Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-02-22
AT TIE HUB OF GOVERNMENT.
Not Very Hopeful Outlook for the Passage Of q
Revenue Bill.

Not Very Hopeful Outlook for the Passage Of
Revenue Bill.
WASHINGTON, ID. G. Feb. 16.-The
hopeful outlook for tariff legislation
which was thought TO exist a week ago
has given place to doubt if not COM
plete encouragement But few leg
islative days remain of the present ses-
sion, and there is little prospect that
any bin on the subject will be agreed
upon. From mere party standpoint
the wisest Republicans are beginning to
see that the failure of the present bill
viii result in advantageous at least TO
the disadvantage of the democrats
1t Is believed by some that the only
thing necessary to completely demon
alize and disorganize the bourbons and
destroy all their hopes of future success
is to call an extra session of the new
congress and set them at work tinker
ing the tariff. Certain it is that there
Is no unanimity among them on the
question and that they are torn and
hopelessly demoralized by complicat-
ing purposes and interests. One cause
of the bad figure cut by them in the
pending contest is the apathy of those
| democratic members who have not
been reelected. 1t was proposed sew
eral days ago that the course of the
party IN the tariff debate should be de-
termined by conference, in order that
there might be concerted and intelligent
action, but the conflicting interests of
candidates for the office of speaker, and
the lack of interest on the part of mem
bers not reelected, are said to have
prevented the holding of such meet
ing. The Republicans in the house,
who have thus far been under effective
discipline, have greatly enjoyed the de-
moralization of their opponents, and
some Of them have been by no means
dissatisfied with the delay caused by
democratic action. Very prominent
republicans express the opinion in pri-
vate conversation that failure to re-
wise the tariff be political adyan-
tage to the Republican party.
The resolution of inquiry into the
practices of certain pension and claim
agents is one of the most thoroughly
commendable moves that has been made
this session, and is ofgreatel Importance
than may generally be supposed. There
pension attorneys who have made enor-
nous fortunes by swindling ex-soldiers
over the country Upon one pretext or
| another they have extorted hundreds of
| thousands of dollars for which no re-
turn, in service, or in other way, has
ever been made, and in many eases
large sums for bounty, etc., have been
collected and the lions share retained.
Some of the largest and best advertised
firms in this line are the worst Said
an old lawyer to your correspondent
yesterday: 1.-The town is full of sharp
ers, who prey off of the people who have
claims of some description against the
government, and | would like to see
Congress open fire all along the line.n
The practices of certain claim agents
are bad enough, but there are other
promising fields for investigation. For
instance, inquiry might be instituted in
the interests of poor inventors who have
long claimed that many of the patent
lawyers of Washington are the paid at
torneys of corporations and big sharps,
who employ them harrass inventors
who apply for patents that might clash
with their interests. These lawyers, it
is claimed, keep their most profitable
patrons posted, and whenever an I'M
lucky inventor puts his case in their
hands they prepare to Systematically
wear him out by delays until, in sheer
desperation, he abandons his case, or
sells for song what may be worth a
fortune if he had fallen into honest
hands. 1t is an easy thing for a shrewd
lawyer who knows the ropes TO hold an
application for a patent in hook for a
year or two, especially if he is in pos
session of inside facts" Nobody ques-
tons the honesty and efficiency of the
patent office. The abuses complained
Of are on the outside. Its undoubtedly
true that there are honest and dishonest
attorneys in bo.h the branches of prac-
tice. and people throughout the country
should know to whom they entrust their
business.