Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Prom cur regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. March 8. lss

busy and exciting. as they always are.
yet there has not been that tumult and
confusion of tongues, as well as of pur-
Z pose, that Is sometimes witnessed There
are always measures over which doubt
and uncertainty hang at such time and
whose friends and advocates become
almost frantic in their anxiety as the end
draws near. These are not always meas
ures of the highest public importance,
however. The principal interest and ex-
citement this week has centered in the
apportionment question and the squabble
over the Funding Bill-both matters of
great public concern. Night sessions
have been held with the, usual scenes al
tending them. The peculiar methods
pertaining to such sessions of the House.
especially when "call" of that BODY is
ordered, impress members with the idea
that congressman's lot is not a happy
one. The other night about fifty Repre-
sentatives were out of their places to at
tend the diplomatic reception at the
! White House. having with them their
wives and sweethearts, all intent upon
the festivities of the hour. About II
O'Clock small group of men appeared
at the entrance of the Executive Mansion.
and took up position where they could
inspect all persons passing out. The OBJ
| j5ct of their visit it was soon apparent,
as one of them obstructed the exit of
portly Representative from a western
State and summoned him to 10 to the
Capitol. The solon excused himself to
| his party. and muttering anathemas
under his beard, suffered himself to be
escorted to hack that was in waiting.
Others ca ne chattering gaiy with their
fair companions, only to meet the same
fate; and, as each hack received its COM
| plement of irritated lawmakers, deputy
Sergeant-at-arms mounted the box and
whirled them off to stand at the bar of
the House in swallow tails" and white
chokers" and explain their absence from
their legislative duties. A prominent
| southern Representative stood in the sup
per room toying with water ice and
whispering elegant nothings in the ear of
n fair belle. Suddenly he blanched, as
tall form, clad in an ulster and hugging
plug hat under its arm. displayed be-
| fore his startled eyes sCreed that was
! fully as potent as the blood stained cross
of "Roderic Dhu." His voice fell to a
low whisper as he explained to his com
| panion the meaning Of this mandate of
the House and then sadly wended his
way TO the cloak room. Night sessions
are not the most pleasant things imagina
bic, but congressman post of duty is
III his seat and not at scenes Of rsvclry.
! The busiest department Of the govern
ment at this time, and to continuc SO for
many months to come, is the Pension
| Bureau. Congress has tardIly accorded
I some much.nepded additional facilities.
and the Commissioner is devoting every
effort to a just and rapid settlement of
the thousands of cases on file. Cndoubt-
edly Mr.. Bentley would have been bet
ter satisfied with The adoption of the
measures which he recommended TO Con-
| gress, because he deemed these changes
in the system of adjudication necessary
and important, but he will continue as
faithful official to do the best he can
with the machinery AS it is. While |
was not an advocate or the Sixty Sur
geons Bill rejected by Congress and free
| ly indicated its weak points in these let
with the proposition that the Commits
sioner and his assistants, whose duty it is
to come in immediate contact with the
workings of the system, are the persons
best qualified to point out deficiencies
and suggest remedies. The principle is
true of all departments and all business.
An ounce of practice is worth tons Of
theory, especially congressional theory.
And yet Congress loves its theories and
seems to shrink from the task of greeting
at solid and valuable facts. The average
congressman either possesses no knowl.
edge whatever of the subjects considered
or is full of impracticable theories re-
garding them. OF the thousands of
measures brought before Congress there
is not time to give more than few hours
to each, and that cannot suffice for men,
bers to inform themselves; hence the re-
suit is much ill-considered legislation.
| No congressman who has not studied the
subject could possibly obtain an intelli-
gent understanding Of the many defects
N the pension laws during the time de-;
voted to the subject this session. 1T is
one of the most important questions with
which the session had to deal. The sug-
gestion has been made that one way in
which the matter could be reached would
| be to empower one or more working
committees to aid during the recess to
thoroughly investigate the whole subject.
If this had been done. congressman could
have come to understand what they
were talking about, and the next session
would no doubt have brought forth
great Improvements in the system. There
has been talk of a change in the commits
sionership under the new administration,
but | think none will be made. 1t would
be bad business management. Mr.. Bent
ley has the affairs of the bureau thor
oughly in hand besides being compe-
tent and Jealous officer. The only man
that could in any degree fill his place at
this time is Mr.. o. T.. C. Clark, the Com
missoner's able lieutenant. But to
doubt both will be continued where they
are.
l am writing just on the eve of the in
auguration. The city is full of strangers
and, with decorations everywhere, pre-
sents a holiday appearance. The hotels
are crowded from cellar to garret, and
billiard tables haze been converted into
sleeping-cots. 1t is all SO different from
the Inauguration of four years ago. The
Inaugural Ball in the new National
Museum building will be one of the
grandest events of the kind ever witness
ed. A few evenings ago the building
was thrown open to ticket-holders and
members of the press, and five thousand
people looked upon and admired the
grand hall with its brilliant decorations,
under the dazzling glare of electric and
gas light combined. Military organiza-
tions, with their bands of music, are ar
irving by every train, and every man,
woman, and child overfows with patriot
ism. DOM PEDRO.