The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-04-15
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
The Weeks Doings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital.
THE BIG MONUMENT.

THE BIG MONUMENT.
There was a great scare the other day about
the Washington Monument. Daylight revealed,
near the top, what seemed 10 be a huge crack,
extending downward - or so feet. 1t was
clearly noticeable for a great distance. and
Washingtonians regarded it with dismay.
They thought the big oheisll was doomed, and
that il would tumble Down. The Office OF Col
Casey the engineer in charge, was hesct by
persons who wanted to know all about it, aud
how long before it would fall. Col. Casey care
fully examined il with a powerful glass, and
quickly al!aved the fears of the people. lie
assured them that there was nothing the mat
ter. 1t WIS only caused by the rain washing
out the Gus. which had lodged in the creviccs,
and this trickling down the face, had pro-
Guced the discOlorat;on. \ subsequent examI-
nation from tie summit Of the tail shaft showed
this 10 be the case. The Monument is still
there. and is likely 10 remain, unless thrown
down by some earthquake or other CONFUSION
OF nature.
The monument has not yet been opened to
the public Since the completion of the shaft
more than q year ago, the work OF finishing
the interior has been in progress. The memo
rial stones have been put in place on the inner
faces of the walls The iron stairway extend
ing to the top, containing more than 1000
stems. has been built and the elevator prepared
also being made TO illuminate the whole inte-
rior by series of electric lights 1t is expected
that the present Congress will appropriate the
necessary amount for running the elevator aud
otherwise iHiMisteriDg to the comfort and CON
vericncc OF visitors, and that during the COM
ing Summer it Will be open TO the people
without reserve. Col. Casey has recommended
the filing up of Eabcocl Lake-a considerable
body of water not far from the base of the
monument II IS feared that the water may so
soften the surrounding earth as TO impair the
foundation on which rests this enormous pile
Of msr,}le and granite and iron, with q weight
OF 9G,Ge0 tons.
SCANNING THE POLITICAL HORIZON.
Democrats in Washington are somewhat in
the dumps over the result of the municipal
elections in various States. They view Indiana
and Ohio with special solicitude The marked
successes CT the Republicans in W. IS cities are
regarded with SOME apprehens, view OF
the CoDgGess!on election next Fal hhc po-
litical n.athematicians Of both parties have
sharpened their pencils and are figuring out the
chances for securing control Of the House in
the 50th Congress. Of course the Spring cleo
tioms few days ago were purely local, and
influenced mere or less by local causes, which do
not in Sc great degree affect general contests.
The Democrats console themselves with this
idea. and N the same time they would have
felt much more Complacent over the situation
had the result OF these mere skirmishes been
otherwise. Republicans are corresP0ndingly
elated, and some Of them appear to be sauguine
in the belief that they will have majority IN
both houses of the next Congress. The Demo
cratic majority IN the present House is about 4G.
For the Republicans to gain that body it Will be
necessary for them to hold all the districts they
low have and carry q now represented by
Democrats. 1t is not easy to see just where
they can expect or even hope TO gain so many,
unless the recent municipal elections shall
prove to be the forerunnerS of tidal wave"
such as now and then sweeps the country, up
setting the calculations OF the most astute
figurers and smashing the states" of the poll
ticians. Some Democrats, who sigh for a return
of the good old days when the party that got in
always turned the other fellows cut, do not
hesitate 10 lay the blame for the apparent
weakness Of the party at the door of the White
House. They say that the course pursued by
the Administration in regard TO the Offices has
so disheaTtened the Democrats throughout the
country that they have no heart to fight the
battles OF the party. They declare that unless
the President mends his ways there will be 10
hope for the Democracy next Fall
A TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT.
There has been a great amount OF palaver,
during the pas: few days, over the alleged
slight, BIZ Government officials at San Francisco,
to the new Minister from His Imperial High
there from the Celestial Kingdom, on his way
to Washington. kilograms complaining of the
disc5urtCsies shown by Mr.. Hager, Collector OF
the por: Of San Francisco, were sent TO the
Chinese Minister here, and he deemed the IN
oictment sufficiently grave to be made the basis
OF a solemn and Indignant protest, which was
formally made at tie State Department. The
charges were that the Collector had caused the
diplomatic gentlemen much annoyance and de-
lay by requiring proofs of their identity and
demanding their credentials before permitting
them 10 land from the steamer. Their creden-
tials were packed away and sealed, with orders
that they should not be opened until the Min
lister reached Washington. 1t appears, as
usual, that the trouble was all in the news
papers, and had little, if any, foundation in
fact. lii reply to inquiries from here Collector
Hager telCgraphed that the members of the
Embassy were promptly and speedily landed,
without official evidence of their character
being required, as directed by the act of Con-
gress restricting Chinese immigration, and that
every possible courtesy was shown them. The
dispatches stated that before leaving the ship
the Envoy expressed his thanks for the courtesy
shown him, and invited the officials to call
upon him ct his hotel, and that there was
nothing whatever in the case to justify or afford
any ground for the current newspaper state
ments The breeze has died away and Chinese
junks armed with riaed cannon need not be ex-
AGAINST LAND MCNoPoLIEs.
Senator ingalls, introduced, by request, a
singular bill day or two ago. 1t is to regulate
the ownership of land in the United States 1t
provides that no person or family or corpora
tion shall DC permitted to own or hold by lease
more than 6l0 acres Of land. Parties owning
more than that shall DC notified to sell or dis
pose of all above the limit, and if this is not
done within three years the land shall be for
feited TO the Government. 1t is also provided
that 30 alien or foreigner shall be permitted TO
own iaud IL the United States, and such per-
sons or corporations Eow owning land must sell
within three years or forfeit. 1t lis further pro-
vidcd that homesteads not exceeding l60 acres.
shall be exempt from forced sale under mort
gage or deed OF trust during periods of financial
depression. The constituent who sent the bill
to Mr. ingalls, accompanied il with written
argument III IFS favor. lie says: Zone section
OF land, or $40 acres, is enough for a farmer a
family, s.Ock-raiscr, a planter, or a coal
mining o. other company, association or cor
pOr&tICH except the usual or necessary grounds
Tor shops and right OF way for transportation
companies. III person has more cattle than
he caI take care Of 100 acres let him sell part
of them 10 his neghbors. 1t is wrong for com
p2nies aud corporations TO buy up all valuable
lands ii order TO keep others out. Let each
have what he or they can utilize, and no more"
is IT REMEDY
Said Congressman one of the 90 in the
House who voted against the arbitration bill
reported by the Committee on Labor: &" 1t took
good deal al nerve TO cast negative vote on
: t.44 l. 81 =.