The Washington critic., 1886-08-16
WASHINGTON, AUGUST l0, 1856.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

lOl lND VI l1llJ ~ II
The car which the President uses in
his Trip to theAdirondacksi is a mahogany
palace car, seventy feet long, mounted
on twelve paper wheels. Of the latest
pattern. Although the car remained
in the depot but short time its beauty
attracted every eye, and scores of peo-
pie crowded around 1t, asking ques-
tions that made the handsome brake
men perspire for an hour. 1t is the
private car belonging to the president
of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad
Company and is entirely unlike any
of the palace cars usually seen. The
berths stand on end and look like
paneled mirrors between the windows.
At touch they swing out like doors and
lie down in luxurious fashion. In
large, spacious bedroom is brass bed
stead-the Presidential couch 1t is
made up across the car. There are
three bedrooms altogether and several
closets. The saloon contains wonder.
full easy extension chairs of soft green
leather and a telescope dining table
that expands from two legs and board
to huge piece of furniture seventeen
feet long. There are in the car besides
a pantry, kitchen, an ice house and
heating apparatus. Rich silk cur
tains and crushed raspberry stained
glass windows filter the light aud fill
the car with a soft, sumptuous radiance
hat is very quieting to overworbcd
nerves. The wine cellar attachment
was stocked with ice and lemons yes.
terday and the lardcr was filled with
delicacies.
~
An element in the United States has
lorg leen eager for II rupture with
Mexico, says Il writer in the New York
Sua, speaking Of the feeling aroused
by the Cutting affair looking forward
to the absorption OF that country;
while a still greater number of our
citizens yearn for conquest and annexa-
tion, under the idea that unlimited loot
will be gained by IL in the shape of OK
haustless mines and other riches in this
fancied El Dorado. On the other hand,
dread OF annexation to the United
States has long been the nightmare of
Mexican existence. and every plan
brought forward for mutual benefit has
been construed by the jealous younger
sister into u leaning in that direction
The lately proposed commercial treaty
brought out that feeling in full on the
southern side of the dividing river, and
though its provisions would have
brought them before unheard-of COM
forts and luXuries, the proportion of
Mexicans who opposed 1t was about 900
out of 1000. The idea that said
treaty meant swallowing up of this
miscalled republic by the Unites States
was industriously fermented by certain
interested capitalists and tradesmen
who have long had things all their
own way in Mexico. You would
scarcely credit me were ! to tell you
the outrageous prices charged for the
most common articles by the tradesmen
aforesaid, who gained footing here
before the advent of the railroads. The
McXicans having no manufactures of
their own and knowing no better, have
for years permitted themselves to be
thus swindled-the poor doing without
the ordinary necessaries of life, and the
rich being careless of their inherited
wealth. Naturally these mercantile
Shylocks did not want their bonanzas
interfcred with, and opposed the treaty
with might and main, fostering the
bad blood of this gullble people by
all manner of Misrepresentation.
Within the last five years, however,
their golden harvcsts nave greatly
decreased, since many large mercantile
tirms-particularly in the Texas
cities, Galveston, Houston. San An
tonic, Austin, Waco aud Fort Worth,
besides few in New York, st. Louis,
San Francisco and Chicago-have
overrun the country with their com
merCial travellers. AS may he I'M
agined, these latter gentlemen are now
having a ticklish time of it between
the Scylla and Charybdis Of desiring
TO repcl the Shylocks and preserve
peaceful international relations.
Another cause for the popular hatred
of Americans which prevails along the
southern side of the Rio Grinie is
jealousy of the business profits which
the former reap on Mexican soil
American minels, for instance, paying
no taxes to the Mexican authorities,
though making no end of money out
of the mines. 1t is undoubtedly true
that MeXicans have many times fur.
nished occasiOus for bad blood by their
raids over the frontier and by their I'M
fair treatment of American citizens
in Mexico; but ii Is also fact that there
Is another view of the picture which is
entirely ignored in the present sensa-
tional accounts All outrages commit
ted by MeXicans we are certain to hear
of, and the stories thereof lose nothing
at the hands of American dispatchers,
but the numherless atrocities committed
in Mexico by rencgades from the other
side of the Rio Grande are seldom
cmoniclcd by the Northern press,
s"w
Evidently cx. Pres ident Arthur is not
going to e merely a figure head in the
Arcade Railway of New York, of
which he was recently chosen presi-
dent. The eX President is a hearty be-
lever in the Arcade project, which
contemplates u railroad following the
course of Broadway under ground. 1t
is meeting with opposition just now
from the Astors, Lorillards, and other
owners of Broadway property, but the
company Is going ahead under its char.
ter as II nothing had happened The
officers expect to begin construction
before winter. Mr.. Arthur said Of the
scheme, before his election to the
presidency of the company, that it was
one of few enterprises with which he
should care 70 he connected. He viii
be Interested in 1t in other respects
than as salnried official but to what
extent cannot be stated. 1t Is centiin.
however, that more money will be put
into Arcade stock by friends of the