The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-24
Congress Not Expected to
Do Much After Holidays.
The King Case Exciting Interest In
Washington, Of Course.
Professor Munroe's New Explosiev
Cushing's Budget Of Gossip.

WASHINGTON, Lee. za.-ine SonBres-
sional part of the town is dull already
With the disappearance of the Congress
sional people for their holiday season,
Tor their Christmas celebrations
at home. Washington usually passes a
very merry Christmas and very happy
NowYear, however. A great many wealthy
people live here, and the local charities
arc pretty well organized to look out
for the poor, and do you realize, wonder,
that the poor we have always with us here,
in Washington,as elsewhere? II is usually
thought OF as town full OF men
and women with steady work and at
good salaries. That is partly true, yet in
the last six months, or surely in the last
year, i've or six thousand people have
been discharged from the govern
mcnt departments, and as many more
probably have had their salaries cut down.
Then persons with tho regular salary
are very apt to discover in hard times like
these that he has one or more dependents
that he never heard of before, SO that in
Washington, as elsew here the effects of the
hard times have been felt all through the
life Of the town, and Washington is at a
disadvantage In this respect, too, that it
has no manufactures or jobbing to speak
Of. 1t Is just the Capital, so it has its ups
and downs.
There has been no legislation thus far
ct this session. In fact, there is really
nothing for Congress to do here. The Ad-
ninistration and its few re-
manning adherents will think
1t necessary to put forward
few of its pet propositions, but nothing
can come OF them, and nothing isexpected
even by the cuckoos themselves to come
Of them. A few postofiice cases will
interest the Democrats after the
recess, probably a batch OF 40 or so OF
these, with great stacks OF papers per-
tanning to each one, await the exam
nation OF the postmaster general,
and then tho decision of the President,
which cannot be given, OF course, until
after the New Year reception Is over and
The returned duck hunter gets down to
business again. II has often seemed to me
that anxious candidates for postofiices
and their friends, also, did not sufficiently
understand that these matters are taken
up by the basketful every three or four
weeks, or sometimes the period is longer,
and that meantime the cases that
are awaiting action are not so
much as thought of. II batch of
appointments comes out then 1t is pretty
safC not to expect another for three or
four weeks, or perhaps longer. The
papers in each case are all gone over and
carefully briefed by the proper clerk
at the department, who writes out In
red ink, on the jacket, objec-
tionable things about the various candi-
dates. The Postmaster General, or, In the
ease Of fourth class offices, the fourth as
sistant, goes over these memoranda and
makes his recommendation to the Presi-
don't who signs his name and the jig is up
with the disappointed.
Another thing in which many members,
ond the town especially will interest
themselves and itself after the holidays,
q the usual social season. 1t is not ex-
pocted to be brilliant. Many of the
rich people arc still away, their
houses closed up, and their incomes
- small as ever. OF course the caterers,
dorists and wine INGREDIENTS are suffering
more or less, but tho social aspirants and
hangers on don't seem to consider that so
much as they do the absence of tho social
functions Of various sorts at which they are
able to eat, drink, dress beyond their
means, and talk to the pretty girls. The
Administration people, pure and simple,
have not entertained brilliantly and prob
ably will not. The Greshams care
little for ii, the Hoke Smiths
and the Herberts draw about
them Southern people mostly, and as the
Olneys care ut little for entertainments,
except OF the quiet sort, though these are
very elegant, the burden of entertainment
devolves upon the Bissells and
the Somersets, chiefly on the
latter, perhaps. Their functions, which,
~ imitation of Ward McAllister,
>re now called ht-functions, sometimes,
1rs quiet, elegant, and extremely divert |
ing. Tho Lannon'S probably are the most |
lavish. The Carlisles have a good time. |
but they are without great means. Mr.. |
Morton, the secretary Of agriculture, does
nothing, does not caro- to DO anything.
The Baltimore plan OF currency reform,
eo-called, will not receive attention after.
the holidsys-or at any time. The State
bank features OF 1t, which are the very
shings that make 1t acceptable to the
southern and Western Democrats, con-
denn 1t among the Northern
ana Southern ones, and any
measure OF currency reform that
night DO acceptable to the Northern and
Eastern Democrats because ii would be
oonsidercd oy them to be safe, which
= the hFst requisite; would not be accep-
table to Western and Southern ones
oecasss 10 would not seem suffi-
e'sntiy elastic, nor viii anything
really bs done with the Nicaragua Canal
Dill, nor the free ship bill, nor any of the