Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-07-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 10, 1886.
To THE SouTH KENTUCKIAN

WASHINGTON, ID. C., July ~, 1856.
To THE SoUTH KENTUCKIAN:
If Congress does not adjourn by
August the first, it will not be be-
cause the hours of each daily session
are not long enough. 1t is common
occurrence now for both Houses to
meet at ii A. NJ. and sit until 8 or 10
O'Clock at night. The members can
not refrain from much talking on
every subject that arises, and the
consequence is long legislative hours
and little legislation. A large num-
Der of the members are getting fright
ened at the Presidential vetoes, and
show disposition TO hold back ia
vorite bills rather than have them
60 TO the White House and be sent
back with No, spelled with big N.
Hope springs eternal etc, and better
things are hoped for next session.
The Presidents last circular letter
relative to offensive partisans in his
own party, falls like wet blanket
over the ardor of many life long
democrats. 1t is exceedingly hard
for them TO get used to the new or
der of things. They are opposed to
any change in principles for which
they have stoutly commended so long,
but want more changes in the offices
which they claim belong 10 them.
The Cabinet officers, without excep-
ton, approve of the Presidents order,
but members of Congress generally
denounce il, especially those from
close and doubtful districts. The eff
feet upon the coming Congl essional
elections is looked for with deep in
terest from headquarters in Washing
ton. The Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee is greatly per-
picked as to what sort Of campaign
literature had best be sent forth. The
party is on the defensive, and conse-
quently great care has to be exercised
in the selection of the material
brought into requisition, in feeling
the temper of the various districts,
and administering accordingly. The
republicans, OH the other hand, are
on the offensive, and have been form
ulatlng material in the many tactics
adopted and speeches made in Con-
gress. We all know that it is easier
to tear down than 10 build up. and
hence the republicans have an easier
task than the democrats. At least
such appears to be the prevailing
opinion here, where all the political
wisdom of the Two parties is concen
traled just now. Time will show
which is the best man in the contest.
AS the Treasury department has
received so much notice of late in the
part 1t plays in politics, it may not
DE uninteresting to note that as YOU
enter the Treasury building at the
north end your first impression is
that you are in big bank, but that
delusion is soon dispelled bv the eve
catching, in big letters of gold. the
words Treasury of the United
States" Inside the cash room there
Is a marble counter, with stout iron
screen in front Of it, rising from the
tiled floor four or five feet above the
counter, with little doors atintarvals
through which you pass to transact
your business. Everybody likes TO
see and hear and talk about money in
large sums. So it is that this place
has a strong fascination for the
tourist. Nearly all the sight seers
20 There to peer through the screen,
or better still, go into the gallery
which runs round the whole room at
a distance of forty feet above the
floor, and from which can be obtain
ed, without danger to the money, a
good view of the whole interior of
the office. Heaps of money, coin and
paper, lie around in a fascinating
way, and you cannot drive back the
feeling what nice thing il would
be II you could be turned loose in
there and told to help yourself. 1t is
sale to assume that some thought of
TINS Kind crosses the mind of SO out
OF every 100 persons who look down
from that gallery. All the paper
money paid out there's "brand" new.
just as 1t comes from the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, where thew
make it. It's in uniform packages.
each containing 100 bills, If thew
are DIS the package contains $500: If
IOOs, $4,000, and so on, and SO on,
These packages, during the process
OF manufacture, and in being trans
TERED from one custodian to another.
nave been counted 60 times BY as
many different persons. II is always
safe to assume that each package
contains the value designed upon its
wrapper, and persons receiving these
packages never think of counting
their contents to verify the count. *
mistake is regarded. as impossible to
DR.. R. G. Calling, whose name
goes with his gun all over the world,
is IN Washington at present lie
VIII soon have ready new form of
ms ms machine gun, specially devised
ior the use of the police in our large
cities' 1t will be constructed on the
same principle as his large field gun,
but will be very compact. The bar,
rel OF the gun will be only u inches
long, and the whole thing when
mounted on police wagon will not
weigh more than so pounds. Woe
to the dynamiters then. His idea is
TO have two or three of these guns
mounted on a police wagon, which
can be driven rapidly to the scene of
threatening riot. Each gun will
fire at least a thousand shots min
nle, and the doctors idea is that the
mere knowledge that such weapons
are in the possession of the police will
prevent any violent act by a mob. A
thousand shots a minute would dis
pose of even Chicago anarchist
meeting in short order II