The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-05-27
ssAarz1aareS x.ErTEn-



FAaENsrns. ID. O.. May a. G8s2
0ur &Msianal Legislature is COM
posed largely 81 isryers. TIE FIRST
insiiBei Fl Ispyer Is 20 get a re.
tsiner. II i suspected tlrat deere are
frzBz, organizations corporations.
and even individuals IN the Unittd
States vealfsy enough 70 retain cor
gress. ] say Il Is suspected ! do
not say Il issa. The ssss.:csss-s sslsizs
: national legislature il parehasable
is terrible ard deplorabie sus-
picion- Benedict Arnold was foiled,
and bis tFeaeiaery was ab0rtive. But.
II, after The accumulation Of csR-
tary, this fair republic can be bought
by yThisky Ring or = Railroad
Ri8g, it Is gaitc time 70 build noE-
uulent TO Benedict Arnold Inc Hon
James Beck, native Of Scotland.
but at present senator from ken
lucky, delivered this week long ar
gumeBt IN favor Of bill 70 enable
disfillers 10 bold their whisky eight
years without tax The principal
distillers and whisky merchants Of
the country have formed ring 10
procure Legislation that VIII enable
them 70 age fbejr whisky al the ez-
penee Of the government Senator
Beck from Scotland, via Kentucky,
is the advocate for the ring. He as
serts that no money has been used 70
influence legislation except "legi-
tiInztely." How money can be used
Iegitimately TO inRaeRce legislation
he has not explained. The law that
the whisky men want will enable the
distiller to bond his poison M
stamped for ninety-six months, which
is the longest period Of bonded st0r-
age allowed in the bill, aud it will
deprive the national treasury Of an
immense revenue.
RAILROAD LAsD GRANTS
Several years ago, congress grant
ed TO railroad corporations over
10000 quare miles Of land, or about
II5,O0O, coo acres, on condition that
they should complete these roads
within a certain limited time. The
grant covers an area Of territory
larger than all of the New England
States, with New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Maryland thrown
in. Up to the present time these
roads have earned about 80, 00O, 900
acres, and there remain about g.
900, 900 not yet earned but claimed
by these roads, and withheld from !
settlement. Divided up into 100 !
acre homesteads, these fortified |
grants would give homes TO a pOpu
lation as large as that Of the State Of |
Ohio. These lands, forfeited through |
failure TO complete the roads within
the legal limit are worth $3OO, oOO, 600
These lands belong to the govern
ment but they are claimed by the
railroads, which no longer consist of
seven corporations but are coubol-
idated into three or four powerful
corporations, that, like the Whisky |
Ring, have their advocates in the
House and in the Senate, and are
able to show a corruption found be-
side which that of the credit mobilier
would seem a bagatelle. TIE house
committee on the Judiciary are ell
gagged in the investigation of the |
land grant railroads and reports will !
be made as soon as conclusions are |
reached. The committee adopted a |
resolution some ten days since en-
joining absolute secrecy upon its
so that little is known as
to its action SO far.
The pension bill for the next year
one hundred million
dollars. Il has been proved that the
frauds on the pension list are be-
tween five and twenty per cent. Of
the just awards. At the lowest
figure, this would be $1,000 600 Of
the presentsbill, at the highest $780,
Og0, 900. Fraud has become regu-
lar business with perfected maehiB-
merry, handled by a host o. pension
agents who have grown 30 rich with
in few years, that it has been said,
the increase Of pensions bill was
passed through their influence, and
for their benefit Congress should
do something 70 protect taxpayers
from this robbery, which could not
be carried on without collusion in
the pension Office
We were pleased on Wednesday last
By visit from the sheriff. lie went
down in the Bend a few days since,
and yesterday returned from trip to