Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-10
THE LATE CONGRESS.
The Most Unpopular Body Ever
Assembled.
Millions for Jobs But No Cent for the People
What the Next Session Promises
The Contest in Virginia
Exports and Imports.
POINTS, PERSONAL AND POLITICAL,
s,sr,o, y,irua.eh 10 the REGISTER.

Special Dispatch TO the Register.
WASHINGTON, August 9.-Senator Plumbs
arraignment of his Republican colleagues
for the manner in which they had failed 10
attend to business was plain statement OF
facts, which will meet the members
of the House when they least expect it
He demonstrated that they had purposely
delayed action on all the important appro-
priation bills, and had deliberately trifed
with the best interests of the country. To
complete this statement it only necessary
to add that the present Congress has almost
entirely neglected the necessary public
business. The Supreme Court ought to be
reconstructed in the interest of the whole
country, but this important business got
no attention; a new bankrupt law was ur-
gently demanded by business interests, but
none was passed; new Congressional
library is needed at once, but the bill for
that purpose failed; the charter for
the Nicaragua ship canal was thought by
MANY persons a national necessity, but
it rested in the committees of both houses.
In fact almost every important business =
before this congress was neglected, and the
net results of its operations is tiat 1t has
spent 1924, 100000 OF the peoples money,
refuse 10 reduce the taxes with an immense
and increasing surplus staring itin the face,
and passed the River and Harbor approprl-
ton bill of $lS 000, 900 over the Presidents
veto, If now one puts these plain facts to
a prudent Republican member OF the House,
some man inclined to economy and to SEN
sible legislation, the reply one gets, in
confidence, of course, is, "Be thank
full that it is no worse, 1T required
all the strength and skill OF few men In
caucus and in committees 10 Preveant vent worse
things than have been DONE" This rests
OH the testimony not OF one but of several
Republicans. One of these, man of sutfi-
cient prominence to make what he said i'm
portant, said to your correspondent: "A
good many people were really out OF their
heads about the surplus revenue. They
thought only of ways OF spending 1t. They
had not thought Of business other than
that, apparently. They saw these one hun
dred and twenty-five or one hundred and
fifty millions of surplus and theirmain idea
was how to spend it and how TO get, each
man, q share of it.
The chances are even that the next ses-
sion, to open four months hence, will be
even worse than this. 1t will be surpris-
ing if new pension bills, new claims OF var
ious kinds, war claims and others, do not
turn up next December, while the one
hundred and thirty-one new surveys or
dered in the River and Harbor bill, many
of them looking to large expenditures, is
only preparation for still greater and
wider spread river and harbor appropria-
ton. 1t is fashion to sneer at the Demo-
Gratis, and no doubt they were often clumsy
and without tact when they controlled the
House and managed to get themselves into
hot uatar nj IN the country on trivial mat
tiers, but from the time they took COM
mand in the House until they lost it again
there was no lobby here, and they were. as
careful of the peoples money as though it
had been their own. They cut too close
sometimes, as was not unnatural, for they
succeeded Republican House which had
been openly and shamefully extravagant,
as this one has also been, but they per-
formed the disagreeable task of economic
ing with the most honorable fidelity to the
people, whose money Congress spends.