Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-27
FROH WASHINGTO
Congregational Topics, and what Con
nreaa ~ Unofnr.

! btth very ihIBts tue hllOunt OI uuhlntbs nc
tually accomplished up to this time has bee
exceedingly small Financial discussion ha
been carefully avoided, and the blatant South
ern element, which made itself 80 obnoxiou
during the special session, is kept studousl,
in the background for fear Of the effect OF
the Democratic chances in the presidential
canvass.
An interesting feature in the debates o
last week was the attempt to do away will
the pernicious system of allowing riders OF
appropriation bills. The Democrats tough
desperately against the measure, and carried
their opposition to the extent of trying, by
the most desperate parliamentary expedients
to prevent Alexander II. Stephens of Georgif
from getting the floor to speak in favor oil
the measure. He finally. however, did OBJ
tain the floor 10y majority Of three votes
Having secured 1t Mr.. Stephens arraigned the
Democracy for their course showed that
the Democratic defence of the principle of re.
dressing grievances on appropriation bills
was rs fallacious in this republic as it is mon.
strous; that the theory upon which the Dem.
ocrats now proceed is one which comes down
from the days in Great Britain when the
House of Commons had to wrest its rights
from an unwilling sovereign, and that such a
doctrine had no place in a representative sys-
TEN Of government founded upon the indie
pendence of equal co ordinate branches. The
President, Mr.. Stephens said has as much
right to veto bill as the House has TO pass
it, and it does not lie in the mouth of the
Democratic party to charge the Administra
ton with revolution because the President
does not choose to approve policy Of politi-
cal legislation of,nrnt,ria9t,, 1
Is condemned by all the wise precedents of
parliamentary history But Mr.. Stephens's
plea was of no avail On one technical
amendment the Republicans. it is true gain.
ed temporary advantage, but this was
speedily lost, and the Democrats have taken
the position in opposition to any parliament
tary reform no long as Presidents and Con.
gresslnen are to be made, and demapogues
upon the floor of Congress can help to make
them.
Senator Edmunds was engaged in the Sen
ate, last week, in fighting formidable land
claim. When Congress came to carve States
out of the gift Of public land which Virginia
had made TO the Federal Union, it was pro-
vided that , per cent on all land sales should
be devoted to the service of the States, per
cent to be spent in public roads leading to or
across the States, and 3 per cent under direc
ton of the State legislature. Various laws
have altered in various ways the terms of this
grant. Under them some States like Ala
bamn and Mississippi, have had all they ever
claimed, some like Missouri were denied be-
cause the Government had expended its share
IN roads for their benefit. Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois, and some of the newer States claim
that they have mover had their full share. As
a result the - per cent claims" come before
Congress every winter, this time in propos
al that the land sales on which , per cent is
allowed shall be extended to include all lands
transferred on military bounty warrants.
Hitherto the percentage has been limited TO
lands actually sold for cash. The plea made
is that, as the Government paid military ser
vices with these warrants, value received
passed and the Federal treasury is bound TO
pay per cent on S1.25 per acre to the States
in which they are located As about Is, OOO.-
900 acres have been located, the claim foots
the pretty total Of 81, ,G2g
Much complaint is made of the disorderlv
and undigni6ed conduct which marks the
proceedings in the Senate. On recent oc-
casion, when Mr.. Edmunds arose to speak
he called the attention Of the Vice President
to the noise of conversation in the chamber
The Vice President was aware of il and had
ordered the sergeant alarms to suppress il.
but that official had complained Of his inabil-
ny to DO so, because Senators persisted in in
yiting upon the floor those who were not en-
Titled to its privileges. Mr.. Edmunds then
said he would move that the doorkeeper be
armed with guns. bayonets, swords pistols
and all the implements of grim -visaged war.
but by that time there wasn't grim visage
IN the Senate, and after the laugh there was
silence and he went on to speak. On a sub
'equent day Senator Logan of Illinois secur-
ID temporary order and quiet by observing TO
1 couple Of Senators who were chattering
while he was addressing the Senate, ''Ill stop
lntil you get through"
The investigation of the Southern negro
,xodus which Senator Voorhees, is conducting.
gets ON very quietly on the whole, but occa.
ioually the distinguished and ornate senator |
atches Tartar. Such was the case one day
asst week, when Judge Badger of North |
carolina, q native of the State, whose father |
vas United States Senator thirty years ago
Vas called as II witness because Voorhees, had |
leard that he was opposed to the exodus. In
nswer to question, Judge Badger admitted |
hat he was opposed to the exodus: that he
bought it unwse and injurious, both for the
state and the negroes and at this voorhees,
vas very much gratified, but his temper
hanged when Badger went on to say that he
bought the United States Government ought
o be strong enough to stop the exodus by
the negroes in their political and
ivil rights. He gave n history Of negro per.
ecution in North Carolina from the close of
he war to date giving instance after instance
o show that the race had no protection and
ould not obtain justice in either the State or
he Federal courts in North Carolina; that
be system of labor there was Us bad as slay-
ry, and in some respects worse and citing
uotations from the laws of the State to show
nat the oppression was legalized. Judge
adger was subpenaed as a Democratic wit
ess, but his evidence will make an excellent
.epublican campaign document He came
ally fortified by facts to show the actual CON
ition of affairs which has caused the exodus
o strong a statement has not been heard be-
ire Congressional committee for wears.
enator Voorhees, endeavored to shut him off.
ut Badger succeeded in placing upon record
lie real cause of the exodus.
Secretary Sherman made an interesting re-
0rt to Congress, Friday, in regard to the
story of pleuro- pneumonia among cattle
I'd the best methods of suppressing and pre-
,ntng it. Pleuro-pneumonia differs from
,mmon pneumonia and the Texas fever in
at it is contagious and has never originated
this country. The first appearance of
euro-pneumonia in Europe was at the end
the seventeenth century, and it was intro
aged there from Asiatic Russia and il was
troduced into the United States in 1913 by
e direct importation of a COW from Germa-
7 to Brooklyn. 1t was in 1859 that the dis
.se wrought such havoc in Massachusetts, as
necessitate an extra session of the Legisa-
re to provide for staying its ravages. The
lly proper aud effective method of suppress
& the disease is by the slaughter of all dis {
sed and injured animals, and the secretary I
ggests that a national veterinary sanitary 8
should be appointed to investi-
tie the disease, collect information and re-
'rt to some department its conclusions.
euro pneumonia has never been seen west t
the Alleghanies, and at present it only ex- +
S in New York and Pennsylvania and in
rts of Maryland and Virginia. #