The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-01-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our Regular correspondent
WASHINGTON. ID. G., Dec. 2S, 1885 d.

/ lfToln OuI tOiISopohuthtsl
WAsHINGroN. ID. c., Dec 2S, 1886.
As usual here, Christmas day was
one of quiet home entertainments, and
family gatherings. The departments
were closed, and so was the White
House. No one crossed its threshold
on that day. 1t was private resi-
dence. and the President enjoyed the
rights of private citizen. On mex.
Friday it will be opened wide to the
whole world, or as much of it as can
crowd in during the hour from one to
two, bat it is The day on which the
official world of Washington pays its
respects to the President, and the oillc.
ial programme will consume the time
until one o'clock, when the reception
Of citiz' ms begins. The Pie,id, mt
will first receive his Cabinet and the
Diplomatic Corps. The latter will
wear The attire of their respective for.
eign Courts. Then the Justices of the
Supreme Court of the u. s. will come.
and the Judges of the U. s. Court of
Claims. Senators and Representatives
in Congress are next in order, followed
! by the judicial officers of the various
District Comts, ex-Members of the
! Cabinet, and OK Ministers of the
United States. Officers of the Army
and Navy will greet the President
next in the full unilo' IN of their raj H.
Then Secretaries and assistant Secre-
taries of various institutions, assistant
postmasters general and assistant at.
torneys-general, heads of Bureaus
Associations of soldiers, veterans, and
,he Oldest Inhabitants Association.
With them the Official ,ecel ton closes,
and the peoples rc'r Il hgins.
| Washington la, never known a
more prosperous Christmas tide than
he present one. Express Compan-
les report that in number and value
the packages sent from the city
this year are in excess Of those
'ent last year by at least thirty
i've percent. The clerks in the Post
tfice say that the number of Christmas
| packages sent from here this year rx-
ceed those of last year by nearly one
third. And the merchants report very
greatly increased sales tf fancy goods
tor Christmas presents over last year.
The cause of this differ, nee is in the
policy of President Cleveland. AT
this time last year thousands of people
acre felt that the source of their in.
comes was menaced, and looked to the
ides of March with dread. They were
too much perturbed to permit them
selves any expense that was not absC-
Iutely necessary. A large majority Of
| the citizens h,r,-whether thev eX-
press it or not-fe,l in their hearts
that the President is to thank for their
happy Christmas.
The Pre- sident is credited with hav-
ing said recently in regard to one of
his appointees against whom some ot-
jeclions were raised, tlat is the oh
jections were justified, he hoped the
man would not be confirmed. 1t is
due largely to the Presidents direct
ness and earnes,ness OF purpose that
the Republican Senators have been
forced to assume more conservative
attitude towards his nominations. An
unfriendly critic said some thing recent
ly about Mr.. Ceveland's incarnate
commouplaceness and his sturdy indie
pendence, which he SAID, many people
imagined to be a kind of genius. In
reply to this some one said it was
so rare thing for us to have Presi.
dent who has the coula age to pursue a
common sense policy that he does be-
come, in so doing kind of genius
The Speaker of the House is spend.
ing his holiday time busy at work ar,
ranging the House Committees
Members manifest much anxiety to
know where they will be assigned
The desire TO learn their fate in this
matter before an official announce
ment of the committees was made
kept many Congressmen in Washing
ton during the holidays, who would
have gone home for their Christmas
dinners had the committees been an.
nounced before the adjournment
Many questions of grave import to the
people of the United States besides
the tariff and silver will have 10 be
considered by the committees that
Mr.. Carlisle will,name. He is a pat
iiot, however, as well as a Statesman,
and no public interest will be sacri.
feed by him either through the graft
tication of grudge Or the indulgence OF
partiality. The changes in the rules
recently made involve many changes
in the committees. One aim of the
Speaker will be 10 place very cautious
and judicious Members upon those
committees that have charge of the APP
propriation bills.
The illusions that have been made
to Senator Beck's recent speech on sill
yer as an attack upon the Administra-
tion were unfair. He merely Joined
issue with the financial policy of the
Administration. just as he has been
crilicizing the financial policy of Re
publican Administrations for years
past. He referred in terms of sympa by
aud eulogy to the views Of the Presi-
dent and Secretary of the Treasury as
whole. But the Ky. Senator is an
extreme silver man and will do all he
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