The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-06-27
WASHINGTON NOTES.
The Mountain and the Mouse
Failure Of Congress to Legislate
for the Pecple-The Green
back-Labor Movement.
WASHINGTON, June 10, 1878.

Correspondence of the Citizen.l
Our political mountain is jus
now suffering the pains and peril
of premature parturition. Eigh
months ago to-day, the conception
was grand, and seemed to be full o
blessings to suffering people, bu
after these eight months of windy
war the outcome illustrates the ole
fable Of the mountain giving brit
to a mouse.
Dropping the smile however, il
may be remarked that the whole
some legislation of the XLVth Con
gress is sadly in disproportion tc
the time and labor ostensibly devo
ted to this business. The times
were so out of joint, and the needs
of the country so great, that there
was general disappointment at the
postponement of the called session
from June to October. During
this interval the material interests
of the country continued to suffer
more and more. Bankruptcies in
creased from day to day, factories
closed or worked on half time and
the great army of forced idlers,
tramps and beggars are nearly
doubled.
The country looked forward with
earnest hope and eager expectation
to see some immediate action by
Congress tG end the financial poll
cy which seemed specially designed
to further enrich the millionaires
and impoverish the millions. After
long and fierce struggle the silver
bill fought its way through in spite
of the organized hostility of the
gold bugs and bondholders of Wall
Street. aided by the President and
his Chancellor of the Exchequer.
This gave some hope but little help
to the suffering country. The peo-
pie protested against further con-
traction, and insisted that such
measures should be adopted as
would put the present volume of
paper money into active circulation,
and create demand for still more
of the same sort. Scores of public
buildings-custom houses, court
houses and post offices-were to be
built or finished, and the vigorous
prosecution of work of this kind,
would not only give employment to
thousands, but add millions to the
circulation. Instead of carrying
out this beneficent policy, these
works were stopped In their prog
ress, and additional turns were
given to the screw of contraction.
The months rolled YEARLY and
drearily along, but "the winter of
our discomfort" was not made glo-
rious summer by the coming of
June. While many good measures
have been introduced and many
members of the House have shown
a disposition to rise up and meet
the supreme demand of the hour.
the maj GRITTY in that body has been
practically without a leader, and the
efforts OF the more patriotic have
either failed of success, or proposed
measures have been postponed for
the future. The approaching cleo
tions of November have absorbed
the interest of many of both parties,
who specially desire to be their own
successors, and have carefully avoid
ed any vote that might impair such
q result.
In the mean time the masses, the
toiling millions who eat their bread
in the sweat of their brows, have
come to the front in an organized |
body that threatens the disruption if |
not the demolition of existing par
ties. The greenback-labor move
ment, popularity known as the |
National party, has thoroughly di-
vested itself of anything like com
munistic agrarianism, and seeks to |
level up, rather than level down,
our whole social and industrial sys-
tenn. A large delegation of repre-
sentative men from this organiza-
ton are now in Washington, striv
ing even in these last hours of the
session 10 secure some action that
will help II lift the great burdens
that now paralyze the industries of
.he country. Last night there was
a large mass meeting at the eastern
front of the Capitol, and a number
Of eloquent and imprisoned, but
not revolutionary appeals were
made to the listening multitude.
the many thousands pres
snt there was no disposition to
noise or disorder. 1t is hard to saw
the applause was loudest
IL the anathemas heaped upon
John Sherman, or at the prospect
Of establishing the eight hour law.
The proclaimed purpose of this law
IS TO give work to greater number
Of enforced idlers, and thus partial
" relieve the labor famine OF the
country.
The greenback wave has already
swollen into such volume that its
roar is like wall OF the tempest in
4 forest of pines. The masses have
come to understand that the finan-
cial policy of the last ten or twelve
years has cost the people nearly
$500, 00o,0 900 in interest, in order to