Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-09-28
WASHINGTON LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE. !

on CHINA, in which he said that he
doesn't think the mass of the Chinese
people are hostile to the missionaries,
but that they have been imbued, by
the 81 terati," the official class, with
a prejudice against all foreigners, but
especially missionaries, because they
are believed to aim at upsetting the
sacred social system of China, as,
indeed, they do. Well this may be
all true, and Mr.. Foster and his
friends are welcome to all the comfort
they can get ont of the facts 'Preju-
dice against amounts to hostility
in nearly all cases, and that it does SO
in China has been proved many times.
With all Difference to Mr.. Foster,it is
insisted that it doesn't make the
slightest difference whether the anti
missionary feeling was created by the
"literati' or was born to the people
like their slanting eyes. 1t exists
and manitests itself in the same kind
Of action in either case.
The LAST ENCAMPMENT-The Louis
vile encampment of the Grand Army
of the Republic affords many striking
illustrations of cordiality among those
who served in the opposing armies OF
the Union and the Confederacy. All
such incidents are pleasing, but they
are no longer needed to show that the
war is over. That became apparent in
the politics OF the country nearly ten
years ago, and it is 50 evident now
that no one can misunderstood it.
The veterans of the border states con.
tributed in no small degree to make it
possible. In border states, where the
members Of the same family often
divided, the veterans Of both armies
were quick to see the advantages OF
iraternizing in politics. After few
years of fruitless bitterness the Union
and Confederate veterans in the DOM
inant purity harmonized and divided
the offices impartially among them.
selves in way that WAS entirely salts
factory no doubt to everybody except
the politician without war record.
While the exlgences Of American pol
itics have thus had much to do with
preparing the way for complete recon-
ciIiatiou time has done still more in
putting the control of the country
into the hands OF new generation
which is too busy to give unnecessary
attention to the details of struggle
for which it was not responsible. Sig
niticau; as it is in other ways, the fra
termination of the veterans is most
significant as an illustration Of the
growth OF great country, too much
concerted with its future to dwell on
the past.
FoUR BIDs-It seems that only four
bids wore received by the Secretary
of the Navy for the construction of
the fast torpedo boats authorized by
the Inst Congress. One, each, WAS
receive from the three Pacific coast
states and the other from the HERE.
SHOTS CT Rhode Island. 1t is notable
that the latter was about twenty thou.
sand dollars per boat lower
than the Pacific coast bids,
but il either of the boats is to
be assigned to the Pacific station,
the cost of getting it around the
Horn may properly be added to the
Rhode island bid. 1t is still more
notable that no bid was received from
my point on the Gulf coast, or on the
Mississippi, AMI one cannot resist the
conjecture that the extraordinary fate
OF the Ericsson since she was sent out
from Dubuque has had some influence
in deterring all bidders in those quar-
ters.
VALUABLE VOLUME FOUND. Some
valuable and curious records are be-
ing brought to light in the process of
arranging the old government publ.
cations for the new bureau of docu-
ments. One of the most surprising
books that has been found recently is
an index of all the congressional docu-
ments from the first to the fifteenth
Congresses. 1t WIS not known, up to
the time of finding this volume, that
any index Of the congressional vol
umes earlier than the fifteenth Con-
gress had ever been made. None of
the check lists and indexes in use
extended farther back than the
fifteenth Congress. This index, how
ever, plain octave volume,
dated 1924, without serial num-
Der or name of author, supplies the
long existing gap. Some of the old
accounts of the treasury department,
printed in unwieldy folio sizes, make
interesting subjects Of study for any
one Interested in early American his
tory, especially relating q the execu-
tive branch of the government. The
items in the accounts of the depart
ment seem ridiculously small, COM
pared with those OF the present day,
and some OF the accounts themselves
have an antique flavor.
MARINE SERvICE-The United States
bureau of navigation Mt Washington is
evidently waking up to the necessity
of making the United States marine
service what, in the opinion of ship
ping men, it should be. The com
missioner, Eugene Tyler Chamber
lain, since his return from abroad,
where he closely studied the English
system of marine laws governing the
same, has come to the conclusion that
there should bea thorough revisement
of the American marine laws In
order to meet this necessity, Con-
gress will have to meet, when
volume of amendments in course
of preparation will be presented for
legislation. In the meantime the
number of memorials forwarded to
Washington from the seamen's unions
in every port in the country have been
seriously considered by Mr.. Chamber
lain. These memorials set forth in
the most emphatic language that the
"crimping" practices in American
seaports tend very greatly to demors-
lize the seamen and drive the native
born man out of the service.
The dress of the mistress of the house
has a bearing on her influence. lnjunc-
tions as to care and precision In the
household work come with greater EN-