The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-31
From Washington.
LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.

LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.
The quarrel among the Louisiana clans at
Washington during the past week has alb
sorbed so much attention that all other sub
jeCts have beed virtually passed over. There
has been falling out between the Pinchback
crs and the Durell-Kellogg Casey wing, and
the aphorsm which AYERS that when rogueS
fall out honest men get their due, finds new
application. The Kellogg usurpation, ayear
ago, was made possible only by the aid of
Pinchback, and in return the Kelloggites
elected Pinch to the L. S. senate. But the
honest truth was, that Casey wanted that sop,
and ever since Pnch's election, Kellogg,
Durell, Casey, &c, have been at work to pre-
vent his getting his seat in the senate. Find
ing their intrigue likely to succeed, Pinch
back put on foot the movement to investigate
and impeach Durel, to unearth anew the
fraudulent character of Kellogg's election,
and to have new election ordered in Louisi-
ana. Pnchback had moved so adroitly that
he seems to have got the sympathy Of the
president, and that funCtionary, who has been
Obliged to bear the entire Louisiana scandal
alone for the last year, had actually prepared
a message to be sent to congress on Monday
in which the Kellogg election was character
lied as giant fraud, and urging congress to
relieve him of the load of longer carrying the
Kellogg usurpation; and to meet the presl.
dents views, it is said, Butler and Carpenter
had prepared bill ordering new election.
ID 4. = ~. :.
the ears Of the Kelloggites, they seem to have
come In a body to Washington and have spent
the week in begging, imploring, threatening
and dragooning the president and all the
faithful for heavens sake and for every other
sake. not to order a new election in Louisiana,
as that would be equivalent to the political
determination of Kellogg Casey, Durell and
ali the presidents friends there everlastngly
and forever. So the president has withheld
his message, and the Kelloggites have gained
the inside track of the Pinchbackers.
TRANSPORTATION.
Great expectations were based on the solu-
lion Senator Morton had promised Of the
transportion problem in his speech on
Tuesday but the result is onr rather Of dis
appointments Mr. Morton has no doubt Of
the power of congress, under The regulating
commerce clause of the constitution, to rcgu-
late railroad traffic Jttwcen the state; but his
regulation has rather limited range. The
gist of his speech is contained in single
paragraph:
"The power to regulate commerce includes
the power to regulate the common carrier and
the public highway on which it is transport
ed. Railroad companies are common CARR
crs, and railroads are public highWays. Com
mon carriers are required to carry for al! per
sons and at reasonable rates. l. there doubt
that tic state in one case, or congress i'll the
other, NAV determine what are reasonable
ratCS?n
Yes there is very 6ccided doubt ON that
point, and the regret Is that Mr.. Morton made
no effort 10 clear Up that doubt.
Mr. LoganT DILL for Il double track steel
railroad between the west and the scaboard
is still IN the hands of the senate committee
but it IS said will be reported upon fayora-
bly,, so amended as to provide that the maxi
mum rate for transportation shall be one
cent per ton per mile instead Of one and a
half cents, ana two cents per mile for passen-
.gcrs instead of two and half, as stipulated
@r the original bill With the privileges
GRANTED in the charter, this rate can easily
and protitaOly be afforded Further than
this the bill provides that whenever the bus
mess Of the road IS sufficiently remuneratlve
70 nav ten per cent on its original cost, a fur.
Their proporiionatc reduction shall be made
both in freight and passengers.
MORE PROTECTION WANTED.
\ delegation of silk manufacturers from
New Jersey and Pennsylvania were before
the committee on ways AMI lneans on SatUr
day with reference TO tie silk bill now be
fore the committee. They want aunitorm du
ty OF 60 per cent. on silk and ribbons, and on
fabrics Of both silk and cotton combined they
ask an increase of dates to protect them from
foreign competition, but from, raw silk they
want the duty removed.
CANAL AROUND NIAGARA Fails.
Mr. Wrichts transportation bill provides
for the incorporation OF company, the
names OF the proposed incorporates mo-
mentioned. to construct ship canal around
Niagara falls, the United States government
10 indorse the. construction bonds To the TX
tcntof so per cent. ofthe cost ofthc undertake
ing. and to reserve the reht 10 regulate is
tolls.
~ ANTI-syFFRAG: WOMAN.
Mrs Or. Guthrie was heard before u,
house committee on Judiciary on Saturday
inopposiiion to observation-disclosures OF "omei