Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-03-12
FROM WASHINGTON.
Items Coneress on FInsnces-T Temperance
Ac.-The Grange Movement.

Edtt0r Herald Six inches OF snow
in the capitol. A gala day for every
soul that can hire vehicle with run
ners at five dollars per hour, and yet
mild is the term to describe the win
ter in this region. The lee packers
are in despair. Market gardeners
have been busy in preparation of their
grounds. The unreasonable weather
has made pneumonia epidemic, and
we have had two weeks experience of
it, followed by a month of struggle
with the king of Observation-Disclosures
tory rheumatism; hence the delay in
furnishing these items for your readers.
We have had the annual "W omans
Rights" convention in which it was
made to appear that all man kind are
worse than useless appendages on
creation, only standing as barrier in
the way of female progress, triumph
and glory.
The Mexican veterans have met and
fought their battles over again, and of
course asked "Uncle Sam" for pen
sious. The bronze equestrian statue
of the hero of Lundy's Lane has been
placed in position at cost of SIS. 900,
while ashington's half finished noun
ment stands in the center of a cow
pasture, where the "Danbury News"
man describes it as conspicuous ex-
ample of what greatful people can
accomplish when united.
Beeoher, Cough and Dou9herty
have thrilled immense audiences with
their eloquent words, inspired in part
no doubt by the promise OF $50 dol
lars for the effort Of an hour Of their
respective lives, an extortion that
would make railroad director blush,
and which is bringing the whole lect-
ure system into deserved contempt
with the people.
After three months of session there
is but little of interest to report from
congress, as not single important
measure has been consummatcd in
that body save the repeal of the
"Salary Grab"
A strong effort has been made 70
revive the franking privilege in some
modified form, but the resolution for
this was defeated in the House by a
majority of two votes which probably
settles the matter for this session.
Senator Morton few days ago in a
powerful plea for cheaper transporta-
ton, defended the right Of congress to
control commerce, and to regulate the
transit not only of goods, but of pas
sengers over the water and railroad
lines of the country; and in this he no
doubt expressed the sentiment of the
administration and tho Republican
party, which fully accords with the
demands of the 25,OO0,000 of our
agricultural population, demands which
will be heard, and must in the near
future be met.
A strong effort is now being made
for the appointment of congressional
committee, whose duty shall be the
investigation of the manufacture and
traffic in alcoholic liquors, with view
to showing as far as possible the effect
of the use of these upon our social
and public life, and to show by reliable
statistics the measure of poverty,
disease and crime, which are the iegti-
mate fruits of this cause. II would
also be the duty of said committee to
suggest such Legislation as would save
our country from the accursed power
of rum, and save thousands Of Amer
lean homes, from becoming abodes,
horrible and vile as any pictured in
sDantes Inferno" Senator Howe
was one of the earliest, as he is one of
the ablest advocates Of this measure.
Perhaps the most important question
now before congress is the difficnlt
one of finance. Every Doctor there
has a pill which would cure all om
national ills in this direction, but when
they come to act in a body they are
about as united as the schools in
medicine, and their whole effort seems
directed toward the end show not to
do it, One sees long future of
prosperity in initiation of the currency,
another in contraction. One complains
that the East has all the currency,
while the West and South are poor,
and calls for an equal distribution of
greenbacks, forgetful that this matter,
is regulated by the laws of supply and
demand, which are as unchanging as
those of the material world.
The people do not study this ques.
LkOIt n4AAE ia WOiho NpOn pOIlttCdl
economy, yet they have sense enough
to know that the influence upon the
country resulting from initiation, must
be about the same as upon the indivi'
dual, who as he increases his paper
promises to pay generally Injuries his
credit in corresponding ratio, and
they also see in a smaller volume of
currency less tendency to wild specuia-
ton, and the nearer approach of the
day when paper dollar shall represent
one of silver or gold.
As result in part of the panic, the
revenues of the government, vast as
they are, are not sufficient to meet cur
rent expenses and pay the interest on
the national debt; and various plans
are devised to fill the empty treasury;
L Il l.