The Penn's Grove record., 1882-05-27
WASHINGTON LETTER,
MAY "a

The folly and impractica'ili.y of
night sessions Of Congress has been pref
ty well illustrated once OF twice lat ely,
especially in the House. The other
night at the hour of meeting the pro
tenn Speaker glasied the gravel and
called to order a House composed Of
two Members. FIVE reporters, and a doz
en- or more pages who, lounging in the
seats of Members, dreatDt of future
Congressional honors. Then arose u
of these two Members and with great
impressedness proceeded TO deliver d
written and careful prepared speech Ill
favor Of the bill under consideration.
4 story is tod of Fritz when in a
Western town he saw the curtain Iise
and an audience CT Il ~erowding the
e of the auditorium. Recovering
from his CONSERVATION and resisting
the appeals of his company to refund to
the audience his entrance fee, Fritz
advanced 10 the fcotlights and inviting
the solitary auditor te take a front seat
acted with more than his ordinary vim.
The story getting out there was no lack
of spectators during the remainder of
''Fritz's'' stay, and his first nights au-
dience always had a choice seat. But
everybody is not a Fritz and an au-
dience of one is something of a damper
upon the eloqCence Of a Member of
Congress. This is a specimen OF night
sessions, except those held as IA continu
alton of sowe exciting political s1uab-
bic. There were present during the
entire evening not more than a dozen
Members, most of whom delivered writ
ten speeches to empty benchas. 1t is
hard to divine the utility Of this farci-
cal proceeding. 1t is not for the pur-
pose of influencing votes, for there are
no votes to Influence; not for the por
pose of receiving applause, for there is
no one 10 APPLAUD; not for the purpose
of becoming well-known throughout
the country, for the reporters gallery
is e.oquently vacant; not for the pur-
pose of buncombe, for that can be ac-
complished under the general leave to
print in the Record. L. is, a dreary
scene-except in the eyes Of stock-hold-
ers in the gas company-that is present
ed by the vast hall of the House on a
night assigned for debate only.
The pressue to secure on she tariff
commission is being applied with ylgor
to those Who are supposed TO have infiL
ence with the President. The pay is
good, the work need not he severe, and
the commission may not prolong its eX
istence for several years il i. CHOOSES.
In fact, some medict that we viii have
the commission with us as long as we
have a tariff. The impression seems to
be that there will be two Democrats
placed on the commission one from
tile North and Die from the South.
The protectionists were very much
alarmed recently owe the report that
the President thought of appointing
Mr.. David A. Wells as representative
OF the freetrade element. 1t is under
stood that the President will have the
list of persons TO be nominated COM
lleted withiD IA few days. BE has said
that they are tie most difficult appoint
ments which he has been called upon
TO make. 1t is not believed that any
attempt will be made to give represent
tation to special interests. There are
only nine commissioners TO be appoint-
ed, and il would be impossible to follow
such a plan without making inyidious
distinctions and causing great dissatis-
faction. The majority OF the commits
sion VIII be protectionists, probably Of
moderate order. There are reasons
tor excepting that the chairman will he
OK Seer etmry Kirkwood, Of Iowa, who
who is regarded as a nroteetionists of 1
mild type, with some learning towards
a tariff for revenue only. 1t is thought
that his reputation for fairness and his
relation to agricultural interests, with
OTHER qualifications, make him a desir-
able man for the place. 1t has been
practically decided that Edward Atkm
son, of Boston, the well-kuown special
lists and authority cnteXtile fabrics aud
materials, will be a member, although
there may be "a change in the selection
for New England before the nominal
tions are sent in. 1t is believed that