Smyrna times., 1884-12-10
For the Smyrna Times
Washington letter.


The first week of the possible thir- /.
teen of the Congressional session has !
passed and it is difficult to find enough /
proceedings to base an obituary on.
An immense number of bills have been
introduced and boundless lot of talk |
INDUCED in, but when that is said,
there is not much to tell The COM
mittees, however, are hard at work,
and some of them promise to submit
some bills before the holidays.
The House committee on post Offices
and post roads have a number of i'm
portant bills on their list, to which they
intend to ask the early attention of
Congress. Among these are the postal
telegraph bill, another which regulates
the mail contract system more careful
ly, a third which changes the basis Of
compensation to railroads for carrying
the mails, and fourth which deals
with the letter rate of postage. All
these are matters of importance and
| should get hearing. 1t is to be doubt
ed, however. if the committee is wise
III putting the postal telegraph ut the
head of their list, as this subject is one
of great difficulty and sure to excite a
prOtracted debate. They would do
better to follow the example of the
1 shipping and public lands committee
and present first to the House those
measures on which there will be little
/ OF no controversy:
/ The contest over the New York SEN
/ atOrship excites much interest here,
and the progress of the fight is eagerly
watched. Hon. Frank Hiscock has
4 left his place in the House and gone to
/ New York in order to put himself in
/ good position for the Senatorial light
ming to strike him. saw Hon.
Stephen French, Of the Empire State,
a day or two ago when he was in
Washington with a committee of Re
pubicans to confer with President
Arthur i'll regard to the SenatOrship.
At first he refused to be interviewed,
but after a moment he reconsidered
and said / don't mind saying that the
President is willing to accept the sena-
tOrship if it shall come to him in the
right way-as the practically unani-
nous offer Of the Republicans. But
he will not enter into any scramble,
and as for any of his friends steering
him in the race or making contest,
he will not permit anything of that
kind. | viii say further that | believe
when the Repubhcans-the members
of the legislature, l mean-cOme to
consider the matter, they will see that
the right thing, the proper thing to do
is to elect President Arthur. think
any man who studies the politics of
New York ut present can see that. In
my opinion, it will become so apparent
in the interest of the Republican party
that the President is the man for the
:, place, that his election will be prac-
ticaliy unanimous. In that case he
will accept. You can say that"
Leaving Mr.. Arthur's personality
out of the question, there are many
considerations of a public character
that make the election to the Senate OF
a man who has served in presidential
, Office desirable. No man acquires sc
extensive and thorough a knowledge
of public affairs as the President. He
is brought in contact with representa-
tive men from every part of the cOun
try and is made to understand the
= merits Of every matter of public con
= Germ. Through his Cabinet he ac
f quaints himself with the essential prin
4 ciples and incidents of our foreign anC
Y domestic policy, and by personal anC
t confidential intercourse with diploma
= fists, politicians, and business men o
a every type he acquires a fund of in
5 formation and "a familiarity with tn,
j detail Of government which preemi
l. nently qualify him for legislative fuuC
c tionS. II has been proposed, on thl
q account, to admit our ex-Presidents L
C a seat in Congress. Such a step might
Il perhaps, be Il too radical departur
I, from the principles of the government
n but it is pity to lose the services q
s. men so peculiarly fitted for a share i
If the councils of the nation, and on tina
n account it is matter for congratulate
1t when circumstances permit their It
is tention in public life.
$. The capstone of the Washington
e. Monument was set on Saturday at
.e o'clock in the presence Of a small part
v of invited guests. Although tn
1t Obelisk is now completed, there
ID much work still to be done. PrObabl
the most important matter remainin
- is the design for the base of the mont
ment, which has not been selected ye
Much finishing work remains to be a
ct tended to on the interior. The mem'
fl rial stones are placed in the interiC
is wall, and those in charge are eXerci
ing a fine taste in drawing the line bt
tween those that are to be excluded G
- account of serving advertisements
10 the donors, and those which can pro
'y erlv be used The American flag no
floats from the flagstaff at the apex
v. the monument at height Of 600 fec
id | hear that anumber of naval Office
90 are likely to be dispatched to Nicar
ne qua at an early day to look over Il
canal route again. LENOX.
=, Washington, December s, 1884.