Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-10-30
Washington City Gossip.

W
s The lobby business is becoming regular
bore, swinde and disgrace to all who do bu-
siness with either the Executive and Legis-
latiye branches of the Government at Wash
ington Things have come to such condi-
ton that it is next to impossible to have
the least important business transacted with
the Departments without first hiring one of
the suckers called lobbyists. Legisatlon,by by
some sort of hocus pocus, is controlled by
these creatures, who block up every avenue
to Congress. And what is so Illuminating is
the fact that most of these men are ignorant
and abandoned 10 character, who could not
influence business transaction in CONNER
cial or manufacturing circles involving dol
lar. Yet these lobbyists can control busi-
ness of all kinds before the Government.
They frequently enlarge or decrease appro-
priations as their interest may demand 1t
is time that the press of all parties call at
tention to this most disgraceful influence,
that the people may be able to devise the
way to destroy it.
The return of the Philadelphia banks to
the Comptroller of the Currency shows that
they have a reserve of SIG, 100000, being
Sc, 900, 900 in excess of the amount requir-
ed by law.
1t is not to the credit of the whiskey man
ufacturing business, that it has SO often
been found connected with frauds upon the
revenue. Smuggling, in the whiskey line,
has prevailed in this and other countries to
large extent, whenever it would pay. 1t
is testimony to the strength of two appe
tites-the love of money and the love of
drink. The evasion of the tax is not only a
fraud on the Government, but wrong to
every tax payer IF the excise law was hon
ored by the distil.ers universally, the effect
would be to shorten very materially the era
of heavy taxation, as the debt would the
sooner be paid off and the burden of taxa
ton be removed.
The condition of " estern National banks,
as shown by abstracts compiled from their
quarterly reports received at the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency, is up to the
required standard, ard this is also the case
in regard to the National Banks in all other
sections Of the country The reserves spe-
cited by the act of Congress have been met
erage is considerably over the requirements
of the law.
The monthly statement of the debt for
October will show contraction of thirty
millions in the currency
Fractional currency printed last week, is
S572, 800; shipped, 1912, 644; Natl Bank
currency issued, $24. $50; currency redeem
ed and destroyed, 1887, 800.
Receipts of customs for the week ending
Oct 10th, s2,s95, 76s.
is progressing at the Government printing
office, and twelve or fifteen pages are daily
put in type. The whole work will be COM
pleted by the last of November Great care
is taken not to let it be made public, and as
each sheet is finished it is locked up. No
| one is allowed to be near the press upon
which it is printed, and the compositors
engaged in putting it in type, it is said, are
sworn to secrecy.
The official information received at the
Indian Bureau, from Kansas, is to the eff
feet that both the commissioners and the In
dians now assembled at Medicine Lodge
Creek think that the council will result in a
lasting peace. The commissioners will not
be able to hold a council at the Upper Platte
until Nov 10th.
1t is believed that the House committee
appointed to inquire whether the present
government of Maryland is such republi-
can government as is required by the Con-
s.itution, have collected some extraordinary
testimony That delectable despct, Gov.
Swami, will appear in several new and in
| teresting characters.