Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-03
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Prom our Regular Correspondent

Prom our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 81, 1881.
There was an illustration in yester.
days house proceedings of the littleness
to which the country's politics have de-
scended. Yesterdays work was a type
of that which has been done for fifteen
years. A day was spent in angry de.
bate as to whether or not Virginia
lady-the widow of an officer who re
signed from the Federal navy in lS6l-
should be paid hundred dollars due
him at that time from the government.
There was hair splitting, there was
learned Constitutional argument, there
were ugly denunciatuns of the living
and the dead. The smallness of the
amount involved is not the element
which causes wonder at the prolonged
and earnest discussion, so much ms the
fact that any e-Democrat or Repub.
lican-should bring up questions Of the
kind, or any one think them proper
subjects upon which to base any party
action. Is there never to be any end
to the sectional quarrel in which the
last gun was fred halt generation agol
Will not some one suggest questions for
Congressional, administrative and gen.
eral action in which the civil war has
no partt Representative Cox said yes
terday that President Garfield would do
so. He can make himself a more envi.
able reputation than any President since
Washington if he succeeds.
Another silly thing it seems to me, is
the ostentatious attempt to push through
the House the Morgan electoral resolu
tion. There will be no need Of the
resolution for four years, at least. Why
waste days over it, when n dozen bills
of Importance to all the people OF the
United States are in danger of failing
for the want Of time
Will not the Democrats of the House,
ut least, set the President. elect good
example by ceasing to force considera
tion Of vexatious and strictly partisan
measures, and taking up for action mat.
ters in which the material interests Of
Texas, South Carolina, Virginia, Maine,
Massachusetts, California and every
other State are materially interested ?
DO they expect man, reared upon
sectionalism and advanced to the high.
est Office as a Radical, TO be more
thoughtful of the common good than
they themselves are who boast that they
abhor sectionalism and love conservat
ism?
There has really been no progress in
legislation during this week. Senate
sentiment upon the Funding bill seems
to have tendency towards 3 per cent.
interest and $500, 100000 Treasury
notes, and the same interest with dis.
erection in the Secretary of the Treasury
to pay 81 per cent. on $4OO, ,OO0, 900 in
bonds. There is no agreement as to the
length of Time the bonds shall run,
but the notes will probably be redeema.
BILE in one year and payable in ten.
Mr.. Hayes meets public expectation,
but not its approval, in appointing Hon.
Stanley Matthews to the Supreme
Bench. The chief distinction achieved
by Mr.. Matthews in the Senate was by
his opposition to Thurman's Pacific
Railroad bill, and in that great contest
Matthews was the champion of the
railroads claim and Thurman was OF
the country's. The most important
subjects Matthews will be called to act
upon in the future as Judge will proba.
bly, be those where substantially the
same questions will be involved.
RENO.