The Penn's Grove record., 1885-10-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LITTER.
AS tie touch OF frosJ clothes the
streets and PARKS OF Washington III
AutumnaI haes, the city begins to as
sumo II iiyelier and gayer appearance.
stylish equipagcs with their liyeiied
coachmen and footmen, Il sight not Of
ten seen during the summer months,
! now pass frequently up and down the
avenues. The store windows.are bright
with the display of Fall goods, and the
| crowd on the p&yemeats of Pcnnsyi-
wanna avenue daily increase. The no.
tel boarding house kcerecs and roster
aunters. as Well as those who Lave re-
cept,on c istumes and swallow tail suits
to hfe, are making elaborate prepara-
tons for the season; and Members or
Congress throughout the country with
their female encourage begin TO pack
their grip sacks and Saratoga trunks
fer their winters soiuurn vt the Capt.
al.
Few people realize shat a worthless
specimen Of the geaus homo the aver
age Congressman is. Not every Mem
Der CT Congress is as trueiy good a ma
as that paragon of eioquence and bene-
Violence who represents the readers dis
trict. The other kind is one who, hav-
ing, by dint Of llattering speeches, de-
lusiye promises, and readily spent mon-
e.. being elected to iii a place in tie
Legislature, lis slippery and aceommo-
dating memory easily forgets all the
pr6G.iscs on which he has climbed to
his rost. honorable in itself, but dis
hon0red while in his possession. Mar
cissus-like, he is lost in admiration Of
his own image, and perhaps forgets
the purpose for which he was elected,
which MAJ have been to vote against
an increased tariff Oh wool, or to urge
an appropriation for improyeihg the
Moth Fork Of Little Muddy Ran. So,
during the winter session, lie spends
the greater Iart of his tine III the par
lors and dining saloons OF hotels and ~
yarieus placeM mar shrs.n m ard m
terest. Du< / wasS hours daily
That lie is exia On 'epe i'll the House
Of the Senate, D ttngea in an easy
chair or OIL d s5lN inokng reading the
newspapers, g~ossiPfilg With female
lobbyists i'll the waiting rooms, AMI
flirting With gallery goddesses. IL
pays little a:t,n.ign to TIC aeba.eS that
are aLoat matters outside the area Of
his lariCv district; and can always BE
relied upon to ycte ior 1T adjournment.
When two years haze almost e~laiSel,
and he realizes that lis term of Office
is about 10 expire, nc roISes himself
from his lethergy, and disiiking to re-
linqGish liza gole in the great DRAMA OF
history, lie Sets one Of the many litter
AIRY fellows" wiio ave always tilng.as
arouI.l to Ylite hiu i speech, waica he
reads to empty chaiss in Calgtess, and
sends several hundred copies OF the
Congressional Record ia which it Is
to his constituents. Aud 3hen
tAe end Of his term comes, his ex:;
public life reminds one not of a
s.ar, bnt rather resembles a drou-
stick.
Tbs is not IN exaggerated type of
craftsmanship in Washington. There
are II u anyllka lin that he is not con-
.ficuous for le iolclcs or stupidity. The
that the Iiissi0n Of leadership is
pt,t is a mistake. There are few PROM
'hcnt Ii,en Oh both sides Who direct leg-
aud the rest are but followers.
Although The vote Of the dullest MEM
Jer counts aS MITCH as that of a Dan
ie. Webster, he gets his cue fio:n his
and is able to vo,e without dis
3taee TO himself or disaster 10 his
country.
But it is not strange that legislation
;sss ana that bills are sen. I0rt,i haf
~ wiiea 81 many Of the peoples
axe unqualified by mind, edsca-
ion, or aspiration for the tie work OF
AHeh las been said and writer re-
EMILY about the form Of the Civil SER
ice. a radical reform III The legisla-
I'VE eIHiee is most urgent. Iii Mr..
Adtheglangs, and Mr.. Set-Em-Up
compelled to pass a linp,sitive
'%iIa.Na ion they would never attain
heir places in the Senate OF House.
:. c.