The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-04-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Abr. 16. ,

uag IOll sun up VII sun uOWn, tne
great majority of people seem to have
some employment-something to keep
them busy. The large concourse of
men and women, boys and girls, the
black and the white, the red man, and
the yellow man, the young and old,
the lame and the halt, the rich and
poor, seen on the streets in all direc-
tions-surging to and fro-all seem to
have some object in view, and the
great mass Of them move at such Il
"break-neck" speed as to make an OBJ
server think their lives depended upon
1t. After certain hour in the even
ing the crowd dwindles down to a
very small one, and quiet, on ordinary
occasions, is once more restored
Just at this time you win hear more
OF politics in Johnson City, Jonesboro
and Elizabethton in one week, than
you will hear in Washington in two
months. | don't mean to say that
the subject is not mentioned here, and
that politics is unknown to the place,
but want to make the point that it
interferes less with business and bust
ness men in this city than perhaps
any other place on the continent. OF
course the subject is thoroughly dis
cussed in the hotels and such public
places, but this is Il might say) only
at night. There being no election
held here except for presidential del
egates to the National Convention
every four years, the excitement is very
little. Politicians from the states do
most of the talking in the smoking
apartments of the hotels. Men from
every point of the compass meet in
these places and tell of the wonderful
powers of their respective candidates
for President. Every side is well rep
resented in these hotel discussions
the greenbacker, the independent
the bowling, babbling democrat, the
blating, black radical, and the the
man for the side that wins. Some
times it seems useless to hold either
convention at Chicago, as the nomi
nations can be made here without 90
ing to so much trouble and expense.
a teacher in one of the city schools
S the other day asked the children what
: kind of government existed in the Dis
trict OF Columbia. One little girl wen
home and propounded the question t.
, her father. He was very much puz
zled. He said to her that it isn't eithe
a Kingdom, Empire, Republic or De
), mocracy. 1t has neither Gar Empo
ror King nor President-but appear
;, to be an institution with three head
and one body.
Jefferson said that governments de
rive their just powers from the consen
:. of the governed, but that proposition
don't fit, for we never consented to an
such thing. 1t certainly wasn't a gov
, ernment of the people, by the peopl
= and for the people, for as matter c
fact the people have mighty little to d
with it." The girl then asked if it wa
a monarchy, either absolute or limited
= and her father pointed out the al
sence of royal families to prove tina
" it couldn't be. He finally told her t
tell the teacher that "this district wa
' a small protectorate of the Unite
, States, chiefly used as city Of refug
: for surplus statesmen that were slight
ly run down at the heel at home"
Last night the primaries were hel
20 in different sections of the city for tn
k purpose of choosing voters to meet 6
the convention to day and elect tn
p district delegates to the Chicago Coz
ID vention. At some places the voter
were as boisterous and noisy as the
could be. Many fights happened
~ brick-bats, clubs and knives were uset
ut and to-day many poor wretches hay
IT. their persons adorned with bruise
cuts and mashed hands. The troub
that particularly refer to happene
NJ in part of the city called "hell's DO
~. tom," where the colored people are
NJ the majority. No firearms were use
90 but had it not been for the polio
,,o men it is hard to tell what would ha,
- happened.
To-day the delegates have been tr
ing to organize the convention-bl
up to a late hour tonight nothing WI
, n accomplished. Policemen line ii
in, streets in front of Wizards Hall whe
he the convention is held, as if to que
and quiet some impending mob.
ed person not living here would.think {
he election would certainly be conductt
in quietly in Washington City, but it is
mistake what have seen and hea
lid convinces me that no place is fir
on from the dangers that go with ele
not tions. 1t is wonderfully strange he
differences in opinion will give rise
such deadly animosity between C,
re, tain classes of men. Such men oug
eet to be Gagged, and not allowed to roa
eut at large any more than other anim'
but whose nature it is TO thirst for bloc
is. Mr. Editor, | would like to talk sol
ice ON the tariff nnnstinn hut il is [