Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-04-23
WASHINGTON LETTER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS or rnr noNrron.

been too much demoralized by tn,
long deadlock, which was broken ONLY
last Thursday, to pail itself togethe
for work as yet. 1t is hoped howeve
that our lawmakers feel duly peni
tent for the wasted time of the pas
fortnight, most of which was spen
in the most furious form of filibuster
ing. and that they will endeavor e
atone this week for recent sins, b,
hard work
Tomorrow is the day set for call
ing up the Mills tariff bill. IT,
friends say nothing has been lost b,
delaying so long the great work OF
the session. Time was needed, moi
only for the preparation of a bill, but
for the creation of public sentiment
that would press it through. Boil
of these objects, they say, have beer
attained. The revenue reformers ex.
pect victory, whether they have
sufficient reason to do SO or not.
Since | wrote you, the Senate, not
perturbed in the least by the House
deadlock, has been moving along at
its usual dignified pace. 1t has lis
tened to tariff reform speeches, high
protection speeches, and speeches on
the admission of Dakota To the Union,
and the question of buying General
Washington's sword.
The senate grew very patriotic last
Wednesday. After passing a bill to
pay $4,000 for a pair of swords
which had belonged to Gen. Shields,
a bill to erect monument in Boston
to Gen. Warren, who fell at Bunker
Hill in the war of the Revolution, and
some other bills for monuments to
other deceased generals, there came
up a bill to purchase one of George
Washington's swords from Miss Vir-
ginia Taylor Lewis at $40, 900. Then
followed a debate which was half
sublime and half ridiculous, the sem
timental and commercial value Of
the relic being presented by Senators
Evarts, Vest, Voorhees,, Hoar and
Cockrell. The senator from Missou-
ri (AIr. CockrelD thought it was a
very expensive sword and wanted TO
know if there was any Identification
of it.
The New York senator (Mr. Ev-
arts) who had charge of the measure,
said its authenticity and its relation
to the great event of the surrender
of Washingtons commission were in
disputable. 1t could be seen in the
historical picture of that event. 1t
had been of use to the United States
when used by its former owner. In
that relation it had value. As a mere
scabbard and blade it was not worth
much. 1t was one of the five swords
mentioned in Gen. Washington's will
and bequeathed to different ones of
his kindred. The first Of them was
the one which had the traditional
credit of having been presented to
Washington by Frederick the Great,
with the message that it was from
the oldest soldier in the world TO the
greatest general i'm the world. That
sword was now owned by the state of
New York, having been purchased
with other articles) for the sum of
$4,000. Mr. Evarts said the price
mentioned in the bill now before the
senate (20,000) was that fixed by
the representative of the legatee of
the sword. The committee which re-
ported the bill did not feel at liberty
to cheaper the sword. If anybt DIV
else were to cheaper it, it ought
not to be the senate of the United
States.
But Senator Cockrell was not con-
verted. He still insisted that tie
price asked was exorbitant. The
Shields sword was set i'm jewels and
therefore had an intrinsic value. Mr..
Evarts here interposed that the price
fixed had no relation at all to tn
money value of the blade. 1t was
inestimahle, it was the sword of
Washington.
Senator Cockrell was then rein
forced by Senator Vest, who said he
had no idea of voting to give $40, 900
for this sword. If this bill were to
pass, every relic of every other dis
tinguished man would 0e brought |
here and congress asked to buy it at
an enormous price. A monument,
the grandest in the world, had been |
erected to the memory of Washing |
ton, and one was being erected to
the memory of his mother. There
was a proposition before con-
SfeSS 10 CONSTRUCT an avenue from
this city to Mount Vernon at great |
expense. In all sorts of ways the |
American people had tried to evil
dence their veneration for the "Fa-
Their of his Country" and Mr.. Vest
had no disposition to depreciate the |
gratitude and honor which every |
American citizen should feel for the |
memory of Washington, still he did |
not propose to pay the heir who want
ed to make this sale, any such price
for the sword.
Senator Voorhees, said he would
just as soon vote 100000 for the
sword as any other sum. 1t was not
question of money. Senator Hoar
suggested that Senator Vest amend
the bill by substituting the price