The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-05-08
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE,
OUR WASHINGTON SPECIAL.
MAsniHnrnr. NtnY l. 1880

OF sensauOh IN the House ways ana
Means Committee on Friday, however.
Fernando Wood, the ancient and odorous
Chairman Of that committee, was the sub
ject Of some pretty severe structures, and
found himself the victim Of some rather un
pleasant suspicious. There are few men,
Democrats or Republicans, in Congress or
out, who have much respect for Fernando
Wood. ofall the cid humbugs in our poll
ties he is probably one Of the worst, and it is
a mystery tn all parties why Speaker Ran
dali keeps him at the head of the most i'm.
portant committee. What caused the row
on this occasion was the premature publica-
ton Of what purports to be a report Of the
subcommittee in charge of Mr.. Hurds bill
to impose duty upon all Canadian cars
coming into this country. 1t seems that no
such report as that published has been
signed by the sub committee and the effect,
as well as the probable object Of the publ.
cation was to "bear" certain railway stocks.
The charge freely made is that Mr.. Wood
was in the scheme, and he was hotly de-
nounced by several members of the COM
mittee for absolute untruthfulness and du-
plicity.
The new rules of the House of Represen-
tatives give the Committe on Commerce
charge Of what is known as the River and
Uarbor bill, aud we have reason to antici-
pate unusual folly in the appropriations for
this iniquitous system of "internal improve
ments." For a few years past Congress has
appropriated Ss,OOO,OOO annually for the
Improvement" of so-caled rivers-ltte
runs and duck ponds, of whose existence
people in the immediate vicinity are scarce
ly aware. Congressman White of Pennsyl-
vania, said year ago, concerning one of
these drivers" supposed to be in his district
that he really never heard Of it before. A
sum was voted to survey one of these al
legged rivers last winter, and when the sur
stream for nbutments, and all the water
ran into the hole. The witty Sunset Cox
saws that on the banks of another of these
Streams the Kskimnetas AN iron furnace
was built, and little water was used for
running the furnace. All at once the fur
mace stopped; there were some sows and
pigs IN the stream. 1t is upon the slender
pretence of making navigabe such streams
as these that our Congress votes away mill
lions of dollars per annum. Each member
is anxious to get slice of the steal for dis
trbution in HI district to secure re election,
SO they combine and log-roll the thing
through upon the principle of "you tickle
me and I'll tickle YOU" and the swindle
goes on year alter year. The following ad-
aptation is appropos:
THE DEVIL OUTDoNE.
Old Nick came up to the earth one day,
and into Washington wended his way,
And having some hours to spare for calls
He thought he would visit our national halls
On arriving there he crossed the sill
AS discussion was hot on the River bill.
Now Old Nick as everybody knows,
Has power to change both himself and clothes
oOi spying u ocnalOG s vacant cnulT,
Presto, change and he was there
And he sai,l,as his eyes DER the assembly ran,
"Wouldn't make splendid Congressman"
The bill was read and the devil sat there
Tilted back in his easy chair,
with no particular interest in 1t,
Till there came pause Of about minute;
And in a voice that was full of dread
ha a, tfo1, tftT
Old Nick sat, up with interest anew,
To see what the honorable body (?l would do,
"For surely" said he They havn't sunk SO
low
That they can pass that bill clear through;
1t surely must be some hdeous joke,
Or my imps have Outdone their work"
The bill was read and the ayes were called,
And the devil sat there like one appalled,;
For the basest thing that he ever saw
Was this wholesale theft under gulse OF law.
ITO look any further there is no use,
For Of all mean things this beats the deuce.
"For thousands Of years I've wandered round
Trying to see if there could not be found
In the universe a lower level
Than that which is occupied by the devil!
My search was fIuitless by sea AMI by land
Till met an American Congressman.
"Ii men like these are TO Congress sent,
III run my chance for President"
nld Nick left town that very day,
But he was heard to mutter as he passed away:
IN let these politicians alone,
For if l don't they'll steal my throner'
May 4.-President Hayes sent in his
threatened veto message on the marshals'
clause of the Immediate Deficiency bill, and
all hopes of adjourning by the lst of June
were destroyed by it. Indeed, it is now
feared that ths session will last till July or
August. The Democrats have not yet de
termined definitely on the line of conduct
they will pursue; but it has been suggested
that a seperate measure providing for the
appointment Of special deplty marshals in
the same manner as in the vetoed bill be
passed by the two Houses and sent to the
President for approval. Others talk Of put
Ting the wtT-hulS' clause in the anoral
Deficiency JiIl yet % hc reported. Leading
IfH a..I't 800 h.I'i NtNp liltGStll l5S
Chat when Hayes was I'm Congress he re-
peltadiy voted lar riders, and that it is
therefore Inconsistent Further proofs Of
his Inconsistency are found in the follow ng
facts Since he has been President he Ia 5
repeatedly signed bills with riders on them,
including the repeal Of the posse comltatus
clause, the restrictions on the army bill at
the last session of Congress, the repeal Of the
test oath, and to-day, by the same messen-
ger that brought in the veto, he sent in a
message announcing that he had signed the
army bill, which has rider prohibiting the
use Of troops at the polls. The exposition of
his inconsistency, Democrats say, drives
him into the attitude of objecting rather to
what is embodied in the rider than to the
mere question of the propriety OF placing
riders on appropriation bills which he at
tempis to raise. DON PEDRO.
Thomas Ashwood was a prisoner in q