The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-30

rays of another slin--the Capitola thing
90 be feared by the naked eye Later
yet it grew hotter, aud then a mist arose
from the Potomac and blotted out the
blazing arch above, and presently piled
an along the horizon dcIusive thunder clouds,
that spent their strength and substance clso-
where, and left it hotter than before. To-
ward evening tho sun came out inyigorated
having cleared the heavenly brow of pcrspra
ton, but leaving its fever undated.
The city was deserted The few who re-
manned apparently buried themselves from
the garish light OF day in some dim, clustered
recess of shop hotel or restaurant, and the
perspiring stranger, dazcd by the outer glare,
who broke in upon their quiet scquestered re-
pose, confronted collarless and coatlcss spec
ters Of the past, with fans in their hands, who,
after dreamily going through some perfunct-
CRY business, Immediately retired to sleep after
the stranger had gone Congressman and
senator's had long since returned to their sew
eral constituencies, with the various intorlna-
ton that the country was going To ruin, or
that tho outlook never was more hopeful and
cheering, as the tastes of their constituency
indicated A few cabinet officers still fingered,
having by this time become convinced that
they could do nothing their own way, or indeed
IN any way but the old way, and getting gloom
lily resigned to their situation \ body Of
learned, cultivated men, representing the
highest legal tribunal IN the land, still
a 81 -
salary bestowed upon them by tho economical
founders of the government, and listened
patiently to the arguments of counsel, whose
fees for advocacy of claims before them
would have paid the life income Of half the
bench. There was Mr.. Attorney General
and his assistants still protecting the govern
ments millions from rapacious hands, and
drawing the yearly public pittancc that their
weather. private antagonists would have
scarce given as a retainer 10 their junior
counsel The little standing army Of do
partmental employes-the helples, victims Of
the most senseless and idiotic form of disci-
pline the world has known-a discipline SO
made up of caprice, eSpedioncy, cowardice
and tyranny that its reform meant revou-
ton, not to he tolerated by legislators and
lawgivers, or a despotism in which half II
dozen accidentally chosen men interpreted
their prejudices Of preference as being that
reform. Administration after admnistra-
ton and party after party had persisted in
their desperate attempts 10 fit the youthful
colonial garments, made by urfathers after
by-gone fashion, over the expanded limits
and generous outline OF "a nnniured nation.
There were patches here aud there; there
were grievous rents and holes here and there
there were ludicrous aLd painful exposures Of
gnowing limbs everywhere: and the party in
power and the party out OF power could do
nothing but mend ami patch, and revamp
and cleanse and Sour, and occasionally, in
the wildness Of despair, suggest oven the cut
ting of the rebellious limbs that persisted in
growing beyond the swaddlins clothes Of it,
Infancy.
II was capital Of contradictions and in.
cCnsistencies At ono end Of the avenue AT