The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-06-10
Washington Notes.

sphere where the sensational pred0mlnateS
and where there is the absence of that
sturdy moral conviction, that conscious
ness Of right which takes little thought
of effect or consequences-tells that the
event of the season has passed, and that
the energies and resources of the devotees
of fashion and society" are taking a
rest, in order to recuperate for some other
event that may have in it the incidents
and circumstances calculated to stir the
community, or excite the ambition of the
parvenues and shoddyites, who do most
reign in the court circles. The unnatu-
raIness of the marriage of the President,
as it respects the ages of the principal par.
ties to the ceremony-the groom being in
his 59th year and the bride in her Dist
has caused less comment than the mystery
which was thrown around the time and
place of the occurrence. Probably no
more palpable mistake could have been
made than that of clothing the event with
so much secresy, if the object was to avoid
the sensational and evade unusual news
paper notoriety. Nothing tries the quail
ties of the average newspaper representa-
tive so much as to be called upon to I'M
ravel mystery, or expose secret plot, if
by doing it the number of the readers Of
his newspaper will be increased. And
when the principal party was the Presi-
dent of the United States, and the event
his marriage to girl of twenty summers
supposed to be pretty and accomplished
and unused to the ways of the world, to
surround 1t with the atmosphere of mys-
terry was the very thing the enterprising
| newspaper man wanted. 1t gave him I'M
limited scope to employ his inventive ge-
MUS and equally unlimited privilege to
indulge in probabilities, construct theories
aud manufacture facts to suit the inven-
ton. 1t mattered not to him, whether
what was said would prove to be histori-
cally accurate or not. 1t would serve the
purpose of the immediate present. The
| curiosity of the gossips would be excited
| and the demand for his newspaper in
creased. Neither did the escape from the
| White House by side door battle his en-
terprise. It only whetted his desire and
multiplied his expedients to administer to
the sensational state OF the public mind,
and caused him to draw upon his magma
tion for description of everything con-
| nected with the occurrence, from the pro-
nouncement of the benediction to the ar
rival at Deer Park, for the public was
1 Jor Ill h o,,I oil h;c
fictions would be received as facts. 1t
would have been more opposite and met
more fully public approval had the gossips
been disarmed by divesting the event Of
all mystery. and frank account of the
programme announced. Detective work
is not in harmony with the fitness of such
a transparency. While it was not an event
involving national interest, it was a cere-
mony that every one felt concern about,
whether from a higher or lower motiye,
and the more simple and unaffected all its
surroundings and appointments. the more
it would have comported with the dignity
of the position of the groom and the art
less innocence of the bride. But the event
is of the past. The President is married /;
the gossips have been satisfied the honey
moon is passing off in the clouds which
hang over the mountain retreat where the
parties sought, but did not obtain, seclu-
sion, and soon the Benedictine life will
commence in earnest, with all the ankle
ties and pleasures and vexations which at
tend the current of the lives of less noted
personages For after all, Presidents are
made of flesh and blood like other people
with emotions and desires common to the
race and from which none are exempt.
The only thing for the people to do is
to wish that they may "live long and pros
per-"
The political situation, as viewed from
the capital, is as much a mystery as that
which was sought to be thrown around
the marriage of the President. Up to
this time the party in power has done
nothing to inspire public confidence or full
fill the promise of reform" which was
rung into the ears of people two years
ago. The more important questions which
enter into the policy of any administra-
tion-tariff and currency-have not been
changed in their relation to the govern
ment, from what they were under Repub-
lican rule. The Performers" do not seem
to understand how to reform. While the
orists like Morrison and Tucker would
revolutioniZe our whole custom policy,
they are confronted by the business inter-
ests of the country which have been adj
justed to Republican legislation. with a
protest so pronounced and emphatic that
their party shrinks from following them
or giving its sanction to Democratic
notions, as interpreted by the leaders. 1t
is safe to say there will be no tariff legis-
lation during the present session of Con-
gress. The murmurs of discomfort, and
even disgust, which came up from every
portion of the Union, because of the in
| PRODUCTION of the Morrison tariff bill were
too significant in this respect not to be
needed. Indeed so all prevailing is the
| dissatisfaction with the party in power
that it is a common expression, coming
from well-informed men of both parties,
that the fall elections will carry with them
a rebuke so broad and severe as to change
the complexion of Congress and leave the
Democratic President solitary and alone.
with none but his Cabinet to give him
consolation OF suggest line of policy
| that might avert disaster in 1888.
| Upon the currency question there is as
much division and dissension as there is
on the tariff question. The President is
not in sympathy with the predominant SEN
timent in his party on the silver ques-
tion. His Cabinet and himself are in di.
| rect opposition to the prevailing notions
with the majority of the Democrats in
Congress, and hence there will be no leg
islation changing the coinage of silver
dollars, or in any way affecting the pres
ent statutes relating to currency. Wheth-
er all of the laws enacted by the Republi-
cans relating to the currency are really
what they should be or not, one thing may
be taken for granted, the Democrats have
neither the courage nor craftsmanship to
| better them, or iegislate to change the
policy based upon them. And this is con-