The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-12-10
WASHINGTON LETTER


tFrom our Regular Correspondentl
WAsHSeroS, ID. G.. Dec. 0, 1886.
Congress met today at noon in the usu
al way. There was good representation
of both Senators and Members and
crowds Of people flocked to the Capitol
TO see the beginning of the new session
When the Forty-Ninth Congress met
last December it found the Capitol
draped in mourning for the death oi
Vice President Hendricks. This year
it reassembles to find the building
swathed in black for Ex-Presidept
Arthur.
After the gavels fell to-day in the
Senate and house, and roll calls follow
ed, and new Senators and Represen-
tatiyes were then sworn in. Work is
now 10 order. but the weeks pro-
gramme cannot now be outlined, for
convenience must decide to what bust
ness each branch of Congress will first
give attention.
Among the most interesting annual
reports evoked by the assembling of
Congress was that of Secretary Whit
pey because it deals largely with the
reconstruction of the Navy. Speak
ing of the extravaganza of previous
Administrations, the Secretary shows
that there are now twenty million dol
lars worth of stores and supplies on
hand, supposed to be new, but much of
them ruined by decay and rust, or en-
tirely obsolete. There are 25,O0O
augers which have been lying for years
in disused yards and hundreds of thou.
sa,ids other implements similarly going
to destruction. An officer reports pass
ing through a yard where the men
were short of cut nails, and turning
aside he found wareroom filed from
floor to ceiling with barrels on barrels
of the needed nails. 1t is estimated
that these nails will still last the Navy
Department fifty years.
The absurdity of the effort among
Republican papers to create the belief
that there is some scandal involving
the President in the purchase of real
estate here for speculative purposes is
really amusing. Neither partisan NAL
ice nor personal animosity can fix upon
him any faint of completely in real
estate ring transactions or scandalous
police spying in Washington.
Even those who criticize the Presi-
dents public and political policy &C.
knowledge that personally and pecu.
niarily, he is one of the most honest
men who ever occupied the White
House. He might be imposed upon iu
some way by avaricious men, but
President Cleveland himself is totally
free from greed. This sudden spasm
of outraged virtue in the Republican
party, which stood by President Grant
when he locked up Boss Sheperd, Ian
daulet Williams and the members of
the Whiskey Ring, because certain
real estate dealers sought to profit by
Mr.. Clevelands purchase of a home, is
highly interesting.
The name of the Presidents little
country place is still undergoing chang
es. Originally it was pretty Pros
pect,' then it was vulgarly called "Red
Top after which the owner named it
"Oak View" Now those who have
made the most earnest effort to connect
the President with the syndicate aim
to stigmatize it with the title of "Poison
Oak View"
1t is becoming quite common to dis
tribute pictures of the fine Washington
residences of wealthy Congressman as
an influence upon the horny handed
voter, and public men have found that
owning large houses here is very de-
trimental to their popularity at home.
More than one has been defeated by
the circulation of photograph of his
Washington residence among his con-
stituents. 1t was only few days since
that an Illinois Congressman, seeing a
camera leveled at his mansion, rushed
out and tried to drive the photographer
away.
When ex Senator Robson ran for
Congress the last time in New Jersey,
his constituents were shown pictures of
the south front of the new State, War
and Navy Department, and were told
that that magnificent granite structure
was Mr.. Ro' 'eson's new house in Wash.
ington. This was entirely too aristo-
cratic for the rural voters of his dis
trict, and Mr.. Robson was defeated.
Ex-senator Window of Minnesota was
said to have lost his seat in the Senate
through the scattering of pictures of
his handsome house on Scott circle
and it is said one reason Mr.. Blaine
rented his elegant house here and lived
in more simple fashion was from the
fear of the political use that might he
made of his living at the Capital in
princely style.
The character of these city homes is
sometimes exaggerated, however, as
was that of Senator Vest. Recently
he purchased modest little house on
p Street, and picking up a western
paper few days after he was astonish.
ed to see the statement that he had
bought an elegant residence in the
fashionable locality of Mr.. Blaine's
palatial mansion.