Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-12-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
CFrom Our Regular .Correspondent.l

I
I sentation Of both Senators and Mem
bers and crowds ofpeOple flccked to the
Capitol to see the beginning of the new
session. When the FOrty-Ninth Con-
gress met last December it found the
| Capitol draped in mourning for the
death of Nice-President Hendricks.
This year it re-assembles to find the
building swathed in black for EX-Presi-
dent Arthur.
After the gavels fell to-day in the
Senate and House, and roll calls fol-
lowed, the new Senators and Represen-
tatives were then sworn in. Work is
now in order, but the weeks programme
cannot now be outlined, for convent
ence must decide to what business each
branch of Congress will first give atten-
| ton.
Among the most interesting annual
reports evoked by the assembling of
Congress was that of Secretary Whit
ney, because it deals largely with the
reconstruction of the Navy. Speaking
of the extravaganza of previous admin
| istrations, the Secretary shows that
there are now twenty million dollars
worth of stores and supplies on hand,
supposed to be new, but much of them
ruined by decay and rust, or entirely
obsolete. There are %. 900 augers which
have been lying for years in disused
yards and hundreds of thousands ofOther
implements similarly going to destrouc-
ton. An officer reports passing thrugh
yard where the men were short of
cut nails, and turning aside he found
ware room filled from floor to ceiling
with barrels on barrels of the needed
nails. 1t is estimated that these nails
will still last the Navy Department fifty
years. The absurdity of the effort
among Republican papers to create the
belief that there is some scandal invOlv-
ing the President in the purchase of
real estate here for speculative pur-
poses really amusing. Neither partisan
malice nor personal animOsity can fix
upon him any faint of completely in
real estate ring transactions or scandal
Gus police spying in Washington.
Even those who criticize the Presi-
dents public and political policy ac-
knowledge that personally and pecu-
niarily, he is one of the most honest
men who ever occupied the White
House. He might be imposed upon in
some way by avaricious men, but Presi-
dent Cleveland himself is totally free
from greed. This sudden spasm of out
ragged virtue in the Republican party,
which stood by President Grant when
looked up Boss Sheperd, Landanlet Will
liams and the members of the whiskey
Ring, because certain real estate deal
ers sought to profit by Mr.. Cleveland's
purchase ofa home, is highly interest
| ing.
The name of the Presidents little
country place is still undergoing
changes. Originally it was "Pretty
Prospect" then it was vulgarly called
"Red Top" after which the own
er named it "Oak View" Now those
who have made the most earnest effort
to connect the President with the syn
dictate aim to stigmatiZe it with the title
of "POison Oak View"
1t is becoming quite common to dis
tribute pictures ofth fine Washington
residences of wealthy Congressman as
an influence upon the horny handed
voter, and public men have found that
owning large houses here is very detri-
mental to their popularity at home.
More than one has been defeated by the
circulation of photograph of his
Washington residence among his con-
stituents. 1t was only few days since
that an Illinois Congressman, seeing
camera leveled at his mansion, rushed
ont and tried to drive the photographer
away.
When ex-senator Robeson ran for
Congress the last time in New Jersey,
his constituents were shown pictures of
the south front of the new State, War
and Navy Department, and were told
that that magnificent granite structure
was Mr. Roheson's new house in Wash
ingtOn. This was entirely too aristO-
cratic for the rural voters of his district,
snd Mr.. Robeson was defeated. Ex-
Senator Window of Minnesota was
said to have lost his seat in the Senate
through the scattering of pictures ofhis
handsome house on Scott circle and it
is said one reason Mr.. Blaine rented his
elegant house here and lived in more
simple fashion was from the fear of the
political use that might be made of his
living at the Capitol in princely style.
The character of these city homes is
sometimes exaggerated, however, as
was that of Senator Vest Recently he
purchased a modest little house on P
Street, and picking up western paper
a few days after he was astonished to
see the statement that he had bought
an elegant residence in the fashionable
locality of Mr.. Blaine's palatial man
sion.