Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-05-19


heard, and must be respected?
Let the key rOte of the American mechanic
then, be PROTECTIoN-that protection which
will secure national prosperity, and insure
domestic happiness and comfort by fair and
sure reward for honest industry and toil.'
For weeks, if not months, Congress was i'm
portuned to dispose of the Kansas question
sOmehow-almoSt anyhow-in order to take
up and dispose of the subjects on which prac-
tical legislation is required by the public in
terest. Such were the daily eXhortations of
the ssNational' preSS-such was the burden
of the strain especially of those devoted to
the Federal Executive. No ''harp of a thou
sand strings was ever twanged more persis-
tently. Well: Kansas is at length disposed
of, at least for the present. Congress has for
some ten days devoted its energies to other
and Gas they say) practical subjects. What
ale the results, present and probable, of this
new direction of its energies? What good
has thence been realized, or is likely to be 2
The securing OF IIOmcsteadS to Actual Set
tiers on the Public Lands by some measure
which shall give them at least few years
start of SPECTATORS, if not the exclusive right
of appropriation, has been brought fairly and
in an unexceptionable form before each liouse
There was no excuse, not grounded in hostlii-
ty, to the principle, for evading or postpon-
ing action. Yet action has been evaded or
postponed in each, and almost exclusively
by the votes of those who supported the Lee
compton and English bills. Those votes have
probably detected any action looking to Land
Reform at this Session.
The Pacific Railroad has in like manner
been taken up only to be thrown over for the
Session. The votes by which action on this
subject, also, was defeated we're mainly those
of the LecOmptonitcs.
The long-deferred claims of the sufferers by
French Spoliations prior to 1900 have also
been thrown over for the Session, which pro-
badly means for the Congress. Here, again,
the majority was composed mainly of Admin
| istratiOn men.
On the subject of Tariff Revision no action
has been taken, and there is no rational hope
| of any. a Pennsylvania President and Chair
man of Ways and Means see the Mining and
Manufacturing interests lie paralyzed and des-
| pondent, with the Labor of the Country mad
equately employed and paid, while the Gov
ernment is rushing into debt at the rate OF
some Twenty Millions per annum. A proper
Revision of the Tariff would reanimate Indus
| try and arrest the decay of the National Fl
nances. Nothing like this is done, nothing
is attempted-for the architects of ruin have
majority in either House.
The improvement of Rivers and Harbors
ought to receive marked attention from Con-
gress at this time but there is little hope
| that anything will be done. The only bill re-
ported which provides at all adequately for
this great National interest emanates from
the Republican minority of the House Com
1nittee of Commerce.
Even the NationalBankrupt Act, has scarce
| ly prospect of being acted on. Two or three
bills have been reported to the Senate, by va
rious fragments of the Judiciary Committee,
but there is hardly chance that either will
be definitely acted upon.
Such being the general aspects presented by
| the journals and tables of the two Houses in
| this sixth month of the Session, and after the
Kansas question has been for some time put
| aside, can any one tell us what sort of practi-
cal legislation, beyond the very practical bus
mess OF putting the office holders freshly in
funds by passing the Appropriation bills, the
majority IN Congress regard with tayor2