The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-29
WASHINGTON City Notes.

~SN~~~~@o
Washington City about this time is dull
er and tanner than it has been known for
years, notwithstanding Congress is in SEES
sion. 1t is rarely the subject of the sue
cession is discussed about the hotels or
on the avenues, as there is so much uncer-
tainty about the policy MI. Cleveland will
adopt, in relation to patronage, that it has
dumbfounded the politicians. Immediate
ly after the re-assembling of Congress,
the hungry and thirsty poured in from
every quarter, each having special claim
for particular Office, backed by local i'll
fiuence, and assured in his own mind that
his title was clear. For several weeks the
corridors of the hotels were thronged with
this class of patriots, and the comparative
merits of each were so vigorously dis
cussed that actual personal encounters
were not unfrequent. The assumption
with these patriots was that on the 9TH
of March next, the whole ramified
machinery of the government was to I'M
dergo a sudden and radical change--eyery
incumbent notified to leave, and the self
constituted guardians of the government
under Democratic rule, installed, without
the formality of question or debate. Any
denial of this rosy picture subjected the
incredulous to a large amount OF con-
tempt, and exposed him to jeers and
threats by no means agreeable to sensitive
nerves. Even among the faithful the
jealousies were pronounced, and now and
then measurement Of physical strength
was invoked to determine the comparative
claims of competing parties. For some
days domestic broils and the resultants of
discolored eyes and damaged phizes, were
part of the past-times, and not until the
effervescence of party ardor, incident to
unexpected and bewildering success. had
subsidized, did these interesting episodes
come to close by the departure of the
contestants. by reason of exhausted ex-
chequers and hopes deferred. Succeeding
these demonstrations came the calm, and
now the scenes and sights are distressing
ly monotonous, with not even the relief
of passing sensation to break the So
lemnity that prevails in political circles.
The general impression in Washington,
with both of the political parties, is that
Mr.. Cleveland will give the country con-
sentative administration. His utterances
since his election, have cooled the ardor of
the political dynamiters, who would blow
up everybody and tear to pieces every OIL
struction to the fesh-pots. The Cabinet
is not seriously discussed as to its perso-
mel, as it is believed MI. Cleveland will
take prominent and decisive part in its
formation, regardless of the arrangements
of outsiders who have manufactured nu-
merous states to their own liking and sent
them to the country as the council that is
to surround the incoming President and
give tone and shape to his administration.
1t is generally conceded by conservative
men of both parties that MI. Garland will
be invited to position. probably that of
Attorney General. There are, however.
expressions of opposition from the ex-
IRENE elements of the Democratic party,
for thereason that he is not sufficiently Dem
ocratic for the pyrotechnic class who live
and breathe in the memories of the distant
past, when Democracy was anchored on
the resolutions of 1913 and '99 and embraced
| impracticable al stractions as the tenets of
it's faith. They say that Garland is a lat
| itudinarian in his construction of the con-
stitution-that he is too much inclined to
the opinion that this Nation, supreme
in its power and strong enough to preserve
it's own autonomy. Mr.. Garland was an
old Whig-did not believe in the abstract
right of secession, such as was declared
by Mr.. Tucker in his eulogy on the late
Senator Anthony, and for this reason is
not acceptable to the class of men who now
claim to be the opponents of Southern SEN
timent. But it is pretty certain that he
belongs to class of statesmen who will
constitute Mr.. Cleveland's Cabinet, in all
probability, for the reason that the Presi-
| dent-elect is known to be of cOnServa-
trained under Northern influences, and
will readily discern that to give the coun-
try successful administration, he will
have to be governed by conservative inhu-
ences. He has recently declared that all
the war legislation must stand intact
that the loyal sentiment of the country
would not be offended either in the forma-
tion of his Cabinet or in the policy Of his
administration, and that the spoils system
should be ignored, as he believed that the
bitterness of political contests arose more
from this source than any other. Other
names are mentioned as probable Cabinet
members, but none with so much conf
dence as that of Mr.. Garland.
Mr.. Hurd threw bombshell into the
House on Friday last in the shape of a
resolution declaring that the Senate had
not the constitutional right to frame a
revenue bill, assuming that appropriating
and raising revenue are comprehended In
the same authority, which specifically lies
in the House of Representatives. 1t was
aimed at the Blair Educational Bill. and
designed to kill that measure for this ses-
sion. 1t commanded more strength than
was at first expected, and its support came
principally from Democrats. only IL Re-
publicans voting for it. 1t was finally de.
feated, on test vote, by only four major
ity, but that was enough, for that occasion,
although it was pretty sure Indication
that the Blair bill would not be able to
muster enough strength to bring it to a
vote during the present session. Jno. S.
Wise made an effective speech against Mr..
Hurd's resolution, and Col. O'Ferrall
asked leave to print some remarks sus-
tanning the same views as those advanced
by Mr.. Wise. All of the Virginia repre-
sentatives present voted against the prop
osition Of Hnrd. Mr.. Tucker was absent
and was recorded as not voting.
The Interstate Commerce bill and the
Nicaragua treaty are occupying the at
tention Of the Senate. There is not much
probability of the former becoming a law,
as the Reagan bill, originating in the
House and adopted by that body, is an
tagOniZed by the CulOm hill which