Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-10-16
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 10, 1885.


the north, east and northwest, have
mainly come home and are now mental
ly agitating "society" matters for the
winter, though from all that appears,
"society" will have to get along as best
it may without much aid and counte-
rance from The central White House.
Our bachelor Presiden: and his strong
minded sisterare not much for society"
anyway, besides which their tastes run
i'm different directions and find their SAL
isfaclions from different objects and pur-
suits. If the President delights himself
in any5ody's society very especially, it
Is without doubt in Col. Lamont's, who.
if not exactly his "guide" is certainly
his philosopher and FRIEND" and comes
very close to his heart.
Just at this moment politics, for this
is political center, wear mottled as
pect What the general color is to be one
would not like to predict, though the
last number of that ablest Of cartoons,
the New York Puck, always Cleveland
paper. points straight to q new model
ing of parties, in which arrangement
the Independents (who are more or less
mugwumps) are to bear down the De-
mocracy in the person of Gov. Hill rid
ing on big mule, and leave only
grease spot or two. "Puck" himself
is to be conductor of the all-smashing
train, with Carl SchurZ close at hand
and Henry Ward Beecher not far off.
Think what we may, both Schurz and
Beecher are, if in different ways, men
of decided force and ability, but whether
they would suffice as the nucleus of a
new party which would have Republic
cans and Democrats, with Ben Butler,
for foes, may be regarded as fairly
question. Perhaps Schurz may take
Eaton's vacated place on the Civil Ser
vice Commission.
Washington City continues to improve
even upon its much beautified condition
and appearance. That once "great Mo-
Gull" the celebrated Boss Shepherd,
promises visit 70 the city of which his
devoted admirers declare him to BE the
re-creator. Well, prejudice apart, Shop
herd did, in his despotic and overbear-
ing WAYS. no small benefit to the Dis
trict cities in beating down humps and
filling up hollows, but there is heavy
per contra in a moral and pecuniary
point of view; morally, in respect to
such matters as the safe burglars enter
prise; and pecuniarily, as to the vast eX-
penditures squandered on wooden pave
ments, De Golyer contracts, and the
like. Shepherd is supposed to have
made cords of money, but he had to
make an assignment, and has been liv-
ing for a number of years in Northwest
ern Mexico engaged in silver mining.
Some surprise has been expressed that
the friends of Ireland" (who are they,
in fact? p in Chicago, Brooklyn, &C., be-
sides taking up handsome collections of
money, have resolved upon sending
over to that distracted land as many as
fifty orators, who, if sent, would join
the general din and make confusion
worse COMPOUNDED. Whoever got up
such an idea deserves the most leathern
medal ever cast. A couple Of Irishmen
in Brooklyn who were named among
the missionaries to the Green Isle, have,
however, most wisely "sat down upon''
the whole thing. They say, if you want
to help Ireland effectually, send her
money, but keep yourselves at home in
America. Good. If orators from Amer
lea are to go Ireland (and why not to
England and Scotland?) the next thing
will be to ship over a few thousand
voters also.
1t has been the habit for years of the
Democrats of the District to furnish
money to their Virginia compatriots at
election times. But they are not doing
it now, the reason whereof is that Ger.
tain Virginians are poking their noses
too much forward as candidates for Of
fees here regarded as the proper right
of District people alone. The clerks in
our District offices count many Virgin
ians on their local pay rolls. General
Eppa Hunton was good at helping his
Virginia supporters to District offices,
which he was enabled to do by reason
of his membership on the District of
Columbia Committee i'm the House of
Representatives. In fact, the percent
age of District people in local District
offices is small, compared with the stran-
gers brought in by foreign appointed
Commissioners, such as Ketcham, Dem
nison, Phelps, West, Edmonds, &C.,
and members of District Com mittees in
Congress. The people proper of the
District of Columbia are political or
phans to a degree exceeding all the
other people of the United States. 1t
may here be incidentally remarked that
the President has made no appointment
| whatever in any District office except TO
fill vacancy caused by the expiration
| of the term of District Commissioner.
But in filling that vacancy he did the
handsome and proper thing of giving
the place to a most worthy District cti-
zen. May the President hereafter in
variably follow his own good example.
A good deal of spurious Indignation
has been expressed by some of the OPP
position papers about the action of At
torney-G General Garland relative to some
stock he bought several years ago in the
Pan Electric Company. His course
seems fitness itself, without title of
ground to charge him with using his
public office to further his private gain.