Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-28
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
One Day in the Year When the Whole
Country Gives Itself Up to Pleasure.
Christmas in Washington-The Christmas
Clubs-Naval Cadets On a Lark-How
Congressman Live Here.
Correspondence of the Gazette.

Correspondence of the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-The city was
never more attractive than at the present
time. Everybody is happy, even the
Democratic office-holder who hopes to
retain his place under the next admins
tration by the grace of Mr.. Harrison.
The shOp-keepers are coming money,
the hotels are filled with guests and the
theaters are playing to crowded houses.
The children of the leading society people
returned home for the holidays, filed
with visions of Christmas enjoyment, and
social festiyity during the vacation.
There is dearth of congressman who
have been leaving the city in Swarms
during the past week and nothing is
talked of but Christmas. The
newspaper correspondent finds dearth
of news, and the work i'll the departments
is practically suspended. Christmas is
the one day in all the year when the
whole country gives itself up to self en-
jOyment and an endeavOr 10 do good for
others. The latter feature of this hcli-
day is well looked after in Washington,
and the poor children of the district are
the beneficiaries. The society peo-
pie gave them 4 dinner
on Christmas day. Clubs have
been formed largely composed Of chill
dren in different sections of the city who
pay the modest sum of 10 cents for men,
beTship. This fund forms nucleus for
the purchase of good things for the chill
dren. In addition TO this the members of
the clubs contribute something from
their own Christmas presents. There are
at present three separate districts, each
containing a Christmas club, all i'll Il
tlourishing condition. Miss Mollie Villas,
daughter of the secretary of the interior,
is the president of the leading club.
Yesterday about 200 children met to-
gether Gall members) and perfected ar
engagements for dinner to be given next
Saturday afternoon. Every poor child in
the district is looking forward with long
ing eyes and a happy heart to this festive
occasion.
A unique feature in the celebration of
Christmas in Washington this year is the
appearance of about one hundred and
fifty cadets from the naval academy the
usual custom has been to grant the cadets
only one day vacation from study and
naval disciplin. This year how
ever, Secretary Whitney thought
that the young plebs should
have a longer relaxation from study aud
granted them four days leave, whiGh.
they eagerly grasped and marched en-
masse to Washington. Mr.. Whitney,
always considerate, has made himself
popular by this proper course, and it is
probably the last official act he will per-
form for the naval academy, his term
expiring in q few weeks.
Several congressman have recently
been bemOaning their position here to
your correspondent. Some say it costs
them more to get the nomination and the
election than their two years salary
amounts to. Others picture in doleful
language the expense of living in Wash
ington and say, with sigh, if they were
not strictly honest they could make
snug little sum every session, but they
do not. Dare not is the better
expression, I think. OF course there are
congressman, and congressmen; some
have all their election expenses paid by
the interests which send them here to
look out for particular measures. Men
like Morrill,, Hawley. Carlisle, Randall,
Reed and many others do not have to
purchase their election, and they live
quietly in an economical way, just man
aging to spend their salaries.
There are also quite num-
Der of members who live in
small quarters and manage to save
money out of their salaries. This species
of statesmen has recently come to the
front i'll the person of a senator, who, it
it is said, has appointed his wife as his
clerk at $1,000 per annum, thus making
his salary $4,000 year, with mileage and
SIPS yearly for stationary. After all
congressman are like other people.
If they attend to their business as per-
haps a majority of them do, their time is
fully occupied, and the sum paid* them is
entirely too small. The leaders and the
workers are nearly always sure of re-
election, and the little fellows who
neither earn their salaries nor spend it
seldom get more than one term. A con-
gresham who is mean here is very likely
to be mean at home, and VIXEN his con-
stituents find him out they, generally
leave him tn ere. x. X.