Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1881 — LETTFR FROM WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

LETTFR FROM WASHINGTON.

Correspondence of The Sesihei. Washington. March 5,1881. This has been a busy, anxious week, and while occasional excitement has marred the even tenor of Congres sional proceedings, anxiety as to the fate of the Funding and Apportionment bills, the former especially, has quiokened the pulse of the outside, waiting world. More of these later on. The sundry civil, the last of the appropriation bills, was safely tided over the shoals of controversy on Wednesday, but not without earnest republican protest against limited al--lowodc6B, so accustomed are they to unrestrained control of Uncle Sam’s strong-box. The River and Harbor appropriation is the blot of the session. Over $11,500,000 was given to this purpose, much of it to improving streams that have no relative relation to Inter-state commerce, and will benefit exclusively but the immediate localities through which they meander. Perhaps, after all.Belford. by his proposition to appropriate money to bore artesian wells in Colorado was not serious, and only meant to burlesque some of these wild-cat ininvestments under the pretexts of aiding improvements of a national character, for he came up manfully to the support ofathe Funding bill in defiance of his party’s caucus determination. Score one good mark, at least to his credit, and credit It also to his earlier training and the better impulses of those younger days before he fell under the evil eye and smirk of the malign Colfax. There is hope for a man who will allow occasionally the better impulses of that happier and purer era of life assert itself. You will have learned, long ere thi3 reaches you, that Hayes vetoed the Funding bill, and on thelflimsiest of flimsy pretexts. There are not a few who believe that he has his quid pro quo for this last kick of his fraudulent incumbency at the people in re sentment of their hearty contempt of him, a 3 of the means by which he got the opportunity to strike them.— The wisdom of floating an enoi raous debt economically, or at a low rate of interest, can scarcely be questioned. The pretence for refusing his assent to a measure that provided for this, in the face of evidence that the new lean would have been readily taken* is too apparent to require comment" The party which Hayes trains with under whatever title it has sailed.. ha s been consistent in its sympathy with and legislation for capital. The Na - tional Banks are the immediate representatives of this element, and in subserving their interests at the cost of the people the rifler of the Executive office and another man’s salary has bean true to his instincts and theirs. The eoursb of the banks - and the action of their tool and toady, Hayes, will do more to give vitalitv and strength to the greenback ele“ment than all other causes combined could have accomplished, Well, the Apportionment bill failed after all. The House, as you will observe, passed one on the basis of 319 members, but it failed to reach the Senate tor action. What with this failure, entailing the cost to eighteen States of extra sessions of their Legislatures, amounting to many mil lions, and the veto of the Funding bill, at a loss to the Government of many millions more, the republican party, at the beginning of a new administration, starts with a heavy load. And yet this is precisely in the line of their precedents—waste, extravagance and peculation. The leopard •anuot change its spots.

But I must mention the inaugura tion, though briefly, as all its details in all their amplifications are already known everywhere. The day was most unpropitious, the crowd excessive and far from orderly. Philadelphia sent the worst lot of it, and the source of more anxiety to the police than those from all other quarters combined. A republican club witli the euphonious name of Harmony, resented cheers for Hancock from some of his thousands of admirers in attendance as lookers on in Washington by breaking from the ranks and assaulting them. It was an ugiy row, but in the interest of harmony the Harmony club got rather more than it went in for. A goodly proportion of them went home with mansards as certificates that they had been to the inauguration.

President Garfield’s inaugural ad dress is generally commended, altho’ two-thirds too long for such an occasion. The general tendency of it, all through its honeyed pUrases, is in concurrence with the republican party’s idea of centralization. With Blaine as its master spirit, typifying the paternal, and subsidies, and all that it is reasonably certain that the Executive power will be wielded in that direction. The republican ma jority is all too small and uncertain in the new House to warrant any large measure of success in that line, how ever. The cabinet is a piece of patchwork, only gotten together after a great deal of finesse, and in contemplation of restoring harmony among the warring factions of the party. It has no particularly great strength, although a tolerably fair combination. The selection of James as Postmaster General, is a small sop to the New Yora Mephistopheles; of Lincoln, to assuage the humor of Logan; and the rest, all to meet emergencies of like character, Pennsylvania stalwarts ake that State’s share of the hash with awfully wry faces. There is a general disposition among Democrats to treat Garfield kindly and courteously. His greatest aggravations will come from those of his own household. John Kelly is here as the protege of Ylce President Arthur, who shows him around as the man who betrayed the Democracy and made him Vice President. How this administration is to reward Kelly is not developed, but donbtless will be in good time. Gen. Hancock more than divided the honors of the inaugural event.— He was the real lion of the occasion, and bore the honors with easy grace and dignity. Hayes got off to-day at one o’clock, and there was none so poor to do him reverence as the parting guest. A more thoroughly despised creature never threaded the avonues of the Capitol. I shall leave here now, and when you hear from Jme again it will be from New York or Philadelphia. I am extremely tired of this beautiful capitol city, not because I have lost admiration for its beautiful|surround ings, but because there is not that

kind of life and surroundings which make one feel at home. Except with permanent residents this kind of foaling is dominant. People who cojne here on sight-seeing bent, on business, or tor a jaunt are always content to leave as soon bs their ends are attained. This is a universal feeling. X shall not attempt to analyze it, for it would take too much space. B. Postscript.— Just learn that the train which carried Hayes and his party hence has collided with another, and a general smash up has occurred about seven miles out Nobody seems to inquire whetner Hayes is killed or injured, hut incidentally it is mentioned he has again escaned judgment. No details complete to warrant my extending this postscript. H-

