Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-18


In order TO met the demands upon It's adver-
Using space. THE STAR will be Issued in double
Sheet form nearly every day during the holiday
season. The latter has begun early, and those
who intend to make purchases viii save time and
money by consulting the holiday columns
The usual bills and resolutions for the payment
OF costs attending defeated contests for seats
which como In with the last sassion OF a Congress
ar now being presented In the House One OF
those already introduced proposes TO go back a
number of yetrs and allow a claim arising out or
q contest FOR sea. IN Congresses that have passed
into history. Without making any reference to
The merits or dement's OF any special claim OF this
character, bur treating them class, IL Is safe
TO say that sofRe parthe money tan be saved By
submitting them to more rigid inquiry than has
frequently b9sf given tnena.i The fact that
most OF these elaIaS are deferred until the
closing session on Can yrss when there Is not
time TO ScrGtiHfze EtfS3t BIB, because OF the
pressure OF ppbst tha s;n.sss, DOES not look we'll
When there IS not line for an inquiry into all the
flctS an1 details, il might be better for Congress
ID pass the claim over to its successor than to
rush IL through There IS, undoubte lily. a grow
lag sentiment, In both houses, in favor OF estab-
ishing more rigid rules for the allowance OF
alleged costs to contestants. prominent Sena-
to' who, during long service in the House, was,
committee, says that during has period of service
one man contested from the same state and dis
trict seat I'm three succeeding Congresses. He
was allowed, in each case. liberal bill for eX-
penseS. but on the last occasion, after having
positively ascertained that he had never had a
valid claim to seat, but hal really made his con-
tests because they were profitable to him. the
committee warned him that any future contest
must be at his own cost. ale never con-
tested again." added the Senator, sand
had had my way he would
not have received a dime OF allowance for his last
contest" The committees having charge of con-
listed cases seem to become imbuet with spirit
OF sympathy for the man whom they are bound to
deny seat, and they recommend liberal allow
ance to cover his expenses balm to the poor
fellows disappointment. There have been cases
In which the majority took for its party a seat it
was not entltledto, according to the evidence and
the votes cast The majority would then attempt
10 repair the wrong done to an individual by CIV
Ing him good sum out OF the Treasury. T he
recommendations of the committees, In these
cases, are usually adopted, as the whole body,
be 1t House Or nateseannOt very Well examine
info the merits of the claims. There Is not an In
teillgent member OF the present House, perhaps,
who will not admit that one-fourth, to say the
least, OF the election contests 1t has had to deal
with had no merit, and would not have been en-
tered upon had the contestant known that defeat
would entail the costs upon himself.
Senator Jones, Of Nevada, has made public
statement embracing both facts and opinion, of
an old Russian employe of the Alaska Fur COM
pany, In relation to the Jeanette expedition.
This person, Captain Nerbaum, was the last who
supplied the Jeanette with such things as they
required for their perilOu5 venture in the Arctic
seas captain Nerbaum thinks De Long and his
party lost their lives through ignorance OF the
means oy which he could move through the coun-
try. This mans statement Is not only of interest
Is revealing the mistakes made by De Long from
want OF that knowledge OF the country through
which he was seeking to make his way, but 1t no
d1ubt throws light on former failures of similar
expeditions. The knowledge De Long and his
party lacked could only have been acquired by
practical experience In the Arctic regions; by q
residence there long enough to study and become
acquainted with the habits and customs of the
people. 1t Is not any reflection upon De Long to
lmpute this sort OF ignorance to him. For instance
Captain Nerbaum maintains that De Longs great
est mistake was in allowing his dogs to be killed
or TO leave him, and In failing to take
shot-guns, instead of rifles, suita-
Die for killing birds. These dogs, trained as
they are In that region, are the chief dependence
OF the people, especially cut OF. by any means,
from Others and Wan lering in search OF succor
The keen scent OF the animals enables them to
discover and follow the direction that leads to
food where the superior intellect OF the human
being is utterly pOwerless. The belief of Captain
Nerbaum that the north pole can be reached NAV
not carry any great conviction with 1t, but his
opinion that any such expedition should be en-
trusted. at least in part, TO men raised in the
Arctic region AM familiar with the kin Is Of dam
ger existing there and the best methods OF escan-
Ing from IL. will, perhaps, be generally acquesced
H. To send man upon such duty because OF his
Opacity as naval Off GER would be like sending
one distinguished for his eruiition In Greek to
Capture the desperate AMI willy Apache Indians
VINO raid the southwest.
civil service reform may command the attention
OF the Senate for several days yet despite the
anxiety OF the republicans to hasten action upon
H. There Is no rule in the Senate by which de-
bate can he cut of, rather the Senate is ruled
by a courtesy which forbids the interposltion Of
any motion 10 deprive member OF the privilege
or speaking. The House Is not so cerem0nious
mere the previous question Summarfly cuts short
discussion but the dlsa ppOintcd member or MEM
bers are consoed by leave 10 print their unde-
I'Fered speeches. al Hbitu9t, In the Record. The
sehate allows no such liberty with the Record
1 lie speech must be delivered, though 1t be to
empty seats, (Which IS not fntre,uanO In order
u reach the Public Printer The republicans
WOULD gladly dispose OF the civil service reform
question II they could. There are other meas
ure5 OF public Interest which IL Is REGARDED "a
very important, from party Standpoint, to get
through Congress at this session, and the apparent
disposition OF the body to consume SO much time
In Speech-nakfng renders the republicans uneasy
NJ. E!rnuniS,by his consunnatc tact AMI ability.
managed to sen1 the subject of political assess
IN -Iata TO his committee AMI thus terminate what
tlr7atenet TO be an extended debate upon IT,
Now, at the beginning OF The tl,ird week OF this
snort session, with one-sixth OF tn time gone and
nothing done, Senator's are airin. their views I'm
The most leisurely way upon this long-dlscussed
civil service topic The republican caucus has
taken action for the repression OF further repub-
!h;an Speech-makins on this intercstn, question,
but It's authority cannot reach far enough to smut
on democratic Oratory. There's the trouble
However, civil service REFORM as important and
necessary as IL Is admitted 10 be, must give way
&c appropriation bills this week whe never one ia
ready TO be reported, and by thus laying aside re-
form when something else is pressing and again
taxing II up when opportunity Offers perhaps It
VIII reach the stage OF anal action after a while