The Washington critic., 1886-08-17
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, AUGUST IL, 1856.
TOPICS or THE DAY.

collectors. Coming to Congress may
be IN honor, but 1t canuot be said to
make men honorable. The average of
dead beats in Congress Is quite as great
as outside. On the last days of the
Session you will find swarm of for.
lists, livery stable men, hotel and board.
ing-house keepers, constables and pro-
fessional collectors swarming the cor
ridors, looking after delinquent Mem
bers and trying to catch them in the
halls There are Members who system.
atically rob hotels and haberdashers
and all sorts of tradesmen right and
left. Nothing can be legally done with
member of Congress for obtaining
money under false pretenses, though 1t
is q jailable offense when committed by
common people. The only remedy Is
to make the transaction known. If the
records of the Congressional dead beats
could be printed good many people
would be astonished. The most reck-
less prodigality In luxuries, such as
carriages, flowers, wines, cigars, ETC., is
the usual life of the Congressional
beat There are poor men and women
here who have catered to these mem.
bers with the idea that men holding
such honorable positions must of
necessity be honest, who have tried in
vain to collect what is due them. These
dupes actually suffer for the necessa.
ries of life, while the Congressional
debtors are aping men of wealth in
high living. The sergeant. alarms
office could tell disgraceful story OF
bogus checks, duplicate drafts and
violated obligations-a story too un.
pleasant TO print. The hotels and res.
taurants, and even the barber shops,
would simply repeat the story. | was
standing in the livery office ut Will
lard's the other day, about to call for
coupe, when a Southern Con.
gresham hurried up and asked
very peremptorlly for a carriage.
Haven't got one, General" said the
agent. blandly. "Sorry, but every
thing Is Out" AS soon as the member
went away the agent inquired II l
would have the coupe. "rhat's all
right" he remarked, we've got
plenty of carriages, but he's dead
beat. Never pays for anything. Why,
I've got bill against him in here two
years old. The gall of the man p
care there many such men in Con-
gress?" eyes, quite numbers
we've been stuck often-beaten
out of hundreds of dollars-by
both Senators and Members. They are
the worst customers in that way, be-
cause you can't force collections. They
hardly ever have anything more than
their clothes; you can't arrest and
punish them; you can't garnishee their
salaries. And the airs they give them
selvesl We are very careful about
trusting Congressman, tell youl"
Wv
W. G. p. Breckenridge of Kentucky
lately voted in Congress in favor of q
law prohibiting the selling Of pools in
the District of Columbia. Some Of his
friends were surprised at this, and at
tributed 1t to the fact that he was q
true descendant of the famous Presby.
terian divine Robert j. Breckenridge.
Colonel Merriman made bold to ask
him why, as representative of the
he-blooded, animal. growing district
of the blue. grass region of Kentucky,
he opposed what so many persons ar
gued was necessary to the prosperity of
racing in this country. "I'll tell you,
my dear sir, "..said breckenridge, in
his most precise style, men
race horses in these degenerate
days for money. They go into
1t as business to make money. Men
keep studs of horses of the flneSt
blooded stock as they would keep a
stock of groceries, Just to make moaey
out of them. Pool selling is only one
of the facilities for carrying on this
business. 1t was not SO in my day.
Gentlemen kept studs of splendid ami
mails TO breed and race them, not to bet
on them. They did bet, you know,
just a little for the excitement of the
thing, but they bet on their own horses
always as matter of honor, not to
make money. They had disputes over
the merits of their horses, not over the
results of the race as now. Sometimes
disputes resulted in duels, sometimes
in family feuds which continued for
years; but there was no dirty pool sell
ing and swindling,"
Wv
Mr.. Clevcland's idea of q vacation, in
the opinion of New York Hera,d
writer, Is perfect absence Of all otli-
cial care, the privilege of appearing
without the usual restraint imposed by
reason OF his office, chance to dress
as the comfort of the season would sug-
gest or as any one does who goes for a
months visiting in the Adirondacks.
His wardrobe this year, as last, will
consist principally of dark blue shirts
and trousers, a broad brimmed felt hat,
his shing tackle, II gun to keep away
lurking correspondents and n trunk
filled with the proper apparel which he
expects to don at some of the informal
evening receptions Mrs. Cleveland is to
hold in her mountain retreat. Mrs
Cleveland will show her independence
by taking along only the most neces,
sary garments for roughing 1t in her
daily jaunts As she is to be accompa-
ned by her maid, Mrs. Cleveland cX-
poets to ind her useful in helping her to
learn the art of being at home away
from civilization. Both the President
and Mrs. Cleveland hope they will be
free from too many callers All the
pleasure and abandon of the trip will
be spoiled, they say, if every move.
ment is TO be watched and their outing
regarded as sort of national attrac
tion. With her mother for company, it
will be easy to pass the time pleasantly
enough. Two or three nights are con-
templated in the forest, not far, per-
haps, from where the President spent
his last bachelor vacation in the sum.
mer of 1885. Some of the equipments
for the Quincy include camp stools
and conveniences for tentins, which
will make camp life more comfortable.
The dog Hector Is not to accompany
his mistress. ltis the Presidents pur-
pose to go right through to the eud of
the railroad route and pitch his tent
which he will get at the hotel rs soon