Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-11-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Nov. %. f0S

WASHINGTON LETTER.
i WASHINGTON, Nov. %, 1884.
/ Congress will be here in ten days
1t may safely be affirmed that it il
not coming to work. Indeed, with
the present political outlook, could
it be expected to settle down com
posedly, for the short, second term,
to a mass ofunfinished business com.
ing over from last summer Mem
bers will come fresh from the dis
tracing circumstances attending re-
election or defeat, and there will be
the excitement of an electoral count
added to the usual rush of the lat
ter end OF a Congressional term. 1t
will be late in January before Con-
gress will begin the necessary work
of the session, the Appropriation
bills. All this is as it should not be !;
and if Congress would do nothing
more this winter than bring about
reform as to the time of holding
sessions. SO that there might be pro-
per deliberation on the measures be-
fore it, it would have met to good
purpose.
Active preparations for the OPEN
ing Of Congress are in progress at
the Capitol. Many changes and i'm
provements have been made during
the vacation, and sixteen new rooms
have been added by enlarging the
wings of the building. The Hall of
the House of Representatives has
been newly carpeted and chairs and
desks are in position awaiting their
old occupants. After necessary re-
novation employees are adding the
last touches, repalnting and renew
ing defaced frescoes. In the Senate
cloak room, each Senator has been
provided with wardrobe on which
Is printed his name in guilt letters.
Another improvement is that wash
stands have been removed to an in
visible corner of the cloakroom, and
Senators will not be seen as hereto.
fore, from the Senate galleries, in
the act of washing their hands, and
cleaning their teeth.
Between now and the re assemb-
ling of Congress, President Arthur
will devote some time to clearing off
bis appointment docket. His most
recent important appointment was
that of Mr.. Clarke to be Commits
sioner OF Pensions, in place of Mr..
Dudley, resigned. His next step
will be to select a Commissioner of
Labor Statistics. As their are more
than fifty letters OF application for
this Office, many of which are well
endorsed. it is not safe to venture a
prediction as to whom the President
may name.
Every member of the Cabinet, and
every important head of Bureau is
at present in the city. They are
busy getting up their reports to be
submitted to Congress. At Cabinet
meetings, the Presidents message to
Congress, and the annual reports of
the Cabinet officers are the pricipal
subjects discussed.
Naturally there is mach depres-
sion over the result of the election.
The thousands of men, women and
children who are dependent on the
Government for food, clothing and
shelter, feel that they will need
every nickel they can scrape toge-
Their in order to get away from here.
What to do then, or where to go,
half of them cannot tell. But it is
clear they cannot live in Washing
ton after their occupation is gone.
Experience has proved that when
ever and wherever the Democrats
have gained political acendency,
they have seized all they could see
and asked for more. They were
always hungry enough for Office, but
during the last twenty FIVE years
the bottom has been completely
knocked out of their appetite. They,
began their advance upon Washing.
ton long before the doubt of the
Presidential contest died away
They can be seen now at any hour
of the day reconoitering the Depart
ments aud trying to find out how
places are to be obtained. Some
have ignorantly asked ifapplications
for office are placed on file in the
Departments.
The night the Democrats we're
Ijubilating here United States SEN
ator remarked to me, Yes this is
big procession, but just wait until
the fourth day Of next March. The
mob that will march in and take pos
session of che city on that day will
mash Grover Cleveland into the
earth il be gets in their WAY. Thar