San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-12-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(Frcm Our Regular Correspondent,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 1856.

|
wAsuMoroN, Dec. 6, 1856.
Congress opened to-day at noon in
the usual way. There was good
representation Of both Senators and
Members and crowds Of people flock
ed to the Capitol to see the beginning
of the new session. When the For
ty-Nintb Congress- met last December
it found the Capitol draped in mourn
ing for the death of Vice President
Hendricks, This year it reassembles
to find the building swathed In black
for Ex-P President Arthur.
After tho gavels fell to-day in the
Senate and House, and roll calls fol
lowed, and new Senators and Repre-
seiitatives were then sworn in.
Among the most interesting annual
reports evoked by the assembling OF
Congress was that OF Secretary Whit
ney because it deals largely with the
reconstruction of the Navy. Speak
ing OF the extravaganza of previous
Administrations, the Secretary shows
that there are now twenty million
dollars worth Of stores and supplies
on hand, supposed to be new, but
much of them ruined by decay and
rust, or entirely obsolete. There are
25, 900 augers which have been lying
for years in disused yards and hun
dreds OF thousands Of other imple-
ments similarly going to destruction.
An officer reports passing through q 2
yard where the men were short OF
cut nails, and turning aside he found
a ware room filed from floor to CELL
ing with barrels Of the needed nails.
II is estimated that these nails will
still last the Navy Department fifty
years.
The absurdity Of the effort among
Republican papers to create the be-
lief that there is some scandal involv
ing the President in the purchase OF
real estate here for speculative pur'
poses is really amusing. Neither
partisan malice nor personal animos-
ity can fix upon him any taint Of com
plicity in real estate ring transactions
or scandalous police spying in Wash
ington. !.
Even those who criticize the Presi-
dents public and political policy ac-
knowledge that personally and pecu-
niarily. he is one of the most honest
men who ever occupied the White
House. He might be imposed upon
in some way by avaricious men, but
President Cleveland himself is totally
free from greed.
It is becoming quite common to
distribute pictures Of the fine Wash
ington residences of wealthy Con-
gressmen as an influence upon the
horny handed voter, and public men
have found that owning large houses
here is very detrimental to their pop
ularity at home More then one has
been defeated by the circulation Of q
photograph Of his Washington resi-
dence among his constituents. 1t
was only few days since fhat an
Illinois Congressman, seeing camera
leveled at his mansion, rushed out
md tried to drive the photographer
away.
When ex-senator Robeson ran for
Congress the last time in New Jersey.
his constituents were shown pictures
of the south front of the new State,
War and Navy Department, and were
told that that magnificent granite
structure was Mr. Ro.eson new
house in Washington. This was en-
tirely too aristocratic for the rural
voters OF his district, and Mr.. Robe
son was defeated. Ex-senator Win
dom of Minnesota wns said to have
lost his seat in the Senate through
the scattering of pictures OF bis hand
some house on Scott circle and it is
said one reason Mr.. Blaine rented his
house here and lived in a
more simple fashion was from the
fear OF the political use that might be
made of his living ut the Capital in
style.