, 1882-03-04

x,ses on growing crops are now made valid
security for Indebtedness. H.
The Rising Tide.
! WsSRfSGroS.-Se Robeson and his
| cunfederates in the House have been ex-
/ ercisad as to the most effective method of
/ bringing forward their scheme for subsi-
| dies. Members Of the Committees on
/ Naval Affairs, on Commerce, and on Post
| Offices have conferred, and the plan is To
report bill for subsidlzing ocean mail
service 10y steam, on the basis Of that now
allowed to railroads This scheme is really
the invention Of John Roach, and it has
long yeen advocated by him.
The combination for subsidies is strong,
and both branches Of Congress may be
said t. he organized in their interest.
That is 10 say, the committees are plainly
packed 10 favor jobSery, and nothing but
the threats Of public exposure, such as
| happened when the Thurman act was driv-
/ en- through the Senate in the face OF ma
| jority pledged AGAINST i, will prevent the
success oi several large projects Of plum
der
These Jobbers DO not expect to pass any
bill, ,urc aud simple, on It's own merits.
But wher the scheme is got in shape be-
fore the House, they intend to mount it
as rider Oh one Of the appropriations,
and finally, III ease of unexpected opposi-
! ton. to- fall back on tine committees OF
! conference. 50 far as the House is con-
| cerned, Sccor Robson has The game In
his onn hands. He Is the real leader on
| the Republican sida, ard he is not abashed
! by his rcceut Il, feat in attempting to en-
large the committees. The Speaker cbeys
his orders. and the election of Mr. Keifer
was 4 fortune to this notorious trader III
legislation
Precedents and custom have heretofore
controlled the action of the Senate in such
matt.rs. In other words, the presiding
| officer Of The Senate by usage accepts the
names handed 10 him hy the person in
charge ui any given bin, when conferees
are appointed, though he is supposed,
under the rules, TO select them himself
Wheth"r Judge Davis vii permit this bad
practice to be continued viii soon be
| known. lie cannot allow this indirect
usurpation O.; the rights OF the chair with
ont inca,ring responsibility for bad legis-
iation.
Tn, lobby Al Washington this winter
exceeds III numbers and in exactions any
that has been seen in the corridors
of Congress for many years From 1876
for, although the Democratic reform
House OF Representatives, took possession
in 1873, the appropriations had already
been made for the fiscal year lS.5-76-
the lobby had hard time until near the
close OF the last Congress. IL came 10 be
understood that tig jobs and stale claims
and highly favored enterprises stood lit
tie chance Of success while the guardians
OF the Treasury were on duty.
The Star route robbery Went through,
however, and, as IS well understood, it
cost the contractors a very round sum
fur the black list Of patriots which is said
to be sui IN existance. If they had con-
sentsd to pay the syndicate of blackmail-
ers, most of whom turned reformers. the
twenty-five thousand dollars originally de-
manded, it is quite probable there would
have been no investigation at all, and Ger
tainly the contractors would have had
much fuller pockets to-day.
But the record shows thai The great
rulk of TIM Republicans, aided by few
venal Democrats, voted for Brady's Def
clency bill of two millions, aid subse-
quently for the regular Post Office bill,
which whitewashed his corruption.
The surplus in the Treasury has attract
ed the greed Of all the jobbers. They
swarm at the Capitol Hall with huge plans
for depicting the public vaul s. Capt
Esde asks an endorsement for fifty mill
ions He dimes and wines the press on a
magnificent scale, and threatens to 90 to
Europe Tor his capital unless Uncle Sam
hurries 10 sccep; his modest terms. The
clam agents have footed up three hundred
and odd millions for arseara.es Of pensions
alone, and they have laid the foundations
for a thousand millions more. The Miss
Iss,PpI improvers want tens a: millions
Bills fpr public buildings all over the
country crowd the calendars The army
Is to be Increased by All addition Of five
thousand men. The navy Is 10 be recon
structed The Indian supplies are 10 be
increased. 4 new Congressional library
Is to Se bulk at est OF many millions.
The Ring speculation for improving the
river front and fia II the Potomac" viii
absorb millions. otnces are multiplied as
fast as the Congressional wheel can turn
them Out Lspsed land grants are 10 be
renswe'i for rich corporations.
The tide OF j,bbery Is fast rising, and
viii soon get above the high water mark
Of 1873
II appears that IN Australia people be-
lieye that the way TO prevent the Chinese