The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-07-02
MANKATo FREE PRESS.
FRIDAY. JULY 9, 1880.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, June 18th, 1856.
You may be inclined to think that
with the lengthening days and strength
ening heat of summer, times are grow
ing dull mt the capital as elsewhere.
Such is not the case. Grand receptions,
official and public are being held at the
White House in honor of the bride.
Some distinguished travellers are i'm the
city, who are receiving much attention:
One of them being Il royal visitor, a
veritable prince, the grandson of EN-
peror Dom Pedro, of Brazil. Prince
Leopold is not, however, u royal-look-
ing parsonage. Ills face is of an unin-
teresting type, his figure of medium
size, and his voice is SO eiieminate,
small, siIrill and discorlant as to occa-
sion amusement for those who hear it..
He is stopping at the Arlington Hotel
and occupies the rooms that President
Cleveland had when he first arrived i'm
the city previous To his inauguration.
And then the strike is ut last over
here. Work has been resumed on Il
nine hours compromise. Houses par
tally erected, on which work had been
suspended for six weeks, again echo
with the sound of hammer and saw,
and building will boom until next win
ter. And last, though first i'm impor-
lance, congress is still at work, without
any immediate danger of succumbing To
the summers heat. Ii rs discussing APP
preparation and Land Forfeiture bills
and questions relating To the District of
Columbia. Scarcely day passes but
some congressman gives his opinion of
the civil service law, and no subject con-
nected with finances can come up for
debate without provoking fight ON the
Tariff.
While the House was discussing a
money bill, the able Republican leader
from New York, Mr.. lIiscock, annonnc,
ed that he had figured out large de-
ticiency in the Treasury, the appropria-
tons being largely in excess of the re-
ceipts. lie made an argument, which
might apply To the tariff, to show that
no reduction was possible, and he held
Democratic eXtravagance responsible
for this. He explained where the next
fiscal year would, on the most conser-
vatlve estimate, see deficit of $lI 600
600. The House was OH the eve ofan Mt.
tempt to reduce tariff taxes and he
thought il was an occasion on which Ia
cali its attention TO these startling fig.
ures.
This reminds me of what Represen.
tative Boutelle, of Maine, said in regard
to the defects of the present Admins.
tration. Instead of the retrenchmeni
and economy that was promised, the
estimates for expenditures have been
largely increased, until the Democrat,
State Convention in Maine, is found de-
nouncIng, on its platform, Congress in
which ITS party has large working ma
jOrity, for having devoted six months o
its labors in devising ways and means
to deplete the Treasury of its surplus
millions To the neglect of important
| legislation.
AS To the manner i'm which the part,
has fulfilled its Civil Service Reform
promises, the same gentleman from
Maine says, that that law has been USED
as door mat by that distinguished of
fice-broker, Eugene Higgins, and ha.
been trampled under the muddy boot.
of the "hungry and thirsty" until ,
Democratic Commissioner of Pensions
is enabled to testify that under tn,
rules, us now applied, he obtained II,
Democrats out of l52 appointments, an,
the Democrats of the House are askin,
To amend the law SO that the reform
party can get the other four.
| Political affairs are so much mixed il
different states that the Democratic
members of congress who have not al
ready gotten the sanction of their dis
trIcts and yet have not given up tn,
fight, are very anxious about renomina
ton. Even Mr.. Holman, of Ind, tn,
Great Objector," has felt cOnstralne,
to 90 home in the interest of his fences
He rs man who probably could not b,
easily beaten, but the Republicans ar,
sure of gains in many Democratic dis
tricts, and Mr.. Holman felt that the sIt
uation WAS such that even he had bet
ter not be far from the bosems of hi
constituents.
| The luxury of leisure which the Presi
dent enjoyed during his nine days o
honeymoon, is his no longer. The mas
of legislation which was dumped upol
his desk during his absence, for his APP
prevail or veto, requires his examina
ton of fourteen or fifteen bills II day
There LAS just been published from til,
White House another official remOn
STRANGE against Il two soclable public
asking it tO respect the hours foi oticia
business, by calling to pay respects Onl,
on the days and at the hours specified
for that purpose.