The Washington critic., 1888-03-03
"0LIVIA'S" C0LU MN.
"reminiscences of the Sunday Cap
ital and Dom Piatt,
A FREE LANCE IN JOURNALISM.
Closing Scenes i'm the Career of
Constantine Brumidi, the
Artist.

the Grant regime, can forget the brilliant,
racy, sarcastic columns Of the Washing
ton Sunday CdpitdiP It's scathing, fiery
paragraphs were hurled at the leading
officials, whether found in the White
House, the "Cave of the Winds" as the
Capitol was called or the farthest limit of
country, as well as those who were serving
il abroad. Thus far modern journalism
has never equaled its genuine humor and
the universal mirth with which almost
every edition of the paper was received.
The majesty of the law, the sanctity of
the pulpit, saddle bags and pill boSesl
No citizen was too high and none too
humble TO escape the literary nav of this
journalistic bird of prey.
Whilst Horace Greeley made the Tribune
an intellectual outgrowth of himself,
Dom Piatt and the Sunday Capitdl were
one and Invisible. If he did not write
every article published, every line had to
pass under his inspection.
This, of course, eXCepts the stories and
travels In foreign lands. Who can forget
his humorous descriptions of Richelieu
Robinson twisting the tail of the British
lion? ? or "Pig-Iron" Kelley working out
some problem for his philadelphia mas
| ters 2" And who can hear the bells of
the Metropolitan Church without think
ing of "Widdows with the chimes at
tachedYn Alas alas who can listen to
the silvery tones Of DR.. Newman without
recalling
THE mot scoTcH" EPISODE
in his ministerial career2 To prove the
extreme wickedness TO which the love of
fun led Dom Piatt, the true history Of
the "hot Scotch" business follows :.
Itappears that q certain Jedge," who
used TO loaf around Wizards Hotel,
aN,st1s Il b..
| preacher, and was put up by the wicked
| boys" of Newspaper Row to personate
the Parson. One stormy night when but
| few men were lounging about Willard's
/ the 'Jedge" pulled his well-worn collar
up to his ears, and rushing into the house
and up to the bar, he hastily called for q
"hot Scotch" saying, "fix IL quick, I'm
Parson Newman then as hastily de-
parted. In less than twenty-four hours
therscandalous "doins" " of the Admins
tration's spiritual adviser was talked
over in every wide-awake house in Wash
ington. Those who knew Dom best
believed that he paid for the Jedges "hot
SCOTCH" at any rate he seized the cruel
hoax, dressed it up in true Piatt style
and shook the Capital of the Nation with
peals of laughter. Whilst the people had
their fun, the minister, who has great
pride of character, was exceedingly an
noyed; and his most estimable and lovely
wife actually shed tears. The proprietor
| of Wizards, whose wife was a leading
member of DR.. Newmans Church, wanted
to discharge the bartender and ferret out
the scandal but every movement only
gave the terrible Dom a deeper hold,
and 1t only died out because it became an
"old story"
Donn's terrible onslaught on "old
Zach Chandler" as he was familiarly
called in those days, kept Newspaper
Row in the highest state of excitement,
especially when the irate Senator would
60 storming down Fourteenth street,
shaking his cane in hot pursuit of that
"d-d Don Pot" The Cdpitui had just
published u
MURDER PERPETRATED By 'oLD ZACH"
which came about, as near as the writer
can remember, in this way: Some bad
person had hired carriage, and, upon
leaving it, had left a baby fast asleep on
the cushioned seat, which the driver
knew nothing about. The Michigander,
who called carriage to help him home
from the Capital, did not notice the de-
post, but sat down on it. When he heard
il scream he thought he chad 'em' again.
and was so frightened that he knew moth
ing more until he found himself in the
hands of the police. 1t did not seem
possible that an editor would dare pub
lish such hoax about one of the most
prominent and respected public men of
the day, and, whilst the citizens depl0red
the cruel articles in the Capital, laugh
they would and buy the paper, thereby
furnishing the cruel Dom with a per-
petual supply of the sinews OF war.
"LANDAULET" WILLIAMS.
During these days Senator Williams of
Oregon became a member of General
Grants Cabinet. Ofcourse Mrs. Williams
must have a carriage to suit her exalted
social position. Heretofore, as a Senator's
wife, she had been forced to ride after the
sorry nags known as "hack horses at
the Capital. So she coaXed the Attorney
General to buy carriage little finer
than the usual Department conveyance,
and loan it to her to make her "calls," +"
whilst he should 60 to his work without
Government aid, or in the best way he
could. Oh, fatal, fatal blunder of a most
beautiful woman, who had social position
without wealth to sustain i'll The Sunday
Capital seized the mistake, dubbed the
husband "Landaulet' Williams, made
hlm nationally notorious and laid the
tice of the Republic. Dom Piatt di not
realize the injustice which helped to drive
one of the most blameless of men into pri-
vate life.
Some time during these memorable
days the Capltafmade q furious attack on
the women suffragists and finished by
clubbing Phoebe CouZins chen lawyer
Whilst the writer had never been classed
with the women sutlragists their sim
cerity and bravery had always gained her
respect and admiration; and the idea of
sneering at Miss Couzins because she
chose to enter the "learned profession"
became reflection on the writer who
had become pioneer in another thorny
path almost as new.
A PITCHED BATTLE
followed which ragged through the
columns Of two Sunday newspapers, The
public alone is the judge of how the con-
test ended At the period Nellie Grant
was marned the White House became the
target for all the innuendo wit and irony
could devise. 1t would make too long a
sketch TO picture the siege which the hero
of AppomattoX inaugurated. II closed
however, with q complete victory for
President Grant, who, after a time, de-
parted on his journey around the world.
10 PRESTO CHANGE
Anew Administration came into power,
its forehead stamped with fraud by the
Democratic party. A Sabbath fusilade
began at once which threatened a broad
side ut any unlucky moment The wife
Of a new Cabinet officer used the word
'skullduggcry' ina tive-minutes conyer-
sation with the SUNDAY Capital. The in
teryIew was published. "Skullduggery ~
associated with the new officials, in almost
day became National in fame; the un-
fortunate Mrs. Secretary was snubbed by
Mrs, Hayes, and for punishment was
placed next 10 the Secretary of State, who
frightened her out of her senses by his
attic salt and congealed her into an
icicle by his vast learning.
~ thought ! should die" said the poor
( little woman. "Think of four long hours
of this mental torture | Just begged my
husband TO have nothing more 10 do with
this skullduggery.'
All this time "Don Pot was as i'm
nocent as o Thomas Cat, with his whisker,