Friday, February 25th was a memorable day in the history of Wail street. The bull that followed Secretary Sherman’s announcement to purchase bonds to the amount of $10,000,000 was followed by a /all that bordered on a panic. Stock fell all thro’ the afternoon. The conflict between the National Banks and the Government seemed to favor the former, for as fast as the banks received their checks for bonds that they sold to the Government they were deposited with the Sub-Treasurer to retire their circulation. The situation was decidedly critical, and somewhat resembled Grant’s Black Friday of 1873. Money was one per cont. bonus over night. Banks refused all loans, and some of the best men of the street wont beg ging for money. The sum and substaDce of the situation in Wall street, on this second Black Friday, was graphically described by Hon. George B. Satterlee, President of the Mining Exchange; “It is a question in my mind.” said Mr. Satterlee, “whether a clique of bankers is to dictate to Congress and to the country what is for the best interest of the whole country, and to manipulate the money market to depress the stock market.” And the N#w York Tribune, owned by Jay Gould, speaking for the bankers, says: “No amendment of the funding bill will restore a healthy condition of business that does not take from it the coercive features of the fifth seefion. The defeat of the bill in either House, or a distinct announcement by the President that it will not meet his approval unless deprived of the unjust provisions of the fifth seotiou, would quickly restore confidence, stop contraction, induce the banks to take out again their circulation, which they have sutrendered, and enable the country to recover speed! ly from a panic.” Congress did not succumb to this threat, but Fraud Hayes, in a message, in substance informed Congress that he could approve of the bill if shorn of the section objected to oy Jay Gould & Co. Under the circumstances he found it necessary that he should return it with his objections.

Valparaiso Yidette: G. W. Michael has covered the country with another of his infamous and characteristic circulars defaming the Northern Indiana Normal School and its faculty.— It issues from Delaware, 0., his present place of abode, and pretends to be the pretentious Professor’s “famous speech against H. B. Brown, principal, and his Northern Indiana Normal School, delivered June 5, 1880 at the Academy of Music, Valparaiso, Ind., to an uudience of more than two ihousand, consisting of the normal students, and the citizenz of the town.” It is upon its face an una bridged invention of unmitigated falsehoods, and cannot otherwise ap pear to the considerate reader. Of eourse where Prof. Brown and ths merits of the school are known its tendency can but be to strengthen the institution, though the heinous disposition and ooject are palpaoly for evil. What may be its effeet in more remote quarters wo cannot undertake to surmise, but its sayings are so flippant, over exaggerated and unreasonable that no deleterious result, we think, need be apprehended. The Northern Indiana NorraalJSohool is an institution of exceeding merit, and so recognized. It is a great blessing not only to Valparaiso and tho immediate vicinity, but to all the country that gives it patronage. To an institution of such beneficent works, it oceurs to us, no suoh blarneying blatherskite as Mr. Michael can do serious harm.

The Tiger. —lt may not be generally Known, but it is nevertheless true, that for some time past a gambling room has existed at this place. The nefarious business is said to be conducted in an upper room of the bank building and the game we are informed is oanied on by professional blackegs, who have already fleeced more than one of the residents of this lo cality. It is averred that during the past week a farmer of this vicinity has parted with about 91,500 at this establishment, while a resident of the town is short S4OO from the same cause. We forbear giving names, but call upon the authorities to squelch the gambling hell.—Monticello Herald.

A case of black fever at Lenoxvills, Pa., is creating the wildest excitement among the residents of that locality. The victim is a farmer’s daughter, nineteen year? of age, wha had, previous to her illness, been visitlDg friends in Schuylkill county. A similar case in the family she was visiting was mistaken for billious fever by a quaok. In 1868 the black fever accom-. plished its fearful work In the coal country, tarrying off hundreds 6f people, among whom were many prominent men and women. Families of eight and were striken down* and In the smallest towns from five to ten interments occurred daily. Every home presented a sorrowful scene. Tho oldest residents predict a visitation of this incurable disease once in every ten years. - They ap* prehend that the case at Lenoxville will result in its spread through the northern ooal region, and the physicians will find their efforts to oure it unavailing. The Grant Republicans nick-name the anti-Grant Republicans “halfbreeds." Quite appropriate. The question most interesting the Grant men just now is whether Garfield ie a “half-breed” or not.

Random Conundrums* Why don’t Hayea go ’round the world? Why Is It the railroad trains never eome in on time. Why don't they build the Continental railroad f Why don’t some one build a few oottages to supply the demnnd? Why didn't Indiana get a seat in the Cabinet? Why didn’t the local option bill pass the Senate? Why will pesple get married, when courting is so sweet? Will Senator Harrison distribute the spoils for Indiana? Why do so many boys loaf on the streets Sunday’s instead of attending the Sabbath schools? Why will a woman make excuses I for her bread when she knows it is the best she ever made ?