The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-12-25
Correapondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Defeat of Tariff Revision Scheme-Repeal
Of an Old Law-The Senate and the
Observation-Disclosures Shop
ping, &c.

WASHINGTON, D. c., December 22d, 1886.
| Editors Union On last Saturday Mr.. Morri
son was again defeated in his project for a tariff
agitation and the passage of his tariff bill. The
vote the consideration of tariff legislation,
and he was beaten by majority of six votes. This
no doubt, has had a very depressing effect upon
Mr. Morrison, although many of his tariff revision
friends still insist that this will not be the last
heard of the tariff question during this session.
| They, together with Mr.. Morrison, console them
selves with the thought and fact that their defeat
this time was not by large a majority as at the
last session, and think that this argues something
| favorable to their pet schemes in the future
The Senate last week passed an act to repeal
the famous tenure-of Office act, that found its way
| on the statute books during the troubulous Andy
| johnson times, when the President and Congress
| were at ropes ends. 1t was passed to prevent
| President johnson from arbitrarily dismissing
officers to whom he might have an aversion. For
| some time many statesmen in the Senate have
thought that this law ought to be repealed. Steps
were taken in that direction last session but Con-
| gress adjourned before it was accomplished. Now
the Senate has passed the act repeating it and no
doubt the bill will soon be adopted by the House
and become law.
The repeal of this law removes the only legal
obstacle that could lie in the way of the President
discharging all the Republican Office holders that
have remained in place under his administration
| However, even this law could not be much in his
| way when he had determined on q course of re-
| moving any of them. 1t was in his power to sus-
| pend any offce-holder he chose.
One of the matters of principal interest, especi-
ally to the citizens of this District, the past week.
| was the sending of the name day or two ago of
the colored man Matthews, from Albany, to the
Senate by the President for the Office of Recorder
of Deeds of the District. The Democrats of the
District have always strenuously opposed the APP
pointment of Matthews to this Office, and together
with the other citizens procured his rejection of
confirmation at the last session when the Presi-
dent sent his name in. They are no better pleased
with the Presidents sending it in now, although
the latter has persisted in doing So notwithstand-
ing their protests. 1t cannot be said yet whether
the Senate will again reject the name or not. If
it does the President has the alternative of re-
appointing Matthews after the Senate adjourns or
Of sending in another name.
The Christmas holidays promise to be as gay
and lively this year as usual. Already (Wednes-
day. the streets are blocked with people buying
Christmas goods, and it is almost impossible for
persons to get to the windows in the postofice of
the city on account of the crowds that are congre.
gated to have weighed and send away Christ
mas presents to friends at distance.
As was predicted last spring when the laborers'
strike took place here that there would be distress
among the mechanics and labering people on ac-
count of the waste of time and money conse-
quent upon the strike, there may be great deal
of poverty and deprivation in this city now, as the
season for building and other operations are about
over and thousands of men are standing on the
street corners idle. Yet one could hardly come to
this conclusion from the rush of the people to the
stores displaying holiday goods to buy Christmas
presents for their friends. The lady from the
West End, in her seal skin sacque and fashionable
equipage, mingles with the poorer people on the
sidewalk, In front and inside the stores, and all
are intently bent, it seems, upon the same errand
to buy these fancy articles and goods for Christ
mas. Even the clerks in the departments who
have held over from other administrations and
have been economizing for the last two years to
the cent in their family expenses, in anticipation
that they might be turned out of their positions,
seem for the nonce to have relaxed their grasp
upon their purse strings and are out buying Christ
mas presents with the other people.
Of all poor people to be pitied is the discharged
Government clerk in this city, for he knows not
which way to turn to get anything to do, nor
knows how to do anything If he could get it, so
great is the revulson from what he has been used
to doing. Those still in place know this and try
to profit by the spectacle, and have something
when their turn comes to follow their unfortunate
brothers. The merchants have complained that
on this account those still in Office have stopped
buying more than they have to. Again the mer-
chants complain that those who have come to take
office were generally very destitute, and have not
got far enough ahead yet to buy much Conse-
arrival of the Christmas holidays have livened up
things little, at least for a season.
Both the House and Senate adjourned to-day
till January 4th, 1887.
Merry Christmas to all the friends of The UNION.