Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-01-12
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
The Newly Published Congressional Di- rectory-The Oldest and Ihe Young est Senators- Rnsecrans has
 the big A Autobiography
Resular correspondence Of the cmzrSI

Regular reoere-poudeuce Of the CTIzEN.l
 DEcEMHEE 3lst, 1883.
 The holiday season is dull one pol Itally. Still there has been DO dea5,h ol political gossip aud criticism; Speaker Carlisle's committee appointments hay- ing furnished a topic that is not yet ex- hadsted. There Is no committee in which the people do not have some in- terest, and of course,the personnel have been analysed with reference to the action the committees may be expected to take in the legislation committed to their charge. The Ways and Means committee Is criticized and praised; that on Banking and Currency has also its advocates and detractors. This commit tee Is in favor because certain man IS at itR head and various others are de- nounced because certain men who ought to be at the heads of them are not. Notwithstanding there are individual cases of hardship and dissatisfaction, the verdict of the nonpGrti>an element of the country ls, that Mr. Carlisle has done well under hls enormous resposi- bility.
 Nor has there been complete stagnancy in political work during the week. Sev- eral of the new committee have held meetings in the capitol and mapped out plans for future procedure. AIr. Ran dal called meeting of the Appropria- tion committee within an hour after the | committees were announced. When 1t met last Wednesday and selected three | bills for the action of congress, the first | real business Of the session was begun. | Few people aside from the small number whose business 1t ls tO | handle the material know how | great IS the accumulation of work aWa.t- | ing congress; nor how steadily the quan- | titv IS increasing. Measures proposing | legislation introduced during the first | month of this con gress are SIX hundred per cent greater than those introduced l during the first month of the preceding | congress. One House committee alone J of the tifty-seven has before # eighty | four bills and some resolutions.
 ! Mr. Morrison foreshad1ved Lis policy | as chairman of the Ways and Means ! Committee. iu a talk, n which he sad 1 the democrats were dete-rrmIuel upon ! a reduction of the sugar tariff, and laat they hoped to get such blil through the committee and before the House some time in January. Tho c0utsE- | plated raid on sugar IS courageous move, and will most likely ahenatc the Louisiana democracy, to whom high | tariff on sugar k decidedly a "iOcal l issue" This danger Is admitted, but l compensatiug increase Of strength in states which have been republican on sectional issues, IS counted on. The democrats know their course in this matter will be very carefully watched. The problem Is an interesting one, and its presence in tkc coming campaign will lnfuse an element of uncertainty as to the result, which will tend to make the struggle very exciting.
 In the newly published congressional directory the largest autobiography i= that Of Representative RosecrBus. ot California: the shortest that of Repre- sentative Skinner, of North Carolina.
 The oldest senator IS Norrlll, of Yer mont: the youngest, kenna, of West Virginia. The oldest and youngest Rep resentgtives are Judge Kelly and Mr. Post, both of Pennsylvania, born re- spectively in lSl4 and 1854
 But I will turn from politics tO sweet charity" which has been a feature of the week m Washington Friday Was yh- field day when two thousaud hungry children were fed by the Christmas Club. I attended the festivities which were held at the National Rifles armOry on q street, but the same scenes were witnessed at all the club dinners. Al
 the appointed hour the Irchins began to present their tickets tO the man at the door and creep timIiiy into the dining hall as if they were crawling under a circus tent. There We're children of all sizes, all ages, ali styles of prettiness and ugliness. There were children ou crutches, children club footed, and children otherwise dt
 formed. Children dressed in every variety of garment but all very poor. They were brought in from the narrow alleys, and sQualid quarters of the city, and the god cheer they enjoyed that day had never before been included in
 their range of possibilities. After din
 ner they were marched mp stairs to the ball room where were three heavily laden Christmas trees. To lively music by the Marine band, the children re- ceived their presents. Upon leaving the
 hall each child was given car ticket and
 tin horn. Each horn was thoroughly tested as It was taken from the big box making the noise deafening. Nellie Arthur, the Presidents young daughter was assigned a prominent part III | Al . entered the hall during the festivities l arI rasaiy-al an .yaEior