The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, D. c, Jan 5, 1888.
The usual New Years parade at the
white house brought to close the ,!ullrst
holiday season Washington has eaper-
fenced In many years just why it has
been so phenomenAlly dull is not easily
explained. but the fact remains. It is
needless again TO describe the Ncw Years
receptions and scenes ut t.tr capitol, for
they have been worn, ihreadbare, as Il
topic. these many years. II is the same
old thing over and over again; rush of
people TO see and be seen; display of
foe toilets; the formal exchange of com
pllments, with lot of fummcry thrown
In. There is music and flowers. military
epaulets, naval uniforms, and the gaudy,
as well as strange, costumes of the rep.
resentatives OF foreign lands, who come
in court dress to mako their salaams TO
the American chief magistrate. After
natural curiosity has been gra.iLed by
witnessing it once, the whole performance
ever after becomes bore to all but those
who are fond of dress parade, or of
mixing with official humbug just because
II is official
All the signs point to very active work
In congress from the start, and 20 an end
OF the present session much earlier than
the long session usually closes. Mr. Ran
dali has already got his appropriations
committee at work, and though his object
is said to be partly to head of MIR. Morrison
and the ways and means committee, it is
expected that the appropriation bill W i'll,
as Il result be advanced with unprecedented
rapidity. When the appropriations ere
out of the way congress is generally ready
to adjourn, but still do not think there
will be any adjournment this year until
some definite action on the tariff question
has been taken. Where McGregor sits is
the head of the table" is an apt saving
which exactly fits the placing OF Mr.. 5 5
Cox on the list OF house committees So,
while no one doubts that by the length OF
service and preeminent attainments MIR.
Cox, If he desired it. was entitled to the
Craftsmanship of the committee on foreign
affairs, yet there is reason to feel gratifed
that the duty of looking after the interests
of our d,caying navy should have fallen
into such capable hands Though the
Naval Affairs may nomlnally be the infer
ior committee, there is no question that
at the present time it IS vastly the more
important one. The herculean task of
rebuilding the navy has just been begun,
and there is nothing to prevent liberal
appropriations for the purpose except the
fear of the jobbery which seems to have
fastened itself so firmly upon every re-
publican administration. Mr. Secretary
"Bill' Chandler has taken occasion to
express himself highly pleased with IL
appointment of Mr.. Cox, which is the
strongest reason the latter could have for
not wishing to serve. Mr. Chandler is
very ELUSIVE on the subject of new YES
sells. He Is not shiphuilder himself, but
he happens TO be intimately acquainted
with man who is-Mr. John Roach,
whose attorney he has always been. There
is even talk of an investigation iuto Mr..
Chandler's methods. in order TO find out
why Roach got all the contracts awarded
under the appropriation of last year.
The recent publication Of the Hunting
ion Cotton correspondence not only al
tracts attention to this great railway mag
nate, but it is not likely to help him much |
in his interests before congress this winter, |
Mr.. Huntington controls altogether more
than $4,000 miles of railroad aud water
routes, aud these enormous
lines are operated under his direction and
in his interest. His great feat is to take
freight from Boston and New York BY |
steamer to Galveston and thence by rail
way to San Francisco, beating the trans
continental freight lines by at least week
fourteen days against twenty-one days.
In a few months the completion of his
new lines east of the Mississippi will give
him control of complete trsuscoutinental
line OF railway, the ocean termini being
Newport News and San Francisco. Thus
he will be the tirst of our railway million
Lires to realize the dream which has
so many OF them Mr.. Hunt
Ington spends good deal of time in
Washington. and always stops at WiIlard's.
His habits are simple and he makes no
display. When he wants to see man
ne generally sends for him. His agent
lere is Mr.. Sheriff.. who attends carefully
o his interests, which are always before
congress in one way and another. This
1ear it is necessary to prevent the revoca-
ion Of the Texas.Pacifc land grant, which,