Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-08
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
From onr regnlsr Corre.pondent.

From regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., April 5, 1880.
The House is in n sad pickle. 1t es-
tablished new code of rules, after
weeks of wrestling and effort, only to
find itself pretty much in the predica.
ment of the frogs who, getting weary
of King Log, got King Stork, in answer
TO their prayers, for new ruler. The
revised rules are so provocative of con-
fusion and interminable wrangling,
which consumes so much precious time,
that it is not at all unlikely that the
House will abolish them by unanimous
consent, and return to the old. Just
on the same principle that negro farm
hand or raw Irish laborer cannot be
taught to use an improved implement,
but must rather be left the heavy club.
hoe or pick, simply because he is in.
capable OF the mental effort involved in
learning something new, the average
Congressman finds himself stranded on
the new rules. lie has knowledge oi
the old. and the direct necessities OF
the nation could not force the new into
his thick head. But this opacity OF un.
derstanding does not, of course, dis.
turb the balance of his tongue, for it
will wag on every occasion as glibly as
If he knew all about the subject matter.
One member sent up a bill, with a re.
quest TO have it entered on the Calen.
dar. To the inquiry, (which Calen-
dar p he said, Indignantly, "The House
Calendar, of course" lie stupidity pre-.
sumed that the new rules put all bills
on the Calendar. and dispensed with the
usual reference TO the proper commit
tee. As the shortest method of secur.
ing relief from the muddle, we look for
a return to the old code, much as such
an unwise course is to be deprecated.
1t contains go much that is obsolete and
Objectionable, that q new order ot
things can not but prove beneficial il
persistently followed up and improved
under the ordeal of debate.
The Senate has been discussing the
bill permitting the National Centennial
Exhibition at New York City in 1888
The great Constitutional stickler, Mr
Edmunds, of course inteIposed with hi.
amendments upon all sections of the
bill, and, at times, had the whole Senate
after him in an endeavor to remove hi
objections to certain provisions. Sena
ter Edmunds takes nothing for granted
and accepts few statements for facts
He acts upon bill precisely as ht
would in petty trial in the courts, by
demanding evidence in support o.
every statement, and in requiring the
ala ktnh tt..s .f
TO him to be amended and perfected in
the minutest particular, hence he Is 6
great thorn in everyone's side. Mr.
Voorhees, gave him good scolding, and
characterized him as an obstructionist
but the lecture did not ruffie the equa
nimity OF the otjector in the slightest
lie is absolutely impervious to any such
attack, for no cucumber equals him in
coolness on all occasions in debate
At one time, when raising an objection
Mr.. Kernan asked him to write the
amendment himself, but he declined
saying It was not his place to write
anything. No one doubts the propriety
of having every interest OF the Govern.
ment perfectly protected IN all meas
ures acted upon by Congress; but Sena.
tors naturaily regard their individual
pet schemes as already perfected, hence
they get greatly disturbed and ruffied
whenever Dir. Edmunds sticks one or
more pins into some vital point of the
bill under consideration. In one of the
discussions, Senator Thurman became
suddenly III, and was unable to proceed
with his remarks. There are few per.
sons here who would not regret the
permanent absence of Mr.. Thurman
from the Senate, for he has the esteem
and affection of all who know his intel.
lectual power and great personal worth,
and the wish is general that his conval.
escence may have no relapse. There
is one peeuliarity in Mr. Thurman's
speeches which should attract attention,
and that Is, the purity of his English or
rather choice of Saxon in preference 10
words of other languages. So much 50
Is he inclined TO our mother tongue,
that often he will use Q common colo.
quial phrase to express some desired
shade OF meaning in o deep, logical
legal argument. Instead OF q high.
sounding Latin quotation, which several
of bis brother Senators interject into
their speeches, II matters little whether
apt or not, he calls ; spade spade, 90
that the most ignorant listener or read
er cannot mistake his meaning.
The deficiency appropriation bill
with the House rider, which vests In