The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-01-03
GOTHAM GOSSIP.
Correspondence of the Democrat.
i. New YORK, Dec, 80, 1883.

buriHS Tue past lew days New
York hotels have been filed with pol
itIcai magnates of all descriptions.
| met a leading New York Congress
mar at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the
political rendezvous, last evening.
Referring to the vote in favor of
Reeds bill providing for the institu
ton of a committee to examine into
the results of q sale of liquor. Task
ed: us the Democratic party going
to become the advocate of prohibi.
tion?' No" he replied, "the vote
means nothing of that kind, but the
large number of Democratic repre-
sentatlves who voted in favor of it
meant to show thereby that there is
no foundation in fact for the cry OF
"Rum and Democracy" The Dem
ocratic party is more honest on the
Temperance question than the Re
publican party. 1t is not in favor Of
prohibition 10 sane mar or body OF
men can be, but it is ready and anx
ious to regulate the tariff in liquor in
a rational manner, 50 that it does
little or no possible harm"
The boom in favor of the renomi
nation of President Arthur has been
growing to such dimensions that his
opponents in his own party have at
last seen fit to take steps to counter
act it. The statement of Elk Senator
Platt that if Mr.. Arthur we're renom-
mated, New York State could not be
carried for the Republican party,
naturally was a bomb shell in the
camp OF the dear fellows to whose in
terest it is to keep "Chet" in office.
Of course the man ut the bottom of
the opposition is no other than Ros
coe Conkling. A man who is very
intimate with the whilom Utica Adj
onis, said to me the other day: "AIr.
Conkling has at present a splendid
law business, and is making more
money than he ever did in his life,
but though he likes the law, he hun
gers for the excitement ofactive poll
tics, and you need not be in the least
surprised to see him in the arena
again, the moment something worth
fighting for turns up. He and Blaine
are very much alike. They cannot
permanently stay away from the
smoke and powder of the p%olitic"l
battlefield" These remarks are very
significant for they indicate that the
love feast among Republican ranks
has only an ostensible existence, and
that is only a question of time before
the guests at the festive board will
be ready to fall upon each other, and
in the language of the great Boston
philosopher. MI. John l.. Sullivan,
will knock each other out.
Thank God! Christmas is over,
and n a put ones hand to other
uses than perpetually diving in ones
pocket for money. Indeed, a mans
lot is an unhappy one. 1 do not even
allude 10 the expenditures for his
own family and friends, bat to the
thousand and one outside affairs.
Every body's hand is open on the
day before Christmas. The Earoer
who shaves you in the morning init
mates that he has not smoked a good
cigar since he had consumed those
that you gave him last Christmas.
The boy who brushes your coat and
polishes your boots expects fifty
cents instead of the usual ten. The
ticket seller at your elevated railroad
station smokes, and Sc does the gate,
man and the conductor Of the train
with which you usually ride down
town. Then the man who has charge
of the elevator in the building in
which your business is, has a little
box decorated with evergreens etc,
with a little card of merry Christ
mas" and as you happen to glance
at it, he remarks in an innocent tone
that he left the opening large enough
for the admission of silver dollars.
Tor says he, a good many tenants
carry coin instead of paper money,
and no one would think of puttin.
in less than a dollar. Then your
office boy looks expe, sant. The let
ter carrier stops to chat for a moment.
The news dealer wishes you a Merry
Christmas. The old woman who
washes your windows looks. in on
you. When you go to lunch, the
waiter at the restaurant makes such a
fuss e you as to destroy your APP
petite almost. Then some of your
lady friends who are interested in
some mission or other charity affair
look you up. and thus by the time
the day is over you go home out of
pocket and out of temper, and wish
yourself somewhere about the North
Pole where you will not be pestered.
The churches this year spent less
money for decorations than in form
er years. There was of course the
conventional wreaths and garlands
etc., but the immense floral display
which greeted the eye in many fash
ionable a ed edifices were missing,
and one can hardly regret this re
to common sense. Two years
ago n church in Fifth Avenue spent
two thousand dollars for floral decora-
tlons for Christmas. This year but
little over two hundred dollars was
laid out, and the balance of the mon.
ey went for charitable purposes. A
new feature this year was the fashion
introduced by the leading hotels and
bar rooms of giving elaborate Christ
mas GInners to their regular custom
ers ut their bars. The e n in many
instances were extremely elaborate,
Offering dinners for which Delmonico
would charge from five to seven dol
Iars a cover. One might Judge from
what an enormous profit there
must be in the liquor business, and
what al enormous amount of drink
Is consumed in bar-rooms.
JOHN.