Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-12-28
WASHINGTON LISBON
Work Progressing Rapidly and With a Deanii
Aim or Thoroaghness.

""ih fiosfcssiHg hapidiI anu WIN q Defnit
Aim or Thorougbncss.
Special Correspondence.
. WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. %. 1882
The business of Congress has never
been so far advanced at this early stag,
of the session as it is now. The usua
practice of taking things easy and leis.
urely until after the holidays has moi
obtained this year, but on the contrar,
both houses have from the first day dis
played extraordinary industry, the re.
suit Of which is that several a~ppropria-
ton bills have already passed both
houses, and a number of other measures
are IN an unusual state of forwardness.
The action of the House of Representa-
tiyes in regard to a recess during the
Christmas holidays sayored a little OF
the ludicrous. Many of the members
who on Monday voted TO work during
the holiday season appeared to have
done so in the hope hat The decision
would apply only to their fellow mem
bers, they themselves expecting to gel
away on leave of absence and have a
good time at their respective homes.
As Artemas Ward was willing to give
up his cousins, nephews and uncles and
allow them
TO SHED THE LAS DROP
of their blood for theEdefense of the
Union. these Representatives were will
ling to have their brother members
forego the delights of a Christmas and
New Years at their own firesides, but
wished to be excused from making the
same sacrifice themselves, and when
they found that this cheap patriotism
would not pass muster they faced about
and voted for a recess. The resolution
for this purpose, which finally passed
the House, was supported by "a Demo-
Gratis and SO Republicans while rs Re-
publicans and rs Democrats voted in
the negative.
General John b. Eaton, Commits
sioner of Education. has been to New
York to address the Union League Club
on the subject of national aid to educa-
ton in the backward states. The pend
ing proposition TO get an annual appro-
priation of ten million dollars to distrib-
uted among the States in amounts pro-
porticned to the degree of illiteracy
within their borders meets with a good
deal of
FAVOR IN CONGRESS
and among the people. Eight Northern
State Legislatures have, l am informed.
passed resolutions in its favor, and il is
believed that the Southern legislatures,
governors and school officials are all but
unanimous in desiring its adoption.
With so large a support it would I'M
doubtedly be promptly enacted into law
if the question of making the proposed
grant could be submitted to Congress
in a form uncomplicated with political
considerations. But unfortunately thi,
is a difficult matter and may prove to
be impraoticable. he money win 90
mainly to Southern States, and, if placed
under the control of the State Govern
ments, might be used with a view to
strengthening the Democratic party at
least in incidental ways. This Republic
cans will naturally desire to guard
against by placing around the grant
certain restrictions as to the mode of its
expenditure, and if these happen to be
such as Democratic members of Com
gress strongly object to, an agreement
may be impossible, and a measure
which both parties really desire. could
they be assured of its honest and disin-
terested administration may fail to go
through, because neither is willing to
trust the other with the control of the
money. There is at last
A PROMISE OF SOMETHING
being done to recover the public lands
held by certain railroads under forfeited
grants. Senator Saunders has made a
move looking to the repeal of the pre-
emption act and an enforcement of the
law against railway companies which
have failed to complete their roads
within the periods prescribed by law.
Both of these objects demand immediate
attention. The amount of public land
available for farming purposes is now
becoming comparatively small, and it
should be sc%rupulously reserved for ac-
tual settlers under a modified homestead
law. The presumption law, although
supposed to be designed for the benefit
of actual settlers, facilitates the acquisi-
ton OF large tracts of land by capitalists,
and the same is true as regards the COM
mutation feature of the homestead law
that feature, namely, which provides
for the acquisition of title to a home
stead at the end of six months residence
upon payment of 5000. A. regards the
forfeited railroad lands, Congress ought
eagerly to embrace the opportunity of
repairing in some degree the error COM
mitted by former Congresses in making
these cxtravagant grants. 1t will hardly
be credited, perhaps, but it is neverthe-
less true, that the lands now subject to
forfeiture are of
GREATER AGGREGATE EXTENT
than the whole of the German Empire.
and the opportunity to rescue so vast a
territory from the grasp of these monop-
olies should not be neglected.
Considerable interest is felt here in
the various senatorial elections to occur
early leg month. Rumors have been
circulated from time to time of possible
combinations by which the Republicans
would be defeated in Kansas and Ne
braska, and even in Illinois and Mime
sofa, but well-informed Representatives
of these States have laughed at all such
reports. Revenue Commissioner Raum
has a literary bureau here run BY some
clerks in his office / am told, from which
he is sending out articles to Illinois pa
pers to advance his candidacy for the
seat Of Judge Davis. but from all | can
gather his labor viii be wasted. His
chances are not believed to be very