Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-06-19
WASHINGTON LETTER .
From our Regular Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, June, IL, 1880.
For several days an early dissolu-
ton of Congress has bsen indicated
by everything about the Capitol. 1t
has been entirely routine business
In both houses, barring little fla
clustering over the electoral count
Joint rule. The few reporters in a
listless sort OF air, fading nothing
for their hands to do. The commit
tee rooms are deserted, the familiar
faces of habitua Visitors who come
regularly on business, or to loaf
around and write letters being seen
no more, and the clerks have been
busy packing documents, mailing
speeches, packing up ready to leave
for home, while Senators and Repre-
sentatives have been frequently Wis
iting the departments attending to
business for their constituents. This
has been the aspect of affairs about
Washington during the past week.
The Democrats realize that they
committed great blunder in pass
ing the resolution to adjourn while
the electoral count rule was still
pending, as 1t gave the Republicans
power to defeat that measure by fla
clustering. Consideration OF the sub
ject has therefore been postponed
until next December. At that time
the result OF the election will be
known, and should it be involved in
doubt, like the last election, there
would be great difficulty in passing
a measure satisfactory to both sides.
The situation would then be the
same as it was four years ago. This
certainly should have been provided
against. do not think the Repub-
llcans were any more wise in Oppos-
ing the new joint rule than the DEM
ocrats were in getting caught in the
trap. Their position, however, is
that the matter should be determin-
ed by lawo of Congress and not by
joint rule, the latter, they claim,
not. being binding upon any except
members of the two houses. This
position the Democrats dispute and
contend that il Congress has power
to count the vote at all it has power
to determine the method of proceed
ure, and they refer to the fact that
just such a rule-the famous 22nd
joint rule-was used by the Republi-
cans through several successive elec-
tions. Thus the matter stands at
present, and 1t is to be hoped that
the election will be so decisive as to
render useless all technicalities and
disagreements.
The interest Of the Democrats now
centers upon Cincinnati and to a
disinterested spectator it looks as
though things were good deal mix
ed. There is quite an outcry for
Seymour IS a candidate and if he
would accept think he could have
the nomination, IL he persist in re-
fusing and as the matters stands I
don't see how anybody can tell who
is to be the man. There are many
names mentioned but none of them
seem to have much of a following.
Tilden is ahead, but there is so much
opposition to him / don't think he
can gain much. But elf it is not
Tilden who in--is it," Is what they
all say around here. We will have
to give it up and wait for the con-
vention to answer that conundrum.
One thing seems reasonably certain;
il a good nomination Ia made we
shall have a lively campaign.
The agricultural appropriation
bill, as finally passed by both houses,
contains compromise appropriation
of $500 for experiments in the
manufacture of sugar sorghum and
corn-stalk, and makes provision for
one additional chemist, instead of
three, as proposed by the Senate.
The requirement that an "equal
proportion" of seeds be distributed
among Senators, Representatives,
and Delegates is amended so as to
provide that ian equal proportion of
three-fourths of all seeds, plants and
cuttings shall, upon their request,be
supplied to Senators, Representa-
tives and Delegates in Congress for
distribution among their agricultu-
raj constituents, or shall, by their
direction, be sent to their constitu-