South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-01-20
Letter from Washington.
Iron our Eszsiar csrt.spoaaen..l
WAsuINaroY. d. C.. Jan Il

Inc indications 1T the present time
are that tho most impoI tant result o!
Speaker Kiefer's outrageous concoc-
ton OF the Committees will be a
change in the system OF their selec.
ton. Ii is not Improbable, from the
present temper al the House, that Mir.
keiter is the last Speaker who will
have the exercise Of SO much power.
or the opportunity to abuse It, and
that Ia future the Com mittxes will be
made i'll much tie same manner they
are IN the Senate. IL IL even limited
that tue Committee for this Congress
may Yet be reorganized but this |
think unlikely, though there is so
much feeling on both sides of the
douse that tue movement could be
carried If properly inaugurated. DIR.
Ortb, who gave the Speaker such a
cutting rebuka in open session, is not
the only Republican VINO feels out
ragged or who recognizes the motives
and the moving spirit of the whole
schsme. Mr. Waite, OF Connecticut.
is another old and prominent Repuo-
llcan Member who has taken decided
exceptions 10 the course OF The speak
er and written letter declining To
serve under the circumstance. There
are cnrees load aud deep all along the
line. The arrangement OF Commit,
tees Is matter entirely within COLI
troll OF the House, and il is only by
usage and courtesy that the Speaker
has been heretofore given thAt al.
thoTity. Whenever majority of the
Members SO determine, il ia in the
province Of the House TO undo his
work and take the matter into tl:eir
OWE hGuds. If such action were To DO
taken now Mr. kiefer could not COM
plain. He has abused his privilege
to such an unwarrantabls and uupre-
cedcntsd extent that the grievance is
! not slight one. 1t riseS because of
ITS grossneSs above Ill mere personal
considerations, and no fair person
would regret to see the wings Of its
perpetrators ingloriously clipped.
The Mormon question thrusts Itself
upon Congress IN very positive man
ner, asd like Bauquo's ghost it viii
not down. Doubtless majority are
against lie il f.nCus institution OF
po!ygamy and willing 20 see its poll
teal power destroyed, yet somehow
there ia disposition 10 hsudle The
subject rather gingerly shall not
tie surprised ii the present agitation
ends Ill smoke and inaction, rs all
previous attempts have dore. Il
takes something like an earthquake
to inspire Congress to do liz duty in
dealing With any great evil which
pcssesses power and iniiuencs. The
plan proposed by Delegate Mnginnis,
OF Montana, appear. 10 be tie least
violent AID effective Of ANY suggest ed
80 far. lIis proposition is 70 let Con.
gress divide the Territory OF Utah.
incorporating tie western part With
the State Of Nevada, the southeastern
part with the State Of Colorado, ard
the small northern part with Idaho
| and Wyoming. Congress has album.
dant power 10 DO this, aud II is evident
that when it Ia DOVE the Mormon
power will be broken. A part of the
Mormon population will be then citi-
| zcns of Nevada, and will be there on.
" minority Of tie whole State. and
part will become citizens Of Colorado
in minority there. The small re-.
nainder will form part of Wyoming
or Idaho. The main portion of the
Mormon population would thus be-
come citizens Of States which have
already established constitutions and
laws, to which the Mormous would
be amenable. Ii is held that such "a
division OF Utah and distribution OF
lie parts would not only be perfectly
legal and proper, but would have the
advantage that the new boundaries
would be natural instead Of artificial.
The Watch Range, which now runs
through the centre of Utah, would
then form the boundary line between
the States Of Colorado and Nevada.
Is there any reason why Utah should
not thus be biotted out of the map?
II John Sherman las not been cor
nerod this time people would like to
know what II is that makes him squirm
so. Ever since the investigation into
the contingent fund expenditures OF
the Treasury Department was institu.
tod john has been wriggljuR and twist
ing, aud the inquiry las been cmbar-
raised st every turn by obstacles IN
terposed in his interest. His first
step, it will be Remembered, was to
secure suppression Of the evidence
accompanying the report Of Secretary
WINDOWS little committee OF clerks
last summer Enough Of that evil
dence has leaked out, however, IN one
way or another, Co show that the late
Secretary & Presidential a-piraut had
good reason for wishing 90 keep it
dark The Senate Committee con-
ducting this INVESTIGATION sta with