The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-04-01
Washington, Letter.


tarilf. IL drew the lines between the
protectiOuists and free-traders, without
regard to party, and caused the first
real tillibustering of the session. Mr..
Townsend, of Illinois, introduced the
it to amend certain enumerated sec
tions of the Revised Statutes, upon
which the chairman referred it to the
Committee on Revision of the Laws,
instead of to the Committee on Ways
and Means, its proper place, and where
it would have gone had any protection
ist suspicioned its real intent and pur-
port. On Tuesday, Mr.. Garfield ac-
cused Mr.. Townsend of deception,
which ELECTED a warm rejoinder, but
Mr.. Garfield persisted in his charges
of bad faith, Mr.. Townsend grew ter
ribly indignant, and asserted that Mr..
G., or any body else who charged him
with deceit, was certainly not saint,
either in action or in words. Mr.. r..
had just stated that he dared not write
tariff on his bill because he knew that
would suffice to kill it, and he took
tariff bill where it would be acted on.
Such inconsistent statements enabled
Mr.. Townsend's opponents to pune
ture him on every turn, and it is no
wonder he lost his temper and indulg-
ed in his Saxon epithets. He evident
Eay felt badly. Upon the question of
Eoending the bill to the Committee on
Ways and Means filibustering ensued,
for the free-traders were determined it
should remain with its friends, but
they failed, after several days struggle,
and went to their quarters beaten men.
Protection has the sympathy of the
House, as the recent wrangle and dead
lock indisputably prove. On one side
was Mr.. Coffroth, of Pennsylvania,
and the other, Mr.. Blackburn. The
latter denounced Sam Randall as a
traitor to his party, to which Mr.. Cof-
froth replied that if Mr.. Randall was
traitor to his party, he was no traitor
to his country" This little episode
was the only incident of serious ma
ture occurring during the last hours of
the final session, and but for the inter-
position of friends it would have end
ed in blows. Aside from this, much of
the proceeding were of most farcial
nature. A call of the House was made,
and the Sergeant-at-Arms brought in
score or more members under arrest,
whose excuses for being absent were
often of a most, laughable nature. One
recited Tam O'Shanter, and insisted
that he was not in Tam's /" FOUL con-
dition, yet he declined to have the
contents of the glass from which drank
analyzed. Another excused himself
in Dutch, which of course, everybody
understood. Another appeared i'll full
dress, with white kids, etc., and said
he arrayed himself in festaI attire, and
was happy in having his first oppor-.
tunity of catching the Speakers eye.
These comicalities were the only
pleasant variation in the dry and mo-
notonous chapter of the deadlock with
its screed of calling the yeas and nays.
AS usual, there was much to indicate
that our good temperance friends had
| need to convert congressman as we'll
as plebian, as there were some MEM
| bers evidently greatly wearied by the
immense fatigue involved in going to
and fro from the floor to the hall to
some adjacent committee room. 1t is
almost strange how tired some great
statesman becomes under such effort,
and yet. no one dares insinuate' that
such grand orator and legislator was
ever guilty of Noah's weakness for
wine. .s..4.sa- -.3i "A
The Senate has been pursuing the
even tenor of its dignified way since
our last, and can not show that a rip
pie has disturbed its placid surface,
aside from Senator KellOgg's fiery
speech made in his own defense, in OPP
position to the report of the election
committee, which declared him un-
seated and Spofiord the legally elected
Senator. -as
Miss Raymond, who has been hound
ing Senator Hill with her illegitimate
son, has left the city, and now we have
a promise of an end of the offensive
matter. This Senator made an aflida-
Wit, declaring his innocence of her
charges. But as she has disappeared,
we presume the whole affair will only
figure hereafter as one of the many
Washington scandals which prumin-
ence of one or two other of the partici-
pants bring into public notice.
1t now seems that Stone, the wife
murderer, will be hung on April End.
The President is disinclined to inter
fere. with the sentence, and all prepa-
rations are made to swing the .felon
into the next world at the appointed
time. Stone says he is resigned to his
fate, and apparently will die as coolly
as he has lived under the suspense Of
the past nine months. las -s.ra!s j.
A singular petition, signed by Mrs.
Spencer, Mrs. Lockwood, and other
leading wonen's Fighters, has been
presented to the Senate. 1t prays that
the punishment of rape may be, fol
lowed by the emasculatiOn of the raw
isher, because of the difficulty involv-
ed in securing the sentence of death.
We fear that it will be far easier to :
have a man hanged than MANNED. 5
Since torture was abolished as pun
for crime, the world seems to
nave grown averse to Disagreement of I
my kind. s. E,...,s
MT. UNION. -ii'i u ~