The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-12-29
oUn wAsHIyGToN LETTER.
tFRoN ouR SPECIAL CoEaEsroSDESy.}
WASHINGTON, Dee. y, 1880.

or riotlng IN the House OF Repre-
+ sentatlves as | witnessed from the
House gallery on Tuesday last. 4
regular bar-room fight in character
and bull-dozing by the Democrats.
Sparks, OF Illinois, was to blame Tor
I the transaction and the Democrats
for urging him to pitch into the
Greenback Weaver, OF Iowa Sparks,
1t viii be remembered is a big bully
and tried his hand on the Hon
Hester Clymcr, Of Pennsylvania, at
the last session, but that scene was
not carried On as far as that of Tues
day, nor was their such Il demon
stration of pugihstic disposition. In
the character OF democratic bully he
tried his hand on the great green
back Weaver, and Weaver irish
fashion went for him and had henot
been held back by the Republicans,
Sparks would have got head put
on himself in the regular Irish stvla
and don't YOU forget it. - The
whole affair was a disgrace to the
nation, and now can add another
reason to my 329 for being n Re
publican and not a rowdy Demo-
crat or Greenbacker.
During the discussion on the
funding bill Mr.. Weaver, Of Iowa,
humorous speech, arraigning the
Democratic party for Inconsistency
on the financial question, and stat
ing that that party in Its State and
National platform, encalnped every
four years on the ground where the
Republicans had cncamped four
wears before. As the day wore on
the debate on the bill became wider
and wider and had driited away out
Of rife-range of the subject Wea-
yer having obtained the floor was
pouring hot shot into the Demo
cratic camp, meanwhile waving
aloft the Greenback flag under
which that remarkably consistent
party fought the battle OF 1878. /
could see that there was a row brew
ing as the democrats commenced
budding together.
While all this rowdyism was 20
! ing on up stairs in the House, an
other little Democratic row was lust
bubbling over in the basement, this
one particularly affecting the har-
mony OF the great and glorious De
m0cracv Of the NNlIth distriC. of
| Pennsylvania.
/ was attracted TO the spot by the
| following squib which appeared
in the National Republican, it be
ling the first intimation | had of the
little unpleasantness' prevailing
| in the Pension Committee, or rather
between the chairman and clerk
IsHAKINa Up THE Pension COMMITTEE.
A curious fight that will soon be
| bitter has arisen over the small mat
/ ter Of = clerkship to the House Pen
sion Committee. Unpleasant de
velopmcnts that will show serious
frauds and abuses in pension mat
tiers arc expected. 1t appears that
Mr.. Downev, clerk of the committee,
nominated Coliroth, of Pennsylya-
MIA, who is chairman, to Congress.
For that Downey WAS appointed
clerk. Now Coiiroth wants the
place for his son. Cofiroth last week
made charges against Downcy,
which he will renew on Tuesday
next.
Hunting up the honorable repre-
sentative from Somerset soon learn
ed that a change had taken place
in the committee right smart" and
that friend Downey had gotten the
grand bounce" in the middle of a
snow storm. Every employee at the
capitol has a story about this affair
to relate and they talk with the
greatest familiarity about the work
ings OF the Democratic canvass in
1873. in the'XVIIth district showing
as plain as the nose on your face
that somebody has been letting the
cat out of the bag. Sitting all the
| theories and excuses for the removal
prevailing at the capital, it appears
that some time last summer the
the chairman of the Invalid Pension
COMMITTEE politely requested the
clerk to step down and out (and as
Downey says to make room tor his
son. This of course Cofiroth denies
and | have every reason to believe
he tells the truth, as Cofroth's son
had at the time better position as
clerk of the special Pension Com
mittee at six dollars a dav with less
work attached thereto. BE that as
It may Downey was bound to be
made step aside for somebody else
If he wouldn't resign when called
upon the next best thing was to give
him a kick in the rear With the
true grit and tenacity of a genuine
bourbon he showed fight and ! am
told wrote the old man some sass
on the subject Of removal. He cvi-
IDENTIFY believed and hisactions show
that he thought the chairman could
not remove him without the sane
tion of the committee, for ii is said
he commenced electioneering with
the members of the committee about
the removal contemplated as soon
as he got here from his summer va
cation. He determined to buck
as they call it in the army and the
newspaper men getting wind of it
urged on the matter and started a
regular "boom" for Downev around
the capitol. Threats were made by
Downcv's friends against Cofroth if
he removed Downey, and the air
was full Of rumors Of startling de-
yelopmentS in pension matters
should a change bc insisted upon.
They tried to scare of Our Alex.
He got his Pennsylvania dutch up
and without waiting to give John,
rs contemplated, a fullmonth'ssalary.
bounced him to date forthwith, if
not sooner. lie made short work OF
his clerkship and the committee en-
dorsed his action with but three dis
senting votes, one Democrat and
two Republicans. The two Repub-
licans no doubt voted against the re-
moval just for the fun of helping on
the unpleasantness between the (
Dom oarot tic .uarrior-