The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINGroN, d. c., Feby 10, 1876,
Ct.-.s.y I..u,o,a. ,J,no,

w AShlNOlONt ~ N't w ~ ''''I
Special Correspondence.
The Senate, on Friday passed the Centen-
NAL appropriation bill, and it now goes to
the President for approval, which it will get
beyond doubt. Senator Norwood of Geor-
gia, made an earnest protest against its pas
sage and delivered a speech which for sound
ness of logic and strength of argument has
not been surpassed during the session from
a constitutional standpoint, it was unan-
swerablc. The vote when finally taken,
stood Al ayes to 10 nays many not voting
and some pairing off. In the same way,
the question rs to an extension of time for
the building of the Northern Pacific II. h.
came up, and an act was finally passed
granting such extension, and providing,
among other things, that the said company
shall, within six months, file with the Sec
retary of the Interior, its acceptance of the
provisions of the act, or be forever barred
The provisions" involve the possession by
this corporation of millions of acres of pub
lie domain donated by the United States
Government when subsidies were in order.
1t may be in effect considered as a new
grant to the road.
In the House on Thursday the counsular
and diplomatic appropriation bill was re-
ported by Mr.. Randall from the Appropria-
ton Committee, when Mr.. Blaine, thinking
It a fit occasion to yentilate his views, de-
livered speech on the finance question,
a copy of which, by the way, had found its
way into the hands or Mr.. Tarbox, who was
prepared to demolish Mr. BIS position, and
to convict him of his fallacies "out of his
own mouth" There was nothing either
new or striking in the address Of the former.
He merely went over the same old path
which has been travelled by so many other
politicians and used the same old clap-trap
argument about the issue of legal tenders
having been necessary to the life of the
nation," lauded the national bank system"
of which SalmonP. Chase was the originator,
as one of the greatest creations of human
genius, &C., besides great deal more in the
same strain. If the issue of legal tenders
was necessary to the life of the nation, its
application much resembles the heroic style
of treatment once so popular, that of blood
letting, with this important difference, that
whereas nature came to the rescue and in
time usually restored the depleted constitu-
ton with our polite al blood letters, the
weariness first superinduced in the body
polite by the issuance Of paper money, has
been increased with the passage of time, and
seems now farther than ever from return
to normal monetary conditions. The Sec
retary of the Trearury has, within the past
few days, presented the first ray Of hope to
the eyes of the hard money people, when he
reports an amount of silver coin accumulat-
ing in the Treasury which, in default of
some accident, will be sufficient to call in
much of the "shin plaster" currency now
afoat. This is Sin .tutaro," however, and his
expectations may be blasted.
There is an amusing, is well as serious
| aspect to this financial question, which ap-
pears when Republican states men (save the
world y with unblushing efirontery defend
the legal tender and national bank systems
with one breath, and attempt to saddle the
| heresy of imitation, of which they were OF
necessity the originators and authors, upon
the Democratic party in another. The Re-
publican parry was in power by an over
whe lining majority when the act was passed
and by means ofthat majority, they became
laws; and yet the Democrats are to be held
responsible for the, mistake. 1t is truly a
musing. The foreign monarchs and ruler'
who are expected to attend Uncle Sans lev
ee at Philadelphia this year are going tc
have a good laugh on us, when-as ofcoursC
they will-they visit the Capitol Of the ma
tion and behold the unfinished monumen
of Washington. How they will smile a
the childi shness and Inconsistency of a coun
try which while partaking eternally of thu
bless ings of liberty, and while appropria
ting the public funds for private corpora
tion, has forgotten to honor the memory @
the very man through whom they are ena
bled to enjoy the one and to give away tn,
other. Will not the sincerity Of our proles
sions be called in question even by the heath
| Sii Vi VIC i'tl S'toe. gou +''N" 'N''N'"
Mr.. Edmunds, having perhaps this idea il
view, presented petition the other day
numerously signed, which was referred Il
Committee ON Public Buildinge., asking al
appro priation to finish the Washington
Monument This is an old subject you vii
say; yes, its age is the only objection to il
wish there could bea man stationed on eve
F ry Lousetop in the land who should dali
and hourly proclaim to our people that hi
monument is still unfinished, and shoul
urge them from very shame if from no high
er motives, to be just before being gener
GUS and to transform thet mighty, ungainl
monster south of the Presidential mansion
from its present resemblance to Il shOt-towe
or the reservoir of water works compan
into q grand and shapely monument, wol
3 thy to commemorate to posterlty the nam
aud fame of the greatest man of all thi
, age" You have heard 50 much on this sui
q iect, that it may seem hackneyed yet | de
| iy any man, in view of the recent appropria
. ton for the Centennial, to stand beside tn
mass OF stone and mortar, in its preser
| condition, and refrain from just such con
, ments upon the utter inconsistency of OF
. people and legislative bodies. Let even
newspaper in the land take up this questio
and in each issue keep up the refrain lii
o Cato, "Delenda est Carthago," unUl Il
n country is driven, if not persuaded into &
. honorable fulnllment of that which ever
= precedent in the past history of nation
teaches us to do our duty to the illustrio
: Washington.
s Shepherd left the city during the pa
# week and wended his way to St, Louis.
/ is rumored he went largely supplied wi
IS the "wherewith," about $4,000 in iac
!. though what use he will find there for
e large sum, a community which loves, no
If ors, and matches him with constants' an
- | otTactionata solicitu1p il entirely at n ID