Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-12-19
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.

The House and Senate assembled IN
the bright double dawn of a perff ct
Monday morning and an approach
ing Democratic Administration.
The Presidents valedictory message
was received AMI read with the usual
formalities. The tariff which it was
said might not. could, would and
should not come up this Winter,
" bobbed up serenely' Oh the first
day of the session, anu it is more
than probable that i. viii bob up
again and again during The present
session. The most prominent ques-
ton in American polit'cs today is
how 10 deal with the sur.,us reye-
nues, and this question mot be
treated without stepping on The very
sensitive toes of Tariff. The reve-
nues Of the Government exceed the
expenditures by more than one hun
drcd millions annually. What shall
be done with this surplus-this dead
capital? All, there's the rub.
Some say, build navies, deepen har-
bors, dig bitches. Others say, apply
it to the extinction of the national
debt. \ school of homeopathic
statesmen land they are not SO bal
either) wish to cheaper postage and
patents, and improve mail facilities.
A school of allopathic statesmen de-
sire to reduce the conSested Treasury
by heroic doses Of free blankets, free
sugar, and free raw material. A
dangerous quack and charlatan pro-
posed the unconstitutional remedy
OF distributing the tap shoot of the
"root of evil among the State
governments. Mr.. Hurd and Mr..
Hewitt are anxious to do something
this session. Mr.. Carlisle is of opin-
ion that nothing can be accomplished
in the sixty-three working days that
remain to the present Congress.
But sooner or later something must
and will DO done. The supreme
question of the time cannot be evad-
ed by Congress forever.
Mr.. Blaine arrived in the city yes
terday with his family and drove to
the elegant house he has rented from
ex-senator Window. 1t is said he
will resume work on his alleged his.
tory. The ex-candidate looks quite
as we'll as when he left the city last
June. I mean his health appears to
be as good as then, but the cyclonic
agitation of his vaulting ambitious
life has given him a demoralized sort
of an expression. Gen. Logan looks
that way too, but he is used to it,
and is not as much downcast as he
appeared to be seven years ago when
the great Western Independent party
and Judge David Davis beat him in
the race for the Senate.
The Democratic members aud Seu-
ators are brimful of happiness, but
they carry their joy more decorously
than many expected. Only few of
them slop over.
1t is on the Washington Govern
ment clerk that the pail of defeat
has settled like wet blanket. 1t
may be seen in the detected hav-
ior of his visage," in his heavy gait,
in his voice, from which the defiant
note has departed. He would be an
object of pity if he were more of man
and patriot, and less soulless parti-
san and heartless mercenary. 1t is
impossible to have compassion on
the thieves who stole the Presidency
in 1876, or on their dependents who
have eaten the bread of theft so long.
There is much talk about the in.
auguration and the dedication OF the
Washington monument. Admiral
Dupont's monument will also be
dedicated this Winter. Monuments
bid fair to be the principal industry
Of the capital city, and the next GEN.
sus will show wonderful increase
of bronze Generals, Admirals,
horses, etc. Several more statues
are under way, and it is curious
fact that not half of the residents of
Washington know who half of the
statues are for. Lincoln, Washing
ton and General Scott have two
apiece, and small squadron of gen.
erals of the late war have equestrian
statues. We are the youngest and
least warlike of all the nations of the
earth, ard yetwe have q larger num-
Der of monuments of war than
Franco or Germany.
There is strong inclination among
Democrats to return to the simplicity
of the fathers in the Inauguration of
the President-elect. Thomas Jeffer-
son bestrode his good horse and rode
alone to the capital, tied his horse to
o post and went in and took the oath
of Office. Mr.. Cleveland might do
the same thing. The post has been
removed, but he could get colored
citizen to hold the horse for five
cents. Dem.