The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-02-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Bunch Grass short for h Lobb,
aries Of Territorial Omcers-Co
saonal Representatives vetera
1912 Not All Dead.

cally Settleu, congress mas also SeCtlcd
down to finishing up the business Of ii
sion. For, on the Sd CT March, this cd
ceases and it would not be a good Il
for the new administration to start 4
the expense Of an extra session. So III
payers may breathe free. But next D
Der there will be an organized rush
treasury from every quarter. There an
few s~windling bills before this congp
this session, consequently the LOBBY is
a hard time. The various canal scheme
likely go wei until next session. B1
time it is expected that each cempanN
Lave floated its barrel" here.
TERRITORIAL SALARIES.
1t is generally remarked that the Sd
of the governors and justices Of the sui
courts of the territories are two small
is very likely that an organized effort vi
made to have them increased to some
like those of the states of smaller degs
of less Importance than some of the pop{
and growing territories.
REPRESENTATION IN coNGREss
This question certainly should be
hauled. The states have control of th
frage question, but they should not be
ed to %disfranchise uoters and send rem
tatives to congress based on their total
lation. For Instance, Massachusetts, hx
a property and an educational quali6c
thus DISTINGUISHING about 10000 mel
the age of Il. Yet her representation
gress is based upon the total populatiol
not the actual voters. Connecticut ais
an educational and property qualifc
The states of Delaware, New HAND
Rhode Island, Georgia, Tennessee and
have property qualifications. These !
also have their congressional represeu
on their total population. The constt
provides that such representation sba1
abridged in proportion to the number \
ers DISTINGUISHED, but as congressman al
portioned OH the basis of total populated
not on the number of voters, as is daI
conventions, that pr DIVISION is practical
no effect. The apportionment should
based on both numbers and voters. Iii
rather hard that a state should disfranGlJ
man because he is poor and then the sl
ment should call him out to 60 as a sold
fight, perhaps for the wrong voting of b
empted rich neighbor. 1t would seem|
republics are getting cruel.a well as u4
full, while states are very short minded
instead Of inviting emigrants, are DID
people to the free and prosperous west.
der the 18th amendment to the constitd
states which disfranehise their voters
threatened with a reduction of their cod
sional representation. That amendmen|
intended for the south. The New End
states were not thought of. The 18th and
ment supersedes that aud prohibits a sta.s9
denying suffrage "on account of race, \
or previous condition of servitude." III
to be punished as a crime and not by |
duction of representation. Yet the 4
above mentioned, establish property and
ucational qualifications and escape
punishment and reduction of political Ei
To a liberal thinking man, or to a maI
in the territories, which are denied al
every privilege and right, it looks as if
question of voting and representation
considerably one-sided.
$70,e00,00O A YEAR.
Those who pay taxes have little idea
their money goes for. Our late war
turned out to be a very expensive ons
debt of two billions Of dollars remains, u
draws a pretty good interest. DISABLED
diers and soldiers widows draw yearl5
sum of $7O,O0O,0 900 in the matter of pens
In addition there are a great many Mel
war veterans, and those of 1912 are nd
dead yet. 1t is to be hoped there will nj
another war for a century. The politl
should be made to get out on the plains
fight it out among themselves the next
Notwithstanding this large debt there 4
TO be a general desire to escape taxation.
banking institutions of the country wisl
tax removed from bank checks and dep
including those of savings banks. The p
medicine men also come forward and be-
congress to remove the tax stamp from
nostrums. According to the eternal f
OF things they should be taxed double Of
OF existence. But then, they would get
by s%windling country printers out Of
advertising bills. From the tax OH ma
a revenue Of S2,00O,OOO is derived. Its
posed to repeal this tax on the ground Il
would benefit the poor. 1t may benef
manufacturer and wholesale dealer, but
the poor man, who does not use many maj
anyway. Another blatherskite propos
reduce letter postage from three to two .
The postal department runs about $4,000
year behind its receipts. This money q
out OF the treasury. With a reduction
would be a greater deficit and a heavier
Oh 'he treasury, so the people would
% pay 1t at last. The bill only change
, form OF payment and answers the purpG
= a political demagogue.