Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-01-07

dinners Tor the poor: Christmas
trees that grew up in night, strength
ening the belief of skeptical youth in
Santa Claus, and profusion of those
indispensable accompaniment of the
season, turkey. cranberry sauce, plum
pudding, and fruit cake. Pennsylva-
mia avenue and the business streets OF
the city. which have presented the
scene of gigantic procession OF pur-
chesers for the past two weeks were
quiet and half deserted. The machin
cry of the government stopped for the
day, the departments were closed and
the clerks had holiday.
Congress will take the world easy
until the fifth of January, when it re-
conyenes. Senators and representa-
tives scattered far and wide for the hol-
idays. Sogie went To their homes,
others ran down to New Orleans for a
few days, aud many remained here.
Some were kept by anxiety to know
where they would be assigned by
Speaker Carlisle on the House COM
mittees which he is busy arranging.
AS TO holiday politics, may say
Ssnator Beck's attack upon the Anan-
cial policy of the Administration, just
before the Christmas recess has been
more discussed than any other subject.
The democratic friends of the silver
dollar were unwilling to wait until af-
ter the holidays without taking issue
with the president on this question.
Senator Beck fired the first gun. signif-
icant of an impending battle that is
likely to have powerful iafluence
over the fortunes of the Administra-
ton and the future of parties. The
democratic party is badly divided on
the silver question, and there is no tell
ing what the outcome may be. Rep
resentative Reagan, of Tex, demo
crat of long service in the House, says
he fears his party will go to pieces. Con-
gress is apt 10 become involved in this
contest soon after it reassembles. The
democrats are badly in need of lead
er in the Senate. Senator Beck was
supposed to be the man, but his last
performance has bewildered his politi-
cal brethren. Senator Voorhees, is said
to be sulking because he has not been
given all the patronage he wants. Sen
ator Harris, of Tennessee, cannot
speak for the President on the silver
question, because he comes from that
part of the country favorable TO silver.
in their dilemma Senator Vest has
come TO the front as the man best fit
ted to be the mouthpiece of the Adj
ministration. He has been considered
something of an orator by the demo-
Gratis, end he is, perhaps, the best i'm
promptu talker on their side OF the
Chamber. He has little to show, how
ever. against such an array of talent
as may be found on the republican side
! of the aisle, where are such men as
Logan, Ednunds, Sherman, lloar, In
gals, Frye, Evarts, Teller, Hawley,
Dawes, Allison, Morrill,, and others.
1t is a significant fact that democrat
ic senatorsare fighting their president,
when congress is yet only two weeks
old Senator Eustis of Louisiana de-
clared against him long ago, as will
be remembered. and Others are wait
ing TO oppose some OF his nominations
in secret session.
Speaking of the presidents nomina-
tons that have to go before the Sen
ate for confirmation, a republican SEN
ator remarked that the FIVE committees
charged with reporting on these ap-
pointments had an unusually hard
task before them i'm the way of work,
IA task that will keep them busy for
weeks. About three thousand appoint
ees have to he considered. No gener-
al policy has been adopted to govern
committees in their action upon these
nominations. but they are overwhelm
ed with petitions, protests, charges,
and defenses that would have to be in
vestigated If there was no partisan con
sideration i'm the case. The charges
against new appointees include almost
every imaginable offense, Charges in
regard to personal fitness and integrity
have been filed in hundreds of cases,
and members of the senate committees
are besieged at their houses by deleg,s-
tons accusing or defending new APP
pointees
A ridiculous blunder was recently
made by the appointment to an Office
in the Treasury Department of a
yU..-g North Carolina lawyer. lie had
never b: -died bookkeeping, but he
readily secured the support of his state
delegation, and was appointed by the
Secretary of the Treasury chief ct the
division of receipts and expenditures.
The dates of this Office deal ely
with book keeping, and finding himse #
entirely at sea in his business, he re-
| signed. Instances of such inadequacy
on the part of new appointees are COM
mon enough, but they do not have
the honesty or moral courage to ac-
knowledge their unfitness by offering