The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-10
PROBABILITIES IN WASHINGTON.

! Cur.
PROBABILITIES IN WASHINGTON.
The Swollen Proportions of Committee
Aleck stephens Budgct-Grecnbaclss and
Froo Coinage-Survcying the Pec-Dee-
Immediate Action Necessary.
Since the war there has been added to
the committees of the House committee
on appropriations, to whom everything
had to be referred that contained ar ap-
preparation before one dollar could be
taken from the treasury. During the
Forty-flth Congress the House became
convinced that this impeded legislation,
and by common consent it was determin-
ed that in the Forty-sixth Congress the
wings of this committee should be
clipped, for they had become so elated
at their Importance that they simply as
sumed control of the entire legislation of
the country, and indeed some OF the
members of that committeeman exclud-
ing the chairman, Mr.. Atkins, and Mr..
Blount-would take it as q personal at
tack if any one ventured to oppose bill
that they had incubated after a months
ruminating. So as soon as the House
was organized there came from three diff
ferent sources sets of resolutions propos-
ing to divide out the duties; for instance,
allowing the military committee, the
naval committee, &C., to receive the esti-
mates and make the appropriations for
their respective departments, reserving
for tha intt fho lau-
islative and executive bill, which simply
provides for salaries, and the civil sundry
bill, which is sort of omnibus concern
providing for the appropriations which
cannot be assigned or classified under
specific heads, or that may have been
overlooked or for some cause omitted
from other bills. This will undoubtedly
be adopted as the proper method of re-
ferring these respective appropriations,
and doubtless will have a tendency TO
expedite Congressional Legislation. So
mote it be.
1t would be idle for me to attempt to
forecast the possible length of the pres
ent session. Mr.. Stephens thinks we
should begin uoon system of general
legislation, that he must know is utterly
impracticable, or, if practicable, would
require six months legislation to effect.
He says we should tear down and re-
build our system of internal revenue,
abolish the tax on tobacco, let the noun
tain farmer "boil his corn into whiskey,
as he boils it into hominy," without ask
ing or paying the Government anything
for the privilege, issue $500, 1000 more
of greenbacks, give free coinage to silver,
and issue coin certificates for bullion sent
to the mint, &C., &C., blocking out legis-
lation enough to keep Congress continu-
ously in session for year, at the end of
which time the Democratic party would
be shattered int pieces if his leadership
were followed. Mr.. Stephens is man
of National reputation and the pride of
Georgia, but have closely watched his
course for two years, and am forced to
the conclusion that his day of retirement
is at hand. Georgia could easily be
more effectively, if not more efficiently,
represented by several men whom l
know. Little Aleck" bulldozes his dis
trict SO that there is not q man in it
would venture to oppose him, however.
MIR. Reagan, of Texas, wants this ses-
sion to revise the tariff, and do many
other impracticable things. If MIR. Ran
dali gives as the committee of ways and
means that he gave the Forty. fifth Con-
gress, revision of the tariff is a hopeless
anticipation. That question when once
fairly before the American people, if it
ever will be again before them, will sing
the requiem of the old political parties,
and demand new deal. The factories
and machine shops of the East and
Northeast are gradually and perceptibly
moving West and South, and wherever
they are established protection supplants
free trade. In another decade all the
investments made in the South by North
ern men will be used 10 defend and es-
tablish protective tariff. Naturally
manufacturer is protectionist; natu-
rally farmer is free trader. For
these reasons I have never longed so
much for the importation of capital as l
have for the immigration of souls into
the South. Every Southern State, and
especially South Carolina, should to-day
have agents in England, Ireland, Scot
land aud Germany, urging the almost
countless numbers of dissatisfied men
and women to come to the Sunny
South" not simply as laborers, but as
farmers. There is ample room in each
and every county in South Carolina for
an additional population of at least :, 900
families; add that many frugal, indus
trious, energetic people to our present
population, and We might snap our fin
gers at Capitalists" When capital
comes it enriches itself. When people
come as farmers and not as employees or
hirelings, they enrich the State. But l
am digressing and beg pardon.
The Forty-6fth Congress passed river
and harbor bill, appropriating $l50,OOO
for surveys alone. Among the rivers
mentioned in the bill to be surveyed
were the Santee, Congaree, Wateree and
Broad ofSouth Carolina. Whether the
State will get any benefit from this ap-
preparation depends upon circumstances.
The money will be spent through the
engineer department, the chief of which
is Gen. Humphries. The fear is he may
spend it all before he reaches South Car
olina, and to prevent this as strong petl-
tions as possible from the people of the
State should be sent to your representa-
tives 10 present to Gen. II. to urge him
to survey those streams.
If Broad River could be made naviga-
BILE to buckets Shoals and Wateree up
to Rocky Mount, there would be opened
up to capitalists the finest water power
in the South, where the State years ago
thought it wise to cut canals and con-
struct masonry that cost hundreds OF
thousands of dollars, much Of which is
perfect to-day, and all Of which is almost
wholly unknown to the present genera
ton as q State investment. Near Beck
hamville, in Chester County, the Waite
rec has fall of about one hundred feet
in three miles, and were the old State
Canal cleaned out there would at the
three locks be furnished water power
enough to run all the spindles in Lowell.
So send on your appeals to have the
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