The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-01-09

Government Departments were
closed and the clerks freed. There
were decorations of evergreens
illuminations, and other outward
recognitions of the festive occasion,
which, perhaps make everybody
who could feel happy, a little hap
pier than usual.
Quite number Of Senators and
Representatives went to their
homes to spend the holidays. A
few accepted an invitation by the
Baltimore and Ohio lines for trip
of week with their families to
New Orleans, and not few Mem
bers of the House remained in
Washington to work for committee
places. The undigniiied manner
in which some Members proceed
in their application for these places
cannot be too severely remarked
upon. They even file letters of
Endorsement and back up these
Endorsements with personal pleas
in which they dilate upon their
own merits.
Speaker Carlisle spent his holi-
day time in making up his COM
mittees. He is not man to be inllu-
enced in his judgment by mere
testimonials of ability and good
will, such as those presented to
him by Members in their canvass
for preferment. A number of new
Members do not seem to recognize
the fact that there is an unwritten
law connected with the makeup of
House committees. 1t has never
been customary to give any new
Members the craftsmanship of q
committee. To displace Members
from their old positions, where they
have had experience, would disar-
range routine work and create con-
fusion.
Speaker Carlisle has had such
large experience in the House that
he is personally familiar with the
qualifications of all the old Mem
bers, to whom he will give the lead
ing places. Having no friends to
reward or enemies to punish, the
only thing he desires to know from
Members is where they prefer to go.
Beyond that, personal pleading will
have no effect upon him.
The President spent the holidays
at work as usual. He received several
hundred Christmas cards, and sew
eral fat turkeys from farmers. The
President and Miss Cleveland
joined Secretary Manning's home
circle on Christmas day and ate
their Christmas dinner. On the
following day all the Hendricks
mourning drapery was removed
from the public buildings, and Mr..
Cleveland's first New Years day
reception was the event at the
White House.
The first of January was the |
Inauguration day of the social sea-
son here, and the butterflies of
were in a hutter as to what
they should wear when they receiv-
ed their gentlemen friends under
gaslighted chandeliers. The gen.
tlemen wore Prince Alberts. The
beau monde of Washington says a
coat is never in order
until six o'clock, or the dinner
hour. Persons from the country
are often seen here making calls
upon the Cabinet officers before
that hour, in full evening dress,
under the impression that it is the
proper thing. Still the fashion of
his world passeth away and COM
eth again, and the manners of the
North are not those of the South.
nor the manners of the East those
)f the West. In other words, peo-
pie do not think alike. The Presi-
lent received his New Year callers
n a Prince Albert coat. The
corps paid their respects
% him in court attire, and the rep
of the army and navy
wore the full uniform Of their rank.
A large pelican was shot on a
;and bar in the Arkansas River