cost $50, 900, and the
rest of them all the way from $4,000
to $4,000 each. The poor soldiers
and sailors put in their mites to that
monumental burlesque at the Capitol
entrance, called the Peace Monument.
This pile cost over 100000, one
half Of which was contributed by
Congress. Although commemorative
Of peace, the sight of this marble
abomlnation makes a true American
want to 90 a-slugging after the sculp-
tor. If there IS anything in the statue
line more positively ludicrous than
this, [ do not know what it is unless
it be Greenough's Washington on
the east side Of the Capitol, which
cost $4,000, and is as awkward
piece of business as ancient or modern
times has produced. 1t represents
George Just out of the bathtub, with
one towel over his knees and another
over his right shoulder, while i'll bis
hand is strange looking sort CT an
instrument, OF the knife pattern, with
which he is evidently about to pare
his toe-nails He is seated in chair,
and this char is the only single re-
deeming feature about the entire
work. 1t is elaborate to the finest
carvings necessary to display the
lineaments of the animal faces upon
its arms. Providentially, the inscrip-