Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-24
b Week In Congress-. Civil Ser.
vice Discussions --Kest Yir-
I glnla and Tobacco Tax.
vsrsOIl Ruled Out as a Witness.
A West Virginia Duel Avert,
sd-.SSenatOrial Talk.
ipsraI and Personal Items State
Visitors at Washington ..
Capital Notes and Gossip.

Il tSnoeSal Blspatch % The SaadaV Rsq;stsr.
8 EAsHNsroN, December 2S.-There are
q nerous indications here te-day OF the
81 ,eroaeh OF Christma& Despite the weather
y stores ars crowded With. hallasx ppr-
a ssers. the cnurches and the sSlo6ns s,s
IA Ms trimmed with evergreen, the walters
. q more attentive and venture deferential
81 res that you gwine to member de ole
Il % fore you so home" and inquiries
n Ser your personal health and the greet
b Of friends are more earnest and hearty
. a. il the every day season, that has no
a sscial association connected with il to
nggest peace on earth and good will to
Il sen.
d Sharing in the spirit Of the time your
representative offers the compliments Of
be season to the REGISTER and its readers
81 nd the rest of mankind; expresses his re-
. bet Tor doing things which he ought not to
sye done, and for leaving undOne the
6ingS which he should have done, and
romiSes to do better between this and the
n isNt return of the holidays.
The Week in Congress.
congress has done very little to COM
sud itself to the country during the past
k.es. The House made some progress
" sth the appropriations, and believing
aat it was far enough along to justify an
n ijOUtnment was disposed to heed the
list recommendation of the WAYS and
Means Committee TO make the recess ex-
tend over the week intervening between
lhriStmss and New Years, but the desire
VI make q little cheap capital at home
nerCame some OF the members, who in
4 Fld 20 see the House resolution carried
,1d enough of them dodged or voted
saiuSt their desire TO bring about its de-
sa, Thus compelled to show their
hand or run the risk of being compelled
4 10 stay, they assisted in carryinga q motion
4 10 reconsider, which resulted in the final
Il siup,ion OF the original resolution, but
4 'be eEsmpl, - its influence upon good
many Senators, Who got left in their efforts
to bring about the desired result without
seeming 10 take any part in it.
civil Service Discussions
Il has been further developed during the
week that this is not q fortunate time to
have the matter Of civil service reform fair
" considered. The near approach oi a
Presidential election induces q belief on
each side that the other is endeayoring to
/ sain some partisan advantage under the
guise OF public reforms, and the whole OF
the discussion on this subject has been
shaped and colored by this belief. 1t is
NGithCult at any time to Tree questions Of the
gAeatsSt public importance from these con-
SderatiOns. Even with the narrow escape
.rOm absolute collision and violence in the
settlement of the Hayes-Tilden contrOYer-
y fresh in recollection, il was found i'm
possible in the next Congress following that
t.0uble to pass a bill covering all con-
unsencies that might arise in the couRung
Of the electoral vote So fearful was each
Sde that the other might obtain some un-
due ADVANTAGE in the provisions of the new
legislation proposed 'on the subject. II
With the plain duty of providing for such
rontingerCieS so plainly illustrated, and
with no immediate opportunity to hinder
the best Judgment Of Congress in such pro-
vision a proper law could not be framed, 1t
IS not unlikely now that that body, on the
>eye OF q general election, is going to agree
-NyOn plan which will dispose OF the ma
o. nv ol public offices in advance OF such
The Tobacco Tax
L!t IS difficult, in the absence Of any
Il ,aCCus conclusions on the subject, To form
sny opinSon as TO the action Of Congress on
the proposed abolition of the tax on taoacco.
IN tie one hand, the argument-used also
sS sgaiDSt the abolition or reduction oil
tie government revenue from whisky, viz:
that 10 is an article of luxury, and the BUR
den upon it of little weight 10 the con-
sumer, is employed, and on the other the
manifest hardshipS imposed upon the few
localities which produce and the injustice
OF raising so large q proportion OF the
revenue from the few tobacco producing
States. As a West Virginia question there
is not much doubt that producers tnere
would be glad TO see the tax and the re-
strcuOns upon the sale OF tobacco removed
AnvtCdy who will take the trouble 10 eN-
smIne the records of the u. 5. District
Court will find that a considerable proper
tiOu Ci her citizens pay fines ana go 10
all annually for undertaking to dispose,
n their own way, of the tobacco raised oy
their own industry, and they naturallI
would be glad to 6nd the treer market
sRd immunity from annoyance Wnlcn lree
tobacco would give. There is no sentiment
in the State opposed to such removal so Jar
as am aware, and the petition presented
by Senator Davis this week from dealers,
only asked that they be protected from tue
loss thew would suffer II the tax were re-
moved without allowing them reOaIe oh
the stocks they now hold. This the Seha'
Tor has agreed to do.
Ex-senator DOrsey's Case.
The question of how far q lawyer IS al
lowed 10 throw his own personality INTO
thedefense of his client is brought up IN IN 'ue
Star Route trial. where Bob lngersoll, IN
UpeninE the case for ex-senator Dorsey,
undertook to youch personally, as Wen IS SS
professionally, for the honesty OF ms r;,h tL
ent, and was stopped by the court. Ili,.o. 49,
erto II has been supposed that lawyer
conld saw what be pleased in behalf oil the
man he was defending, and only De suo-
ieCt 10 the discounts attaching 10 mis- PoS5-
tion. IN he chose to say he knew detehu-
ant who WAS indicted for stealing chlckehs
Ess as nure as icicles which hang from
beams temple, the Judge let 1t go ana tne
rurv made up their minds concerning, the
party when the heard the evidence. JuuSS
Wylie's decision, however, VIII Ghanse -.
this IL his ruling is followed, anu !am'ott %
hereafter IL he wants TO say anytnlhS VI
thst hind in behalf OF his client, Will nave
to 90 ON the stand ike any other witness;
win the exception Of this incident ana
the temporary interest which IngeTSoii
sDcscb ronsed the Star route trials, ootn
-efoTe INDIE wylie and Judge Smell, nave
jragved on monotonously all week Inc
hearing before the latter, which lnN0iISS i4
the investigation Of the conduct Oh DN S.
son, the celebrated juryman IN the iof' of NJ,
trial. bids fair to last as long rs tnSt oI Wy I
main defendants, which has no" osen SN
sourned until Tuesday.
West virginia Matters
1 telsgraphed you last night that the ag
pretended difficulty between Col. bsnJ;
Wilson and Attorney General watts ha9 15
been adjusted without resort TO the nelu u
OF arms by the prompt interference Oh
mutual friends. ltappears that on tne oc
casion of the recent visit OF the Attoraey-
General, Congressman wilson, s
him casually i'm the lobby OF the National
Hotel made some reference to the slender
figure of the law officer OF the Common,
wealth. intimating that fatter man would
better grace the Executive Department Oh
= growing State. and putting himself gen
sislly in The attitude Of the Roman VINO ae-
nounced CassiuS for having lean ano
hungry looked and expressed preferences
for having individuals Of larger ayoirdu'
pois and who slept o. nights around him.
On, these remarks of Col. Wilson's an
issue Wss promptly made up. The Az
toTney General reminded him that on the
occasion OF a meeting several years SINCE
the Congressional representatio hsd ln'
duIsed in similar reflections and at later
peIiod had duplicated his observations