Mohave County miner., 1890-03-08
WASHINGTON LErrER.
'orrespondence Of Tmr Mlsrn.

sioner Lyman's duplicity. His testimony
Is only surprising in that it is hardly
usual for man accused by the news.
papers anc denying most vchemenily all
the charges TO go upon the witness stand
and confess everything. Lyman coniess-
es, in short, that he had his daughter ex-
amined for an appointment when she
was not eligabie. and promoted his
brother-in-law Campbell twice, after that
interesting individual had purloined lists
Of questions for the use Of lady friend
who desired to be examined for promot-
ion. Lyman says that he did "repri-
mand" Campbell, and when asked
whether he would not have instantly dis
charged any one else for the same Of
fense refused to answer. With very few
exceptions, newspapers that have always
been distinguished as advocates OF civil
service reform are calling loudly Tor Ly-
mans resignation. Thus far tha investi-
CATION by the House committee has no.
revealed anything detrimental to Messrs.
Roosevelt and Thompson, and it Is to be
supposed that 1t will not. The friends OF
the system do not forget that upon the
integrity Of its officers depends the sue
cess Of any system, and the dishonesty Of
Lyman, Campbell and their associates
no more reflects upon civil service, than
does an absconding cashier condemn
banking.
Tie commendable propositions ad-
yanced in the Senate for the building Of
additions to the White house and several
other public buildings, together with a
new government printing Office building.
has reopcned the old scheme Of purchas-
ing the land south Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. from the Capitol to Fifteenth street.
This was a pet plan Of the Congressman
Of fifty years ago, who saw in their minds
eye a vista Of public palaces extending in
one majestic line up the avenue for two
miles. For these many years the owners
OF property in tina. locality have looked
and longed for the day Congress would
make the appropriation. Patience has
given out in some cases and expensive
warehouses have gone up. The other
day Senator ingalls, even reported in
favor Of allowing an additional railway
depot upon this section. The value OF
the land has always been kept high in
antic ipation Of this gigantic deal. Busi-
ness has moved away from Pennsylvania
avenue to + street and now all the big
furniture and dry goods houses that used
to compose the north side Of Pennsyl-
vania avenue have sought other quarters.
Still the price remains big.
The expense, however, would be but
small consideration had not nature put
her ban upon the plan. Twice within
the past year, and previously at intervals
Of three or four years, the major portion
OF this land has been covered with water,
backing up from the river, and many Of
the streets have been three or four feet
under water. The land is mostly made
land, a marsh having been there once.
and old inhabitants tell OF duck hunting
in its wiIds. The cellars are still useless,
being liable to be flooded during any
heavy rains.
Photographs Of different floods in this
district are displayed in places along
Pennsylvania avenue. They show houses
flooded to the middle OF the first floor,
water tapping the store floors as far as
the north side Of the street and hotels
like the st. James with the lobbies
fooled And yet this is the sort Of prop
erty that sharks try to sell the govern
ment. | believe that despite the amount
Of money the combined landowners can
give to lobby bill, the scheme will fail.
So long as there il dry land to be had
Congress will hardly be induced to buy a
| marsh.
Taking lunch amid the clinking glasses
in the restaurants on either the House or
the Senate side Of the Capitol, one would
hardly believe that for over fifty years
there has existed quiet, earnest temper
snce society composed entirely of Repre-
sentatives and Senators. The society Is
little heard Of and its quiet February an
niyersaries pass by unnoticed by the
world. Some Of the inembers-maDy OF
them are mon who we're once excessive
drinkers and their reformation has been
to them the hardest battle Of their lives.
That is why 10 few Of them strongly iden-
tiH themselves with the big prohibition
movements. Their days Of dissipation
are sore places in their lives which they
seek to forget. On the old rolls Of the
society appear the names Of such men as
Edward Everett, Lewis Cass, Rufus
Choate, Joshua r. Giddings, Henry A.
Wise, Millard Fillmore and Franklin
Pierce. To-day the names Of Senator's
Colquitt, Blair, Hawley, Mitchell, Teller.
McMillen, Washburn, Wilson, Frye and
Dawes appear upon the books. One Of
the mos. interesting facts Is that Robert
smalls and John r. Lynch have been
members of the society. These men who
| have risen from the depths Of poverty
and prejudice have learned the advantage
of sobriety.
|