The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-12-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
PolIfioAI Influence of West Point A
Lively Debate I'm the senate appoint
meat OF Census Supervisors, etc.

Influence OF West Point A
Lively Debate in the senate Appoint
meat OF Census Supervisors. etc.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. 20, 1879.
The military academy bill was passed
with a merely nominal reduction from
last years appropriation. Notwith-
standing the fact that the rank of our
miniture army Is out of all proportion
TO its file, there is TO be no surcease of
the gorge with which West Point has.
for years overstOcked its official corps
Few people appreciate the peculiar
political influence of. West Point. The
English tauni our Republicanism
with the remark that we, too, have
peerage of judges and honorables. But
the most potent and aristocratic peerage
is that which traces its ancestry to West
Point and the naval academy. The cadets,
a7lr'in;ed by members IF congress. sala-
n the day of tleir matriculliior
lay If th.ir death. evince their
.g...tl..c aid Mise providence 10y marry
ing cOngressmen's sisters, cousins and
aunts, thus securing influence, which
means q securer hold on the public treas
ury. Washington is the paradise of the
army and navy officers. They masque-
rade in citizens clothes, and few realize
what hosts Of them are here. Their
rank, their education, their accomplish
ments in all arts-except those of war
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. them to society
and facilitate those marital relations
which have burdened the country with
sinecures and robbed congress Of its indie
pendence.
In the senate yesterday there was a
lively debate on the resolution of Mr..
Voorhees, calling for the appointment
OF committee 10 investigate the
cause of the exodus of negros
from North Carolina to Indiana, and
Mr.. Windows proposed amendment
instructing the committee, In case they
should find the cause 10 be cruel and IN
just treatment of the negroes by their
white fellow citizens, to report to con-
gress what steps should be taken to Sc
cure them in the free exercise of their
political rights, and whether a territory
should not be set apart for their exclu-
sive use. The debate, though animated
from first to last, was moderate in tone
and characterized by becoming courtesy
and dignity on both sides.
Congress adjourns to-day for the holt
days, having accomplished much in the
way of appropriations. On Friday last
the house passed the Notifications and
pensions appropriation bills, the latter
calling for $32, 404,0 900. During the
week Mr.. Warner has asked for infor-
nation as to what came of the Li-metal-
lie mission to the governments of Eu-
rope, for which $4,000 was apprOpriat-
ed; and Mr. Morrill, for the effect on the
revenue of the repeal of the duties on tea
and coffee.
Resolutions were introduced express
ing sympathy with the Irish Nationalist
in their efforts for equal laws and self
government, and the hope that they may
soon become owners of the soil they
| cultivate; and speeches have been made
over petitions for enriching the soldiers
and sailors of the civil war by the differ
ence between the gold value of the
greenbacks in which they were paid and
their nominal value.
The president has decided to appoint
an equal number of Democratic and Re
publican supervisors of the census o.
| IA
dissatisfaction in Republican circles
and the president has been urged tC
make all such appointments from hi,
own political party. He, however, de
clines to do so, on the ground that the
law, as it now stands, would not be fair
ly administered if he appointed only
Republicans.