The Press., 1884-02-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.


 To-day, at the Arlington hotel in this city, the democratic national committee is in session to decide when and where the next nominating convention for president and vice president shall be held. For sev- eral days the hotels have been full of dem- ocratic delegates, several cities striving for the convention being represented by large delegations.
 The financial problem over which the senate has been deliberating for more than a week is likely to be solved by vote to- day. The question is the relation of the funded d. bt to the national banking sys- tenn, and the perplexities of the subject have been great. In the earlier stages of the debate the circumstance which more than any other, impressed the visitor look ing down from the galleries on the law makers in the capitol, was the utter indif- ference to speeches shown by those to whom they were supposed to be address, ed, scarcel y dozen remaining on the floor when any senator arose to make his contribution to the pending debate. h. terest increased, however, as the discus sion progressed, and during the last few days senators have occupied their seats and given close attention to the matter. The national banks have been attacked and defended, and nearly every senator has participated in the controversy. It must be confessed by all, that the present house of representatives eclipses all it's predecessors for downright do-nothtng- ness. Representative Buckner says it is now farther behind in it's business than it has been for the last ten years. The dem- ocrats held an all night session trying to collect quorum containing sufficient number of friends to the Mexican veterans pension bill to make it the special order for Thursday. At eight o'clock Tuesday they succeeded in getting 211 members to answer the roll call, and the motion pass ing the pension bill was considered on that day. The party tried to make capital of this circumstance which they character ized as republican filibustering, when, if their own men had been in their seats they would have had seyenty-fve more mem bers than quorum. The house has pass ed bill reducing postage on transient sec- ond class matter another appropriating one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for Indian education, and has begun the con- sideration of the military academy appro- priation bill.
 As the Danville riot investigation pro- ceeds, some of the developments are that the attack on the defenseless negroes was unprovoked that the whites bought and loaded pistols the morning before the mas sacre; and that armed Danville democrats travelled to distant polls by the car load.
 The city is swarming with Dakotans who have come in behalf of the interest of that immense territory., Some urge upon congress the necessity for opening the Sioux reservation to give railroad and oth- CT facilities to settlers in the Black Hills. Others want statehood others division of the territory in conformity with the wishes as expressed at the polls and through the press.
 At the American prohibition convention now in session in this city Fred Douglass made speech last evening on civil rights He said, among other things, that people talked as If the negro were going to disap- pear like the Indian but that, instead of a blanket and moccasins, the negro want ed 8 coat of the latest Parisian cut That he had taste for civilization, and wanted to be where it had achieved it's greatest triumphs. That as an imitator of advance ment and follower of fashions. he was quite 3 factor in American civilization.
 This is Washington's birthday and it Is being observed as holiday and parade day in this city. The courts and various executive departments are closed, the streets are crowded with pedestrians, mil tary organizations are out in full dress uni form, the drum and fife are filing the air with martial music, and the stars and stripes are floating everywhere, even from the heads of horses attached to street cars, omnibusses, and cabs. The George Wash ington Social Club of Philadelphia are pa rading the streets, presenting many gro tesque features, such as George Washing ton on white pony, kings, queens, In dian chiefs, William Penn, Robinson Cru soc, Goddess of Liberty, and Uncle Sam ia an open barouctle.