The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-03-07
RANDOM NOTES.

"who is going to be chairman OF the Democratic
Congressional Committee an asked one Of the Dem.
ocratic leaders OF the House last week.
What is more than can tell now" he replied.
"1f Senator German will take It, presume he will he
chairman But there is some talk of getting chair.
man more in sympathy with the people and the
party on financial questions than German. Much
depends upon who the House committee of one
from each State having Democratic representative
select to choose the House committee OF ave mem.
oers. 1fthey select committee OF i've who repre-.
sent the Democratic sentiment on financial ques.
tons, 1t is possible that they may Insist upon having
chairman who VIII represent their views.n
"Do yon mean TO say asked, THAT there has
been any dissatisfaction with Germans management
OF the commlttee7"
mo, cannot say there has BEEN" replied the
honorable member. "But the great issues OF the
campaign will be financial issues-silver against
gold, End tarn reduction against protection. 1t
might be all well enough IN former Presidential cam.
paigns to suppress tariff literature, as was done by
Wallace and Barnum and German, but this year the
tarid Issue Is the very breath OF nostrs and we
OF the West and may add the South, want to have
our constituencies enlightened by putting In their
hands tariff literature. Now, since the campaign OF
1878 the Congressional and National Committees
have seduousy suppressed the tarn issue, az far as
they could, and how could You expect anything else
ested in the protective tarlH than anything ese?'
"who do you propose for chairman 2" asked.
"oh, there are plenty OF Western and Southern
men any one OF whom would satisfy me- Bit II we
are to hare tariff nd an, then should prefer Cor
man TO any OF them. lie has brains and manage.
ment and but for his ,s'lon financial questions
would suit me exactly"
"Do you expect to carry the next House ?"T asked.
"Carry it," said the member, raising his voice TO
high pitch, "carry IT, Why we will have a walk
over. The financial question will help us In the
West, and do us no harm In the East because there
our candidates are as "sound'-so they call ton
tariff and silver as the most pronounced Republican
And besides this the Presidents bold and manly
course with the Senate will sodlfy the party every
where. We will carry the House by an increased
majority and elect our President in 1889. tell you
the Democratic party has come to stay"
Glancing over list OF donations TO the fund for
Hancocks widow | notice q solitary contribution
from Washngton-a handsome subscription OF
s!oo0-from our venerated townsman, Mr.. w. W.
Corcoran. How true II Is that he always does the
fight thlngl He was an ardent advocate of Han
cocks election, and greatly disappointed when the
news came Of his defeat He contributed freely and
bouuteously to the slim fund raised for the cam.
paign OF 1850, perhaps more largely than any other
man. In fact, for yearspast MIR. Corcoran has been
one OF the most lavish OF unselnsh givers to the
Democratic cause. In addition to large donations
to committees he has been in the habit of aiding in.
dlvidual Senators and members. with no other pur-
pose than that Of aid to the cause anu its worthy
members. Just how much he sunk in supporting a
Democratic paper In this city no one knows But
the sum was large and freely given.
Knowing all this, I was astonished to hear the
other day that he had not been kindly treated by
members Of the Administration as his exalted char
acter and party services warranted. Indeed, was
MATS t,.I,- y,t-
benevoence had interested him was utterly ignored
BY the Secretary Of the Treasury. Be,his as 1t may,
cannot believe that the President has ignored him,
for recollect that Mr.. Corcoran was the first prl-
vae citizen In the city upon whom the President
called. He could have no safer adviser than Mr..
Corcoran, whether in national local matters, nor
one whose advice wonld be given from purer or
higher motives.
To Judge the bitter things that have been said
about Gen. David Hunter, one not having known
him would imagine a sort Of Northern 1re.eater,
breathing an atmosphere OF fire and birthstone and
with nature STEPPED in gall and wormwood. The
facts are quite the reverse. To those who knew MIN
we'll the General was one Of the kindest and
tenderest of men. In his family circle he was
pattern of kindness, self-abnegation and devotion.
To his wifes nleces and grandneces he all that
father should be-more than most fathers are.
Night after night has the old General been seen
waiting without murmur until the end Of the last
dance for some one OF his charming household
patient, cheerful, and self.sacriacing Years but
strengthened the ties of devotion between himself
and his wife, who had been with him in comfort or
prvaton at nearly every station where he served In
his early military fe With his friends-and he had
a leglon-he was genial and sympathetic. And as
| to his enemies, know of none, except those who
| became 80 by reason Of some of the Generals acts
| in connection with or growing out of the war. On
| -
errors he may have committed, they were errors of
judgment induced by the fever heat of war preju-
dlces. and not by unworthy motives stony heart.
| The Congressional commission to investigate the
scientific bureausthe Coast Survey Signal Service,
| Geological Bureau, and Hydrographc once of the
Navy-are taking their time in preparing report,
weighing the evidence before them carefully. 1t is
now said that they have come TO one conclusion, at
least, and that s to recommend the transfer or
consolidation Of any OF these bureaus. learn this
from gentlemen, well known to science, and who
ardently urged the scheme Of grouping together all
of the scientific besides the func-
tions OF those named, the Lighthouse work, River
and Harbor Surveys, Fish Commission, Ethnology
and Observatory-under one head, to be known as
the Department of Science. He says that the CON-
mission voted upon several propositions providing
for the transfer and consolidation OF these bureaus
and negatived each one of them. There was but one
vote, he said, In favor of making the Weather Bu-
reau purely civil organization, and but one vote
in favor of transferring the photographic work OF
the Coast Survey to the Navy Department, while
there was not single voice raised in favor of the
scheme to make Department Of Science.
| ran across Democratic member of Congress
yesterday who was brlmful Of Indignation over the
purchase by the Joint Library Committee OF Mrs.
Fassett's painting OF the Electoral Commission. "In
the first place." said he, SIT Ia not good specimen
OF American art. No private collector Of any taste
would have 1t In his gallery at any price, But be.
sides that 1t represents an occurrence the most dis
graceful In American history. We might just as
appropriately decorate the Capitol with picture Of
| the battle of Bladensburg, or the murder OF Lin
coin or GARFIELD, with this delineatlon of the theft
Of the Presidency. feel very much like offering a
resolution to have 1t altered 80 as to represent Judge
Black as he poured out his vials Of wrath npon the
Commission, and then instruct the Library Commit
tee to have 1t hung In the Supreme Courtroom, 80
that Joe Bradley might see It daily"
OUR SCHOOLS AND THEIR NEEDS.