Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-09-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.

Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Supt. II, 1886.
Washington has been somewhat
dull since the adjournment Of Con-
gress and the departure of the Presi-
dent. The earthquake shook it up
little, but nothing in comparison to
the election OF Democratic President.
Since that event nothing surprises the
average Washingtonian, who looks up.
on all sublunary and subterranean
disturbances with an indifference
which seems to say: .,-
with that dire retrospection curst,
My only eOlace is to know
Whatever betides, I've seen the worst
What is that worst Why to bet on
jimblaine and lose the money he had
borrowed at ten per cent. interest per
month, and then to be dismissed for
offensive good-for.nothingness. But
this, as We Democrats say Of the war,
is duCiclIt UlstOTS.
Modern or contemporary history as
viewed from this standpoint is fiat
enough. 1t will be more interesting
when the President returns and when
Congress gets back. After the Fall
elections it will be livelier still,
The Departments are moving along
in their old ruts. In the Treasury De-
partment they are keeping books,
counting the revenue, making con-
tracts, calling in bonds, auditing ac.
counts, and paying the great army Of
clarks known az the civil service, as
we'll as the small but expensive army,
and the formidable (on the pay-rolD
navy. Now that Geronimo and his
band of forty thieves are captured the
United States army will he able to
take a rest, for it is the intention Of
Secretary Lamar to shift the Apaches
from Arizona to Florida and end In
dian wars forever. All the other war
riers have either joined Buffalo Bills
circus or are SO civilized and cowed by
Government tough beef that they are
as harmless as their wooden effigies in
front of tobacco stores.
Without any Indians to fight, with
diving torpedo boats that can blow up
the great iron clads Of foreign navies,
and with a diplomacy carried on by
special ENJOYS, how much longer will
these triplets Of barbarism, the army,
navy, and sham foreign service, have
reason to be. Your correspondent is
notquite ready to announce the inillen-
ium. Jim Blaine has broken out in
the old place, and the government OF
the United States is still mai-adminis-
tered, in great part, by the convicts
condemned by the last Presidential
election 10 outer darkness with wailing
and gnashing Of teeth. When will
the sentence of that election be carried
out, and when will We have in the
Departments at Washington a body Of
employees placed for some other pur-
pose than to work for the Republican
party and who now have no dearer OBJ
ject than to hamstring the Democratic
administration. &
All the cabinet officers, Mr.. Bayard
excepted, are out OF town. Mr.. Lamar
is up in Vermont, writing a big speech
that he is expected to deliver ut the
unveiling OF statue OF Calhoun in
Charleston, S. C. Vermont is as near
the politico-geographical antipode of
the Calhoun belt as the eloquent Mis-
sissippian can get, but predict that
his speech will be as far removed from
an advocacy Of disunion as the Green
Mountains are from the centre of
earthquakes. The wonder is that Mr..
Lamar takes time to write his speech,
for the impression prevails that he can
say brilliant things on any subject for
two hours, watch in hand. But the
necessity for accuracy and precision of
epithet is great nowadays, and Mr..
Lamar perhaps does not wish to have
TO recant, as had Mr.. Blaine and Mr..
Frye in reference to expressions in
their recent speeches.
The usual Summer improvements,
both public and private, have been 60
ing on in the city. Many houses have
been built. Parks have been extended,
trees planted, sewers dug and streets
paved. The great improvement CT re-
claiming the Potomac Flats, with
view to the expurgation Of malaria, is
going on, and it is thought that the
city viii &c in trim he-tines for the
great centennial celebration Of the in.
auguration Of the first President in
1889, when the Warrington Monu.
ment entwined with the national colors
will look like a BARRIERS pole, and the
Grant memorial bridge spanning the
Potomac will furnish an easy approach
Tor the Virginia truck gardeners.
But this ia sacrilsge, and will be