Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-12-21
REFRESHING REFORM.
A Charming Anxiety on the Part OF Members to
be Considered First In the Race.
Special Correspondence

49, W. y At1AOA ~ 10 dJIAlINlN W LII
fore in Congress now and members of
both parties are Observation-Disclosures and
falling over each other in the struggle
for first position in the race. This state
ment should perhaps be qualified with
a reservation excepting a number of
loud-mouthed Democrats who a wear
ago were harping for reform" but
who now stand boldly up aud declare
they will oppose all tenure of Office.
measuresu ntilthe offices have been filed
with their hungry constituents. Among
these are Senators Dan Voorhees, and
Joe Brown, who have been struck with
visions of Democratic success in 1884.
While a majority of those Democratic
Congressman who have for years been
c~roaking for reform legislation dare not
now turn their backs on it, there is still
a vely strong u~ndercurrent among them
that they would like to see it
DEFEATED OR POSTPONED
until after the Presidential election.
Some of these are esteemed very astute
politicians, yet their shrewdness would
seem to be of the short-sighted kind. If
the Democrats should by any possibility
get into power there are several dangers
to which they would be exposed, one of
which is that the hungry hordes of office
seekers would make such a rush for the
public crib that the people would stand
disguised and Mortified, and be eager
for an opportunity to take the Govern
ment hi of the hands of such a crowd.
If their leaders were real smart they
would be glad to see this exhibition
prevented in the only way it could be
done-by the strictest civil-service law
that can be framed. The most sensible
amendment to the Pendleton bill in the
Senate is that offered by Senator Logan,
directing that examinations shall be
practical and relate oaly to matters
which will fairly test the relative capa-
city Of applicants to discharge the duties
of the service into which they seek to be
appointed. OF all the
sUPERLATIvE HuMBUGs
that of propounding a lot of questions
in astronomy and technology to an APP
plicant for a Government clerkship takes
the first rank.
Since tariff revision, reyenue reduc-
ton and reform measures occupy so
much attention now, and the question
as to what will actually be done is in
volyed in SO much doubt, it is interest
ing to note the views of leading men in
both Houses OF Congress. There is a
growing conviction among Republicans
that something ought to be done with
the tariff at this session, nor is there
any abatement of their original deter
mination to reduce internal taxes, pro
vided the Democrats viii permit it to be
done. Senator Harrison says he regards
the creation of the Tariff Commission
as ga confession that the tariff needs
revision although agreat many other
people have regarded it as q scheme to
avoid or postpone revision. Mr.. Dawes
is in favor of abolishing all internal
revenue taxes, except those on liquors,
tobacco and bank circulation, and furth-
er of a reduction of the tariff to the
lowest possible point which will enable
it, together with the internal revenue,
to furnish requirements of the Sinking
Fund and the strictest conomy of cur
rent expenditure" He seems to think
'the tariff could be reduced 800, 900, 600
by a proper adjustment between free
raw material and dutiable manufactures
SO that American industries
WOULD BE STRONGER
for the revision" Senator FRYE saws
that internal taxes, except those on
spirits and tobacco, should be repealed,
and that ''the necessity of tariff revi-
sion is Imperative Representive
Kasson favors the enlargement of the
reductions provided for by the pending
Internal Revenue bill-not, however, so
as to include distilled spirits. Senator
Sherman proposes the repeal of inter-
nal taxes, except those on spirits, to-
bacco and beer.
After all the agitation for three or
four years upon the subject of a new
building for the Congressional Library
the bill brought forward by the House
Library Committee has been practically
defeated. With the exception of Mr..
Cannon, of Illinois, who wants the mass
Of the present collection of books burned
up so as to leave room for the remainder
in the present library, everybody ac-
knowledges the pressing necessity of a
new library building. But there has
long been
SUSPICION OF JoBBERY
about the proposition to buy a building
site east OF the Capitol, and, whether
this suspicion is just or unjust, there is
a very general feeling in Congress that
it is absurd and wasteful for the Govern
ment to buy land in Washington when
it owns q great many acres OF public
reservations, enough to contain all the
public buildings which will be required
for two centuries to come. The two
blocks of ground on Capitol Hill, upon
which the committee proposed to locate
the new building were brought up some
time ago by spectators and all the
owners of n%eighboring property joined
them in the effort to get the building To-
Gated there at an expense of 81, 900, 900
or 50 for the site.
Speaking of reform, about the most
practical case of it inaugurated here is
the recent change in the National Re-
publican, which IS now the brightest
and best daily Washington ever had.
Assistant Postmaster-Genera Hatton is
the boss of the concern, but the manag-
ing editor is Mr.. C. a. Snowden, late
of the Chicago Times, a man who pos
sesses ideas and knows the difference
between an organ and a newspaper.
Another reform which came near being
aIontnI fha a4baY. Ia,- =, A. .a-a-.:..