South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-06-30
Letter from Washington.
[Eten or Regula, correYorSen..l


counting the electoral votes for Pres
cent and Vice. President. Those who
have thought of the matter realize the
Importance ofsuch a measure, as since
the repeal OF the 22nd joint rule there
Is Mt any time danger of serious disa.
greements and results under the cx-
lsting provisions. To most people
a satisfactory plan would scem easy OF
attainment, but somehow ii does not
present itself to the minds of Con-
gressmen and Senators. Political
checker-playing is, however, the real
difficulty. II an honest purpose exis-
ted to devise a plan independent of
any party considerations or advanta.
ges 1t would be simple enough. The
bill proposed by Mr.. Updegratf OF the
select special committee on that sub
Ject was very properly defeated this
| week, and IS the last of the numerous
schemes in that lire TO go the way of
all the earth. The part of this bill
which aroused the strongest OPPOSE
ton was the provision that the defea-
ted candidate might proceed by quo
warranto and 60 into the courts to de-
termine the question of title after the
votes had been counted and the
result declared. This contemplates
the possible ousting of President
once seated, and Mr.. Hammond, of
Georgia, aptly remarked that it ought
to be entitled, N bill to raise hell in
the United States Mr.. Hewitt Cd.
posed it and said he was satisfied that
no man installed in the office of Presi
deut could be ousted inside of his four
years by any method short OF revolu.
ton. The simplest and only practi.
cnl plan is to have all questions per.
tanning to the choice OF electors set.
tied by the State courts and make the
decision final and binding upon Con-
gress.
The House Committee on Printing
have recently recommended that ten
thousand maps of the United States
be published for the use of Congress.
This Mt the rate of about thirty maps
per member, which may seem an ex.
travagant allowance; but when the a.
farming ignorance Of Congressman
on the subject Of geography is consi-
dered IL is not strange that an attempt
should be made to force information
upon Lawmakers by the quantity
One method OF teaching the alphabet
to weak-minded children requires that
the letters, one at u time, shall meet
the eye wherever it roams; a large
letter, "a for instance, greets the eye
from the head of the bedstead, the top
OF tho washstand, tho side of the
plate, the desk OF the teacher, the
blackboard OF the wall, the cover Of
the book end even the fence Of the
playground. Ii, in like manner, maps
OF the United States are hung in eve.
ry corridor, committee and cloak room
i'll the Capitol, in the Congressional
restaurants, the various bar-rooms fire.
quented by Congressman, in every no.
tel dining room and par!or, in draw.
ing room cars on all trains that enter
or leave Washington, in livery stables.
gambling bells and in the Washing
ton apartments and permanent homes
OF our lawmakers, some Congressman
would in time learn something of the
extent, proportions and distances OF
our beloved country. BY frequently
seeing maps all occasional Representa-.
tive or Senator might come to under.
stand why an outbreak ut an Indian
agency cannot be instantly suppress.
ed by troops that are two thousand
miles away. and why flour from Min.
neapolis to-day cannot tomorrow be
devoured by starving Mescaleros in
the Southwest. They might also
learn that creeks and marches cannot
be made navigable in tie interest of
commerce even by the expenditure
of twenty or thirty millions per year
on them. Had Senator Blair ever
seen a map of the United States he
might not have gravely proposed to
make the Mississippi River turn back.
ward and dash up hill for several
thousand miles. In view of the pos.
sible increase Of Congressional inteli-
gence the public perhaps will over.
look that the number and cost of the
proposed maps are ridicuously in ex-
cess OIL Wnat tney should be.
Mr. George William Curtis, Presi.
dent of the New York Civil Service
Reform Association, has cent circu-
lar to all the Government employees
here, warning them not to respond to
tho forced levy of the Republican
Campaign Committee, under pain Of
being proceeded against according to
the Revised Statutes prohibiting such
contributions. II is understood that
Mr.. Curtis has or will send copy of
this circular TO custom house officers
and Government employees generally
throughout the country. There is no
question that large majority of them
would be very glad to get off paying
the assessment if their tenure OF Office
]