Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-01-20
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
From our REGULAR Correspnnlent.

From our Regular Correspondent
WAsHINGToS, ID. c. Jan. II, 1851.
The debate in the Senate on the
question of franking privileges has ellie.
tied the singular fact, as stated by Mr..
Edmunds, that the only public servants
unsafe to be trusted with franking off.
cial matter are the men who make the
laws. This permits every man, woman
aud child in the Post Office Department,
to determine what is "otficial business, 3"
and so in every other Department Of
the government, and yet Senator may
not enjoy the privilege as the law now
stands. 1t is more than likely that the
existing laws will be repealed and re.
turn made TO the old order Of things,
under which our legislators sent all
kinds OF matter through the mails,
though it is possible the repeating act
may contain clause prohibiting some
impecunious Solon from sending his
clothes home to be washed and patched
as was done in ante. bellum times.
Gen'l Logan is warmly advocating his
bill to restore General Grant to his old
rank of General and then retiring him
on the corresponding pay. 1t seems
that the Senate will pass it, but mas.
much as the House Military Committee
have by vote of to killed a similar
measure, there is no probability of its
becoming a law during this Congress
Mr.. Blaine is strongly in favor of it,
and has so put himself on record in the
n. Y. Tribune, yet his advocacy will not
avail. for il cannot be carried through
the House. A Mr. Sparks. from Boston, ,
is urging upon Congress his scheme for
lighting the Capitol and its grounds by
electricity and meets with a favorable
reception from the House committee,
controlling the Capitol. Though the
hold of our Gas company is as strong
here as elsewhere and it has all the re.
quisite sleight Of hand for disposing Of
competitors which all cities find to their
sorrow it possesses, yet we believe it pos.
sible for an electric light company to
succeed here If persistent and saga.
cious. The fact that this system may
cost the Government onehalf less than
gas is not the issue, for economy does
not enter into this question at all. How
to defeat the gas company's machina
tions is the only rub. We lately in
spected the New York post.ofice build
ing and we're delighted with the working
OF the electric light in it, and we sin
cerely trust that the same undoubted
improvement may be introduced into
and around the Capitol. 1t is queer how
soon legislators interest in change
for the better may cease when some
moneyed monopoly enters the list,
against it. A bill has just been intro
duced into the House which looks to an
organization in favor Of cheap tele
graphy as against the exactions of the
recent consultations OF telegraph com
panies, but We fancy it will sleep the
sleep of death, under the manipulation,
Of the committees by the existing mon
opoly. We have in mind an honorabl,
Senator who will not act or permit
action upon certain measure which
has been referred 10 him. Yet his mo
tives cannot be impugned though b,
is the paid attorney for the railroad
which this particular bill antagonizes
Still IL would seem better II these in
famous monopolies could not secure
such slaunch advocates among our leg
islators. The nation is under deer
obligations TO Senator Thurman for thu
earnest fight he made against the Unior
Pacific Railroad. This bill, which undet
his able advocacy became law anC
saves the nation millions of dollar
yearly, will stand a. monument tc
mark the first step taken by Congress
against powerful and unscrupulous
monopoly. RgSo,