Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1886-01-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our teguIar cnrrespondent.l J
WAsH1NGroN, Jan. 5, 1886.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 1886.
On last Friday the White House
was opened wide TO the world, or as
much of it as could crowd IN during
the hour from l to 2 p. IN. The
New Years reception lasted from 10
o'clock until 2, but it was the day on
which the official world of Washing
ton paid its respects to the presi-
dent, and the Official programme con-
sumed the time until O'Clock, when
the reception of citizens began. The
president first received his cabinet
and diplomatic corps. The latter
wore the attire of their respective
foreign courts. Then the justices
of the supreme court of the United
States came, and the judges of the
United States court of claims. SEN
ators and representative in con-
gress were next in order, followed
by the judicial officers of the vari-
Gus district courts, ex-members of
the cabinet, and cx-mlnlsters of the
United States. Officers of the army
and navy greeted the president next
in the fall uniform of their rank.
Then secretaries and assistant secre-
taries of various Institutions, assist
ant postmaster-general and assistant
encouragement, heads of bureaus,
associations of soldiers, veterans,
and the oldest inhabitants assocla-
ton. With them the official recep-
ton closed, and the peoples recep-
ton began.
Washington has never known a
more prosperous Christmastide than
the present one. Express compan-
les report that in number and value
the packages sent from the city this
year are in excess of those seEt last
year by at least thirty-five per cent.
The clerks in the postoffice say that
the number of Christmas packages
sent fromIhere this year exceeds those
of last year by nearly one-third.
And the merchants reportvery great
ly increased sales of fancy goods for
Christmas presents over last year.
The cause of this difference is in the
policy of President Cleveland. At
this time last year thousands of peo-
pie here felt that the source of their
income was menaced, and looked to
the sides of March with dread.
They were too much perturbed to
permit themselves any expense that
was not absolutely necessary. A
large majority of the citizens here
whether they expected it or not
feel in their heerts that the president
is to thank for their happy Christ
mas.
The president is credited with hav-
ing said recently in regard to one Of
his appointees against whom some OBJ
jections had been raised, that if the
objections were justified, he hoped
the man would not be confirmed. 1t
is largely to the presidents direct
ness and earnestness of purpose that
the Republican senators have been
forced to assume a more conserva-
tive attitude towards his nominations.
An unfriendly critic said something
recently about Mr.. Cleveland's Gin
carnate commonplaceness" and his
sturdy independence" 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 president who has
the courage to pursue 4 common
sense policy that he does become, IN
so doing, kind of genius.
The speaker of the house is spend
ing his holiday time busy at work
arranging 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 congressman in Washing
ton during the holidays, who would
have gone home for their Christmas
dinners had the committees been an.
nounced before adjournment. Many
questions of grave import to The
people Of the United States besides
the tariff and silver will have to bt
considered by the committees thai
Mr.. Carlisle will name. He is a pa
triot, however, as we'll as states
man, and no public interest will bt
sacrificed by him either through th,
qualification of grudge or the indul
gence of partiality. The changes il
the rules recently made involve man,
changes in the committees. One ain
of the speaker will be to place yer,
cautious and judicious members npol
those committees that haye charge o
the appropriation bills.
The illusions that have been mad
to Senator Beck's recent speech Of
silver as an attack upon the admins
tration were unfair. He merely join
ed issue with the financial policy o
the administration, just as he ha
been criticising the financial polio
of Republican administrations 70
years past. He referred in terms O
sympathy and eulogy to the views o
the president and secretary of th