The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-14
WAsnrNeroS, ID. C.. Dec.lo. 1877.

WASHINGTON. ID. c., Dec.lO, 1877.
The few days remaining before the
adjournment that has been decided up
on, from the 10Th of the present month
TO the 10th of January, will not be
crowded with legislation of exciting
interest.
The fight between Senator Conkling
and the Administration, about which
50 much has been written, was recon-
menccd early in the morning of the
regular session, and will in all proba-
bility attract more attention than the
silver and anti-resumption bills. How
the contest will be decided it is impos-
sible to predict, but that it is to be Il
stubborn fight, without compromise OH
the part of either of the high contend
ing parties, or arbitration by their mu-
tual friends, seems now inevitable.
But, while there are no exciting de-
bates and no big Jobs on the surface of
legislation, it must not be imagined
that the lobby has either gone to seed
or joined the church. With all its eff
forts at conccament. a head of the hy-
dra may occasionally be seen. For
instance, there is quiet effort making
at present, by parties pecunarily inter
oetod, to have a bill passed charging
book postage rates OH Englieh and othor
foreign works reprinted in this country,
and recently sold at miraculously low
prices The protessed object of the
parties who are engineering the bill is to
"preveni REMEMBERING the mails y The
true inwardncss of the bill is, that IIar-
per Bros. and other colossal publishing
monopolies have become alarmed ut the
increasing popularity of these cheap
publications, by which the reader is
supplied with book, "Danie, Deron-
da" or "David Copperfcld" for in
stance, for ten or fifteen cents. Harpers
and others have waxed rich by selling
the same books at from fifty cents to a
dollar. These old firm snow have cubic
yards Of publications gathering dust in
their warehouses, because they cannot
compete with the Younger and more
enterprsing firms. have been making
a careful study OF the subject, and will
venture to predict that the dav is not
far distant when clean, new copy of
any of the standard foreign works of
history, poetry or fiction can be bought
for less than one-fifth the price they are
sold for by the old publishing houses.
1t will be fatal mistake on the part of
our Legislators to do anything that can
retard for a day the era of a wide
spread standard literature, when the
poor man and his children can have for
five or ten dollars such library as can-
not now be enjoyed by any but the rich.
1t is question in which the educator
and moralist, as well as every man,
woman and child. is interested; for the
introduction of standard works, at
prices less than the cost of the pernicious
dime novels, will in time drive out the
latter, through the law of the survival
of the iittest. The man or the firm that
brings the best thoughts of the best
minds within easy reach of all, is q
benefactor like him who chcapcns
bread; for ''inan does not live by bread
alone" The monopolist who cndeavors
to control the food of mental life for his
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT should no more
more be tolerated than those who
speculate on the hunger of widows and
orphans.
l had an opportunity yesterday to see
the busiest member of Congress at work.
| went with friend who was from the
members state, and who desired TO sec
him on business. We sent card to
him from the west lobby of the House
of Representatives, but Con. b. L. But
Ter returned an answer that he was too
busy 10 come out, and could be seen at
his office in the evening at five O'Clock.
AT the appointed time we called at the
office, a modest little one story brick
building, quite overshadowed by his ad-
joining palatial Marblehead granite man.
sion. There were at least twenty 9TH
crs waiting for an interview, but we
were soon shown into a neat and SYSTEM
aticaly arranged Office where the Gen
eral, assisted by two clerks, attends to
his multfarious legal and legislative
business. Chesterfield says ii is the
mark of petty man to be in hurry.
since it is an indication that he has ull-
dcrtaken more than he can crcdtably
accomplish Gen. Butler did not seem
to be at all pressed for time, and, after
a talk of thirty minutes, asked us to STAY
longer, Notwithstanding the fact that
two members of Congress had sent in
their cards and were waiting without.
| mention this last incident because
think il may be suggestive of the Gen.
erals estimation ofthe comparative i'm
porlance of amember of Congress and n
constituent.
There will be revival of the Wo-
mans suffrage question here, this win
ter. There is no want of tenacity in the
wierd sisters, who come here every year,
make the same speeches, read the same
papers, pass the same resolutions and
then adjourn till the next time; but
they seem to lack something, business
tact, beauty, capital or some other at
fractions. Lydia Thompson with her
haggard, painted, padded beauties, or
the sensational blondes at the theatre
cOmiQuc, draw better than the Woman's
Rights convention, and seem TO have
about as much effect oil legislation
Yesterday, Mrs. Belva Lockwood made
an argument before the House Judiciary
committee urging legislation TO secure
her admission to the bar of the Supreme
Court, and Gen. Butler will at an early
day present a bill covering the case.
"Oh! woman" says Balzac, "you shall
have hearing, for if you do not ALWAYS
make yourselves understood, YOU, at
least, never fail to make yourselves
heard" c.
Congressman joyce has recently in
troduced bill in the House amending
the law as 10 the salary of second, third
and fourth class postmasters, so that
the compensation shall he based upon
the amount of stamps cancelled and not
the amount of stamps sold. This is to
correct the extensive system of swind-
ling by the sale of stamps at country
offices. Mr.. Joyce has also introduced
a resolution instructing the foreign af-
fairs committee 10 inquire into the caus-
os of the Cuban insurrection, THE res
olution being so framed as TO express
sympathy for Cuba; and a constitution.
! al amnndmnuI limiiiuo Tho form, of iLa