The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-03-04
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,
wAsuIyeToy. Feb. 16, 1881


length of time. There are about 1000 bills,
resolutions, ETC., before the House, and prob
ably half that number before that august
and dignitied body the Senate. Of course many
of them will never see daylight, and die tue
death of the unrightcous In committee
rooms Probably, to use a feminine express
sion. at is lust as WE'LL" For there Is too
much legislation i'm this country anyhow.
What the people want is less special lesisia-
ton and more of q general nature. Or late
wears IL Is more noticeable that Congress Ii
conposed of specialists" Some represent
this interest, others represent the bankers,
while Others represent some equally potent
monied corporation. They trade their votes,
and by thai means swindle the lobby out OF
an ..honest" living. There are very lew
bills before this session with any nutrimeht
in them for the outsiders. So many Con-
gressmen are elected by the money OF yari-
Gus corporations, that the member Is also q
lobbyist as well as a statesman, and must
work as well as vote for his little bill. by
and by il will be SO that no one can come To |
Congress unless he has barrel Of money,
or belongs to some one who will open bar
rel for him. About the only independent
members are those who buy their seats;
those whose seats are bought for them are
not considered the equal Of those VINO get
here by their own strength, or the people
weakness, and then sell out afterwards. Each
House of Congress is divided into these three
classes. OF course there are a few excep-
tions. and very few. An old politician once
remarked in my hearing, "Show me man
who has been i'll politics ten
wears, and, in 40 cases out Of 80, he can be
:. reached" | have often thought OF this,
and the more see of Washington life the
more am convinced of the correctness Of
the politicians conclusions. / spent the
winter in Washington six years ago. see
great many members of the House who were
here then. In some few instances l know
that they have given up their interests at
home and gone regularly into that OF poll
ties. The money that the newspapers state
they make ON specializing III the New YORK
market, or fortunate investments In wash
inuton real estate" is but another name Tor
it vet, these statesmen would be the hist
TO denounce others for bribe-taking." Like
n woman who oyersteps the narrow path that
separates conventiahty from the reverse, she
would be the first to ''cut" her erring sister
I'm seems i'm both cases the crime consists In
being caught.
MONTANA MATTERS.
Monday last Delegate Maginnis presented
a memorial of the Legislature OF Montana
in relation to the Pententary OF that Terri
tory. Ii was referred TO the committee Oh
appropriations. ..,,a.
Delegate Magnnis also presented another
memorial from the Legislature Of that Ter
ritory protesting against the passage of any
law authorizing the leasing 10y the general
government Of the public lands wlthih Tue
| limits of Montana. The memorial was read
| and referred To The cemmiLtee on public
| lands.
THE CROW BUSINESS.
I'm Nnnday the House committee on Ill
| dian affairs reported favorably the House
! joint resolution to accept and ratify the
agreement submitted by the Grow indians OF
| Montana Territory for the sale OF portion
Of their reservation. The joint resolution was
then referred TO the committee of the whole
| on the state of the Union. The accompany
| ing report was ordered TO be printed, ana IL
| is thought that the matter Will be considered
| by the whole house at an early DAY. NOT
| Whilst anding the shortness OF the remaining
session Delegate Magnnis will endeavor also
10 have the above mentioned memorials act
| ed upon ut AN early day as possible. Ii
| CONGRATULATIONS.
l., The prospects for ali extra session are
| looming up. There are 50 many bills OF a
private nature before Congress, that the
| statesmen have had but little time to devote
| To public affairs. All of the appropriation
bills, necessary to carry on the government
have not yet passed the House, and neither
Of those that have passed the House nave
passed the Senate. That dignihed body has
lust got to work on the refunding bill; will
very likely amend it In favor OF the banks by
allowing a higher rate Of interest. And thei
there will he a conflict between the Congress
men owned by the banking corporations anu
the few who stand square Jap for the interests
| of the taxpayers of the country.
This country is gradually getting to be one
corporate ALPHABETICALLY, socially and Il
financially. 1t was originally intended tina
this country should be a Republic, and re
main SO. Ii is fast drifting into All Empire
/ Even now, 1t is called Nation, Instead vi
, Republic. The life of the Congressman am
, prominent government officials indicate
pla,nly that matters are drifting toward
priyile ed class, and Capitalization of powe
, blu the hands of that te,c. The people nee'
stirring up; they are neglecting their inter
ests by too blindly trusting to their Leaders
whose only aim seems To be to perpetual
s their own power. d. VI. ..
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1SSl.-About th
/, only proposed legislation affecting Montah
that have to report at this writing Is tina
of Delegate Maginnis, to incorporate In I'll
- River aud Harbor bill an appropriation Z
: S5O,OOO for Fort Maginnis, and Slo,OOo ~
The Yellowstone National Park. There Ina
been such a fight over the River and Harbo
dill that it is feared these appropriations wi
not be allowed. 1t may be that the bill Wi
/, not pass this session, iii order tn enforce
q extra session. But that would scarcely viii
No matter what would be the demands
the numerous districts for internal iinprov.
Q ments, no Chief Executive has yet though
: il of sufficient importance to convene Coz
n | .ress In extra session because . river all
1 barbor bill failed TO pass.
The next most important measure to D
h disposed of by the House is the re-apporloi
= ment "bill !" liking the number OF kepresef
tatiyes in the House under the new censu:
The Democratic majority insist on fixing
Z at basis OH which will give them all IL
creased representation, Oh the fraction sy'
a tenn, without a proportionate increase {
population. The Republicans insist on th
oasis, or numeral, that will give both pa
ties an equal number Ut Representative
d The other night the Republicans caucuse
!, as TO whether they would .filibuster" All
prevent the passage of the Democratic mea
ure which called for ..a!l turkey" and thu
/ force an extra session. But IL was conclude
is that ..tilibustering" was about the lowe.
r degree of parliamentary tactics, and that
: would not be resorted 10. Also, that # tt
bill was defeated it would not be considere
l. of sufficient Importance to necessitate all y,
ira session, as there being no national COL
test near at hand, the bill could NATURAL
come up next Congress, when the Hous
would be Republican. That Is 1t is suppose
so, but the latest count is that the Republ
ID cans have only l46, lacking just one TO el
te able them to organize with. BY the deal
a Of Fernando Wood this leaves the DEM
i, Gratis al 1876. The Greenbackers could !
:, with the party that give them tine most I
u offices aud organize the House. But h
ID publican will be returned, la all probabilit
H. from Mr.. Woods district, which lessons u
= necessity of political trade. 30 IL seem
that If this last count Is correct, the Gree
~ hackers may attribute the valuation OF the
Id market value to the death Of MIR. Wood, al
nv the election Of Republican. While q
- Democrats bewail their ill-luck, viii,
seems to increase at everyturn OF the polite
=, wheel, they are partially consoled al Il
W waning importance of the few Greenbaekel
he For had IL not been for them, II Is elaine
several Democratic Representatives wou
have been returned IN their places, and Tia
cock would have been elected. lndiai
went Republican by 1000 or 1900 majorit
IS when the Greenback vote was 10000. Butt
at main question is, or would have been, wou