The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
THE NATIONS CAPITAL
SOME OF THE DISTINCTIVE FEAT
UREs AT WHICH VISITORS MARVEL.
How Two Brofhers-in-Law Secured
Places for Constttuents-The
Presidents Daily Mail.
Special to re indianapolis Journal.

ton sees ana marYelS at:
Men giving seats to women in the street
cars-and, more marvellous still women
thanking them for the courtesy.
That the habit prevails very generally
among women of removing their hats at
the theaters.
That there is so little dissertation of pub
lie buildings and so little vandalism, next
to nothing being mutilated or carried away
as souvenirs by the tourists. Everything
that is not watched by the vigilant officers
is either locked up or nailed DOWN.
The entrancingly beautiful landscape ef-
fects wherever you so and whichever way
you turn.
The hundreds of miles of asphalt streets
clean a parlor floor, and the hun
dreds upon hundreds of acres of parks with
velvety grass and wonderful foliage.
The infinite variety of trees that line the
streets and adorn the parks.
The mean poverty-stricken and detected
appearance of Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween the treasury building and the Capt.
tol-the finest avenue in the United States
in geographical location. 1t should be
lined with public buildings and parks in
stead of with shanties, gin mills and poor
stores.
The disfguring and inartistic tank dome,
with its cheap and glittering tinsel cover
ing. that obtrudes through the roof of the
otherwise magnificent Congressional LIZ
brary building.
The enduring grandeur of the Washing
ton monument
The neglect of Congress to provide suit
able residence for the President and his
family, where they can be free from the an
noyAnce of official business.
The great mum her of ladies attired in thin
summer dresses who appear in the street.
cars at night without hats and take long
rides in the country unattended on the sub
urban railroads to enjoy the cool breezes
The world-famous statesmen who, with
transformations democracy, mingle with the
common herd on terms of perfect freedom
and equality.
Supreme Court Justice Harlan. six feet
three inches TALL and weighing 275 pounds,
chasing a cable car going at full speed
and catching it.
President Mckinley walking through the
streets and avenues nearly every pleasant
afternoon and evening, just like a COM
mon, everyday man, unattended by any
one except his ever-faithful secretary, J.
Addison Porter.
The chidlike truthfulness of the sixty
two guides detailed to enlighten strangers
Ex-Representative Cheatham and Repre-
sentative White. both of North Carolina,
are brothers-in-law. In recognition of the
colored element in politics President Nc
Kinley appointed Cheatham register of
IDS for the District of Columbia and the
lnute he got into office he began sys-
tematic canvass of the various departments
for joOs for friends, securing good many
places of more or less Importance. Repre-
sentative White, to whom the patronage
of his district really belongs. was late start
ing out after plums for his constituents,
and everywhere he went he found that
Cheatham had been there before him. one
of the first places White secured was en-
ployment for q brother-in-aw who was in
private life down in North Carolina. Cheat
ham was equally thrifty, and pulled off a
job for still another brother-in-law, who, as
it happened, has been on ill-terms with the
congressman for long time. His appoint
ment was particularly offensive to Mr..
White, and when he heard of it he raised a
loud outcry, and. going through the de-
partment, he notified the appointing powers
that hereafter when appointments of peo-
pie in his district was contemplated he must
insist upon being consulted. He is demand
ing that Cheatham's appointments be
charged to Cheatham, and not to him,
and that he is entitled to his full quota of
recognition just though Cheatham had
not been in the field. When growing about
Cheathams appointment of the offensive
brother-in-law he was asked If he wanted
the dismissed. "Oh, nor replied
White, 'let the poor devil stay" an answer
which aroused a suspicion that after all
Cheatham and White were not 50 antago-
nistic as appeared on the surface. At any
rate, four brothers -in-laW of the Cheatham-
White combination are already on the gov
eminent pay rolls, drawing something like
$4,000 d year. which is estimated very good
returns for one colored colony composed
of the husbands of four sisters. If there
are any unmarried sisters in this family
they should be considered prizes in the
matrimonial market
On account of the very heavy importa-
tons of foreign merchandise during the
last three or four months the belief pre-
walls that there will be a deficit III next
years treasury balance aggregating some
where between 100000 and $70,0O0,O00
A full years stock has been imported in a
great many lines of goods, and a sharp
decrease in customs receipts is looked for
Immediately after the enactment of the
new revenue law. In anticipation Of a
large QeiClL Inc CdldUlily nUWtGES ana
croakers are already grooming over what
they describe as an inevitable necessity for
borrowing more money on more new bonds.
These fears are groundless. Nothing but a
financial or commercial earthquake. which
would cause a tremendous and entirely un-
expected drain upon our gold reserve, could
produce an emergency which would require
the issuing OF another lot of bonds. The
treasury could lose $750OO,oOO or even $780,
900 900 and still get along without borrowing
more money. The net reserve now amounts
TO about $235, coo, coo which is over 100000
more than the amount on hand when Pres
ident Cleveland took hold four years ago.
The calamity howlers viii have TO think Of
something else than the evil anticipaions
of an empty treasury and the need of adj
ditional bond sales.
The Presidents daily mail contains any
where from 100 TO 800 letters from old sol
diers, and 30 per cent. of them relate TO
pension claims. The comrades" look upon
President Mckinley as "one of EN-. and
they go TO him as they would to a personal
friend. explaining their grievances and tell
ing him what they want. One out OF every
nifty Of the comrades who write TO the
President ask him 10 drop into the Pension