News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-01-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Republicans holding everything.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
Dec. 27. 1884.
Congress has labored for three
weeks. and, like the mountain, has
brought forth mouse, the only meas
ure agreed upon and receiving the
signature of the President, being the
bill fixing the Inauguration of the
Washington Monument on Saturday,
February 21st, instead of Sunday,
the 22d. An adjournment has taken
place until January 5, so that it may
be stated that five weeks will have
been spent for nothing.
There are many important meas
ures that demand attention, but the
two houses seem to prefer to fight
over those that will not become laws
than to act upon those that there is
possibility and necessity for passing.
The Senate has wasted nearly three
weeks on the bill to admit Dakota as
a State, when it is positively known
that the House will not pass it. The
House has devoted three weeks to the
Reagan Interstate Commerce Bill
and is still laboring over it, when it
is equally clear that the Senate will
not pass it. Both Houses are at a
deadlock over the Naval Appropria-
ton Bill, the Senate justly demanding
an increase of the Navy, and the
House refusing dollar for that pur.
pose until after the Inauguration of
PresideHt-elect Cleveland.
While the two Houses are thus an
tagonizing each other every branch of
trade in the country is languishing,
labor is becoming feverish and excit-
ed, while manufactures are being
closed and a general feeling of unrest
is being manifested throughout the
the country.
The bitter fight commenced one
year ago on the railroads, that was to
restore hundreds of millions of acres
of land to the public domain, has sud-
denly been lost sight of, and patriotic
statesmen who pledged their constit-
uents to see that all defaulting roads
should be made to restore to the gov
eminent lands not properly earned,
seem now to content themselves in
having declared forfeited, the lands
granted 10 roads that have never
claimed them.
The Spanish-Cuban treaty, that has
stagnated the sugar and other indus
tries, lies Enacted upon, and the Nj
caraugua treaty, that is to open up to
the world highway from ocean to
ocan, has not been ratified. Over
this treaty, England and other Euro
pean governments are showing their
teeth, and Congress, knowing our ut
ter inability to cope with them upon
the seas, or even to defend our sea
coast, fritters away precious time
fighting over virtual distractions. We
unveil statues to our departed great
naval heroes, and send other great ma
val heroes down to the sea in tubs.
A nation of 100000 people and
a sea coast of more than 10000
miles, We have not defences along that
coast that could resist the attack of
the armored vessels of either England. |
France, Germany or Italy, nor navy
sufficient to overcome two vessels that
might be selected from the navy of
either nation. The people are crying,
''How long. oh Lord, how long" and
Congress is crying "Hold on How
long the people are to hold on their
high Mightiness do not deign to say
but the demand has been made for the |
last fifteen years for the strengthen
ing of our coast defences and the re-
building of our navy, and with $780,
100000 in the vaults of the treasury
virtually nothing has been done.
Washington is just now undergoing
all the rigors of an old fashioned win
ter. The streets are covered with
snow, the sidewalks with ice and sleet,
and the trees are respondent with
their icy hangings. The poor look
cold, shiyering and respondent. while
the plumbers put on look of ineffa-
Die scorn and the strut of millionaires.
The rich ride by in sleds and chaises,
While the poor walk, that is, if they
can keep their feet. Despite the cold,
the sleet, and other unpleasant sur
roundings, the people are preparing
for gala times during the next three
mouths. Christmas, with it's good
things has passed, and New Years
Day with its rounds of calling, will be
followed with the gayest season ever
known in Washington. The inaugu-
ration of the Washington Monument
and the next President, open up a
pleasurable programme that is rarely
offered to the dedication of the yota-
ries of pleasure.
The hotels are filling up and hun
dreds are writing for accommodations
for the winter, and especially from
about February 10 to March 20, or
about the space of 40 days, when
many pious souls will be in the will
derress of doubt and expectation.
They will find many here who will
take them up into the Capitol and the
Monument, and propose to give them
choice portions of Uncle SamuePs
domain if they come right down hand
somely, when they won't be able to
furnish peg in a pig-stye for them to
hang their hats on.
While the Arlington, Riggs, Ebbitt,
National and Metropolitan are leading
hotels in the order named, Wizards,
corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and
18th street, where Senator German
was SO elegantly dined few years
since, is the great center of attrac-
tion-the political headquarters, where
everybody goes to see everybody else,
and happy is the man who finds shell
er and comfort at its hospitable board.
It is the Staple(s) hotel Of the me-
ropolis. c. U.
President-elect Cleveland has resign