The Daily Tombstone., 1886-01-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 2S. 1885.

session three weeks, ana the cOlnage of silver dollars, worth seventy-nine cents apiece, still goes merrily on a. the rate of $2,OOO,OO0 per month. The advance in sterling exchange indicates that our gold is going abroad, as much of it as is not being hoarded here, and the collapse of the silver dollar may reasonably be expected to follow in due course of time if the remedy for the evil threatened is not applied now If this reckless coinage of silver con tinues much longer, the country will wake up some fine morning and find its silver dollars will each buy only seventy odd cents worth. Of course the poor people who can least afford the loss will be pinched the hardest, for the capitalist, who also foresee the impending evil, will take means for their own protection. It was hoped that when Congress assembled some thing would be done promptly; but the latest news from the Senate is to the effect that no suspension-of-coin- age bill can pass that body Capital has not yet fully recovered from its last bad fright, although rapidly con- valescing, as is proven by the return of better times. Unless the silver question is settled soon, definitely and satisfactorily, the money of the country will flee again to its vaults, and times will be harder thvn ever.
 The holiday trade is good index of the times, and this season the effect of the general revival in business is very noticeable On last Wednesday Adams Express Company handled 31 per cent more packages than on the same day of last year, and more than ever before. From Wednesday night until Thursday noon 10000 packages arrived in the city. The amount Of mail matter sent from the city this Christmas is largely in excess of the total for any previous year. On Wednesday 5000 packages of mer- chandise were mailed, more than twice the number recorded for the same day of last year.
 The departure of "hard times" is celebrated by the grand outpouring oi charities, both public and private The Children's Christmas Club, an or ganization having for its object the giving of grand Christmas dinner and wagon-loads of toys and clothing to the very poor children of the Second District, gratefully acknowledges the receipt of more than they will require for the entertainment. The East Washington Children's Club, with thu same object in view, numbers 1,70C members, and already nearly 800 tick cts have been distributed by the police amongst the little children of the poor
 Col Staples, the proprietor of Will lards Hotel, on Christmas morning distributed 600 turkeys and chickens amongs the poor, and liberal lum- herman delivered 200 complete family dinners to that number of poor but deserving families.
 Since the failure of the Panama Canal has become practically assured, great deal of interest is felt in the success of Captain Eads' scheme for a ship railway across the Isthmus of Tehauntepec, The terms on which the Government will be asked to join Mexico iu guaranteeing four per cent. interest on the capital while the work is in progress, are perfectly reasonable and well worthy of acceptance. Mex ico stands ready and willing to do her part in the matter. But it is hoping too much to hope that the Government will enter into the scheme promptly and heartily, or even at all. The masterly inactivity and national in ertness which has for some time past characterized the policy of this coun- try on all matters beyond our bounda- ries renders it more than probable that this golden opportunity will be fooled away just as others like it have | haen Rather than Day a Ditiful little