Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-02-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 1885. Con
gress' has talked much during the
week, and has called the yeas and
nays several scores Of times, but as
usual, very little real business has
been accomplished. The Nicaragua
treaty was killed in the Senate; there
was oratory against dynamiters, and
talks about Pacific Railway. debts
and Inter State Commerce. In the
House appropriations were in order,
notably the River and Harbor bill,
the counting of the electoral votes
was fixed for the eleventh instant,
and there was no little filibustering
for the precedence of bills.
: The River and Harbor bill embra-
ces feature that provokes fierce
opposition. 1t practically creates
two Offices for the benefit of Capt.
Eads, one as superintendent of Miss
issippi river improvement and anoth
er as chief engineer of the work on
Galveston harbor. Some Western
members complain that there is too
much Eads in the bill, that it savors
too strongly of favoritism.
The business of Congress this SEES
sion has been much delayed, and
much legislation will be defeated be-
cause Democratic members are afraid
of doing something that might con-
fiict with the plans of the new ad-
ministratiOn. The party was never
more unsettled in its purposes than
now. 1t is simply drifting, drifting,
without helm or compass. The Re-
publicans rather enjoy the dilemma
of their opponents and are willing to
help them do nothing, thus leaving
some troublesome questions to be set
tied after the fourth of March. Some
Democrats are alarmed at the sitna-
ton and think it will be necessary
to have an extra session of Congress.
The fact is that the Democratic fac
tions are so bitterly opposed to each
other that neither will move for fear
the other will raise a row. The re-
cent conference invited by Mr.. Cleve-
land with Mr.. Randall and the
Speaker Of the House, provokes the
remark that the Presidentelectl lacks
the decision with which he has been
credited. 1t shows he does not en-
force a policy of his own in spite of
discordant leaders. It is thought
there will be quite an exodus of
Democratic Statesmen from Wash
ington to New York City this week
for the purpose of giving Mr.. Cleve-
land the benefit of their advice.
What is the parable about the blind
leading the blind? Various delega-
tions are preparing to call on him in
behalf of favorite aspicants for Cabi-
net positions.
Executive session leakings are
much commented upon, and COM
planned of by certain secretive Sena-
tors who would not for their lives,
diyulge what occurs in secret ses-
sion. One of the guarded States
men said, the other day, i consid-
er it highly dishonorable for Sena-
tor to indicate either the subject or
the matter of a debate that takes
place during all executive session.
Comment is Unnecessary" continued
he, "but somehow or other the pub
lie manages to find out things that
happen within our closed doors.
Somebody gives it away"
When President Arthur gives up
the White House to his successor on
the fourth Of March, he will be the
guest of Secretary Frelinghuysen
until he leaves Washington. At
present the White House is well fill
ed with guests, intimate friends of
the President and his sister Mrs.
McElroy. A new plan has been
adopted at the Executive Mansion
of having the cloak rooms up stairs.
In defending to the presence cham
Der y guests must go the full length
of the mansion on the first floor and
half it's length Oh the second. In a
densely packed throng of ladies and
gentlemen the agony of a jam is
protracted and fatigue much increas-
ed as compared with the old way of
having all down stairs. Last Tues
day evening three quarters of an
hour was consumed by some of the
guests in going from the cloak room
up stairs to the Blue Room below,
where the President and those re-
ceiving him stood. In the unavoid-
able crush such sad havoc befalIs
handsome toilets, especially those Of
gossamer, tulle, lace and bugles,
that full dress reception is no long.
er an event to be rejoiced at by the
ladies'.
Preparations for the inaugural
bali at the new Pension building are
going steadily on. 1t is great and
expensive undertaking to get the
vast enclosure, merely surrounded
now by rough, naked walls, no floors
beneath or roof above, ready for the
festival. The cost of fitting it up
will be much greater than attended
the arrangements for the inaugural
ball four years ago. The National
Museum IN which that was held,
was then nearly completed, and III
this instance ball room must be
evolved from an apparent chaos of
brick and mortar. This will be the
grandest in size, however, and per-
haps the most imposing in effects
that was ever before provided for a
similar occasion.
In New York Monday there was