The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-02-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,
[From our Regular correspor dent.l

w
While the Senate and House of
Representatives are haggling over
the terms of the Greedy reliefbill, the
latter and his little band of explorers
are daily no doubt drifting further
and further from the possibility of
rescue. 1t is not known whether
they could be found now, or whether
they are still alive, but certainly
every day of time lost must put hope
of rescue further away from them.
The remains of poor De Long and his
comrades will soon be landed on our
shores and their arrival will arouse
fresh sympathies in the hearts of the
people, who demand that action shall
be taken to save Greeley and his gall
liant party. Whether the people de-
sire to encourage any more of these
hazardous expeditions is another
matter. For my own part | believe
they do not. 1t would seem that
enough lives have already been lost
in the useless effort to explore this
Arctic region. which when explored,
can never reveal anything but vast
expanse of icebergs and frozen ais;-
But Greeley and his comrades are
there, having been encouraged to 90,
and it is the first duty owed to hu-
manity TO rescue them if possible.
The little dispute between ex.
Speaker Keifer and Correspondent
Boynton has not been settled yet,
and the more it is stirred up the
worse it gets for Keifer. Probably
the most disguised man, though, is
the unfortunate McGarrahan, who
owns the immortal claim which start
ted the controversy, and who now
sees it led off, side-tracked, as it were
on one of the innumerabIe branch is
sues that have marked its course
through the departments, the courts.
and Congress for the past twenty
years. He has no concern with the
Keifer-Roynton controversy, except
in so far as Mr.. Boynton tried to do
him slight kindness, as almost any
one would who knows his story and
its agitation will probably put him
further off than ever from getting a
hearing on the merits. MAC" takes
his long ramMes about the streets by
night and day. which seem his only
method of working offsurplus actiyi-
ty, more dejectedly than is his wont.
Ii looks as though the rich New
Idria Company would keep HIM out
Of his own for many years longer.
Mr.. Morrison's tariff bill has been
on the whole rather favOrably receiv-
ed as an eminently conservative and
just measure, which aims to make
one step towards needed reforms
without gripping any protected in
dustry. Whether 1t will pass both
houses this session is a question not
easily answered at the present time.
There is tendency to complain of
the expenses of Representative Has
kell's funeral last December, whiclY
cost So, 500, largely for meals, "lunch-
es," cigars, carriages and "sundrleS."
A friend who went along with one OF
these public funerals, that Of Senator
Sumner, says he found that the funer-
al baked meats were not furnished
forth "coldly," nor the funeral mix
ed drinks either. 1t was rather an
irreverent thought how the great
Senator, who like other great men.
was generous liver, would have en-
ioyed it all. Those who complain 10
not do justice to the physiological eff
fects of grief, with which they are,
perhaps, not well acquainted. Sir
John Falstatf explains how signing
and groaning may puff up a man like
a. bladder, and the result of public,
organized woe is always to breed am
inordinate hunger and thirst in the
mourners. So, at least. it appears.
Presidential booms are growing
numerous. New ones springs up
every day. The most astonishing
thing is the apparent inroads made
by Logan on the Administration
strength. 1t looks now as though
there would be nice fight between
Logan and Arthur, which will prob
ably defeat them both. Senator Don
Cameron writes TO friend in Wash
ington that he will not take possess
sion of his seat in the Senate until
after the question of Presidential can
didacy has been settled. He says
that he wants to be out of the way.
because if he interested himself
in behalf Of any candidate the
cry of bossism would be raised in the
convention. 1t cannot be that Don.
is quietly working for the nomination
himself. Such political modesty is
unparalleled.
Professor Henry L. Bergh has been
visiting here during the week. He
ia onoop, no N tod hxy fun niaoao fbo