The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-29
WASHINGTON LITTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

congress Is III SSSSlOA
week. but there is no quorum and no trans
action of business worth talking about.
Performances like that of last week rela-
tive to the holiday recess go far to destroy
whatever lingering respect might exist in
the public mind for our national legisla
ture. Resting under a popular vote of
censure. burdened with rush of grave
duties starving claimants knocking at the
doors for justice, and the country laboring
under war taxation and the boarding of
treasury reserves, both houses dallied and
trif1ed with the adjournment question, both
shirked responsibility and both practically
left the question to settle itself The
house, after weakly protesting that it W as
in favor of working through the holidays,
compromised with its own sense of decency
and agreed to take a recess The senate,
sternly refusing to agree to the recess,
quietly diSSolves into a small mass meeting
and senator's who voted against the hOli-
day vacation betake themselves to the de-
pots, grip-sacks in hand, and are on their
way out of town before the vote is cold.
Some voted mo" on the recess resolution
with railroad tickets in their pockets, while
carpet bags containing change of socks,
of whisky reposed under their
seats. There is no vehement pop
ular objection to holiday recess. Custom
has made this form of congressional evas-
ion of duty familiar to everybody. But
the hypocritical pretence of an intention
to work which half conceals precipitate
fight of the pretentious congressman does
arouse a certain popular disgust which
great industry hereafter cannot allay.
The department clerks and employees are
out of humer with congress- and lay at its
door the ills of which they now complain.
1t has been the custom for years to close
the department at 10 o'clock during Christ
mas week, thus giving the employees half
holiday. But this year owing to the &C
ton of congress, 1t is said, some of the
cabinet officers decided not to follow the
custom, and the clerks who had to stick to
their desks are accordingly unhappy. Some
busybody, turning over some ancient and
dusty files the other day, discovered a law
in existence commanding government en-
ployes to work ten hours day in summer
and eight hours in winter. Much conster-
nation was caused at the treasury, where
there is great difficulty in getting them to
work five hours and half day. The
law had been enacted in 1886. Nothing
further has been heard about it, but while |
it is unquestionably true that the hours of
labor have been shortened everywhere since |
1886, yet five hours and half is not much |
work-and although the pay of a govern |
ment employe is not high, yet as rule the !
work is trifiing. One way to reform the |
civil service would be to make it !
less attractive to that class of the |
community who are always on the lookout |
to get something for nothing. They have |
pinched and hungry existence, it is true, |
but they do an amazingly small amount of /
work. There is somewhat of a nervous |
feeling among certain clerks in the inter
nal revenue bureau in consequence of the |
proposed action of congress abolishing in
ternal revenue taxes Abolishing the taxes
will throw them out of their places. Some
of them smelling the battle from afar have
already instituted movements for getting
transferred to other branches of the treas
ury department. Certain census office
clerks, who some time since were afraid
that the finishing up of the census would
displace them, have gained hope that the
census bureau will be maintained as a reg
ular bureau and will be attached to the
bureau of statistics of the treasury depart
ment.
The United States supreme court was1
the arena for an old fashioned forensic
display just before the holiday adjourn
ment. Mr.. Conkling was here and made
another of his greatest efforts" in the
celebrated tax case of the Central Pacific |
railroad. 1t is now two years since the ex-
senator has been heard in extended remark
in Washington, and the supreme court
chamber was crowded with ladies and gen
tlemen anxious once more to listen to him
Probably Mr.. Conkling never spoke with
better or more effect. 1t is understood
that if the raiload wins the case his fee will
be $50, 900. He delivered constitutional
argument of several hours length, and told
precisely how the fourteenth amendment
came to be adopted, and labored very hard,
to make it apply to the case of his clients. r
When heshad finished our elegant attorney
general ptook the floor" and in about half
an hour upset all that the ex-senator had
said. Mr.. Brewster's argument pleased
the lawyers inside the bar of the court as
much as Mr.. Oonkling's remarks had II
pleased the spectators on the out
side. An amusing incident occurred just
as Attorney General Brewster was finish
ing his argument the closing speech in
the case. Sitting behind him were ext
Senator Conkling and Judge Sanderson
of California, who were opposed to him in
the case. One of the gentlemen made
some remark, apparently play upon
some word used by the attorney general
Mr.. Brewster overheard It, and referred to-.
it in his speech, at the same time turning
to Mr.. Conkling with the remark, ssIt was
their parting shot" Mr. Conkling
Strengthened himself up in his chair, said:
4fCN