The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-03-11
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondence

bIacKDurn' VI course, they were
adopted by party vote, for the Re-
publican contested to the last, Mr..
Conger even compelling yea and
nay vote, though he did not attempt
to fillibuster. Tho new rules are un-
doubtedly open to fair aud indepen-
dent criticism, Notwithstanding the
many Improvements made in prun-
ing them of obsolete and useless pro-
visions. No appropriation of public
moneys should be permitted save upon
q yea and nay vote, and no appropria-
ton bill should contain general legis-
lation on any prcteXt whatever-the
specified permission of retrenching
expenditures is a specious one which
will permit easy evasion. In other,
though minor respects, too much lati-
tude is given for depletion of the
Treasury by designing persnns, and
we predict that the most pernicious
legislation of the future will, as in the
past, be rushed through. Congress by
means of the loop-holes afforded by
the lack of the safeguards above.
Senator Randolph opened up the ball
on the Fitz John Porter case i'm the
Senate, with an able and ingenious
defense, and there is q promise of Il
prolonged debate. Senator Logan's
rejoinder occupied several days, and
should other Senators deem the ground
insufficiently covered by him, the end
of the debate is problematical. This
discussion is not upon the House bill
which proposed pardon and renstate-
mentand the payment of $4,000 as
back pay, but upon substitute offered
by Senator Randolph, which gives
only pardon, with reinstatement on
the retired list. 1t is unfortunate for
Gen. Porter that this matter, so vital
and important to him, should have
been made a political issue between
the two parties in Congress, for there
is much less likelihood of impartial
justice being done him. We have
often urged his pardon on the ground
that he was no more guilty of wrong
than Gen. Mcclellan, whose disobe
dience of the Presidents peremptory
orders of August 10, II, "a and p, are
wholly indefensible. Porter was made
the scape-goat, and now, owing to the
political aspect given his case, it will
be hard for him to secure relief.
The pension question is becoming a
most serious one to Congress, and how
to best dispose of it perpleXes the
minds of no few of the solons. Mr..
Coffroth has introduced into the House
bill establishing q Pension Court, to
which shall be referred the many
cases rejected by the Pension Office.
This is most judicious and commend
able measure. The Pension Office
cannot, in the mature of things, be
otherwise than technical, hence the
need of another tribunal empowered
to rule upon the equities Of II case.
Congress, in view of the immense
national business before it, is certainly
not the place to hear and adjudicate
upon such small matters as rejected
pension cases, since it is clearly within
the province of an ordinary Court or
Board of Judges to perform such duty,
and it is to be hoped Mr. C.'s bill will
soon become law. Soldiers will then
have Il proper court Of appeal, instead
of the present most unsatisfactory
course ofprocedure.
The citizens of the northeastern
portion of the city are intensely eX-
cited over brutal and murderous as,
sault and rape committed recently on
a young woman by negro. She was
knocked senselcss by blow which
severed one of her ears, and then had
her person outraged. Her face and
body were covered with bruises hel
throat bore finger marks of severe
choking, and so severely injured was
she that her life is not yet fully as
sured. Within the last three year,
committed in this locality, and nat
orally its citizens are aroused to a fe
yer heat. and are demanding increased
protection. Senator Harris has taler
one step in that direction by introduc
ing a bill making rape punishable
with death. The supposed perpetrato
in this case has been arrested and
though the girl herself is unable tc
identify her assailant, yet the circum
stantial evidence against him is Sc
conclusive that were he not strongly
guarded by the police, he would un
doubtedly be lynched.
The trial of the Hirth murderer
terminated with verdict of guilty
but, as Hanging is played out" here
of course, they will luXuriate a yea
or two in the penitentiary preparatory
to return to former haunts and vices
Another negro murderer, Stone, unde
sentence of death for the murder O
his wife, and for cutting the throat o
his sister, has been respited thirt,
days, and doubtless he, too, will sool
be snugly ensconsed at Sing Sing.
Our courts present us with a mos
singular incident. A Miss Jessie Ray
mond filed bill by her attorney, Mrs
Lockwood, against Senator Hill