The Dawson journal., 1883-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.


ress has been made in the session'sI
work. In the carly Part of the week
Congress summoned energy and lis
tened to the reading of long. meth
odical message, but, withal, sensi-
bic, creditable state paper. The bur-|
den OF The message was that we are|
at peace with all the world and
among ourselves; that no pressing
changes are demanded in oroanic|
law that the country is prosperous,
well governed and happy. Such al
report may not satisfy lovers of ex-
cltement, but if the message is un-
demonstrativs we may recall the
famous apothegm that that nation is
happy whose annals are common
| place.
The House had lots of fun over
the lottery for seats, which gave re.
lief to the overworked Legislative
minds, and amused ths galleries.
1he scheme of the drawing was that
marbles corresponding in number to
the number of Representatives were
put into box and drawn thercfrom
one by one by q blindfolded page.
The desks formerly occupied by
Messrs. Kelley, of Pennsylvania,
and Robinson, Of New York, were
adorned with hats, in hopes that
their plior rights would be respected.
81 was the first number drawn. and
as the name Duncan was called the
fortunate member from Pennsylva-
MA turned to 0Ir. Randall and asked
hlm which seat he preferred Mr..
Duncan then took that seat to secure
it for his colleague, and when Mr.
RandalIs number was drawn he sur
rendered it to him and selected an
other seat for himself. This same
courtesy was extended Mr.. Randall
| by Gen. Joe Wheeler,at the beginI
ming of the Fory-seventh Congress.
Mr.. Cox was among the lucky ones.
lie secured second choice, and was
greeted with applause as he selected
Il seat in the third low in front of
the speakers desk. The red-headed
party from the Lone Star State was
also lucky selected seat on the Re
publican Side Of the main aisle. ATr.
kelley's hat was respected. but not
so Dir. Robinson's, and he was conz
PEELED to seek aresting place in the
last row of seats, but he had for
companions in misery Mr.. Springer,
of !llinois, and Mr.. Keifer, of Ohio.
There is no dearth of new bills,
however. They are being literally
dumped upon the Clerks desk by
conscience-stricken members. And
it is the same wayover in the Senate.
Senator Edmunds alone has outlined
a whole national platform in the bills
he has introduced. No less than
seven amendments to the Constitu-
ton have already been proposed in
the Senate, covering.the protection
of citizen in his political rights, the
broadening Of the suffrage to for
eign born citizens and to women,
the regulation Of the liquor traffic,
and the extension Of the veto power
to the items Of appropriation bills
the printing oflthis tidal wave OF
measures makes a feal ful raid on the
Government Printing Office, and
swells the Congressional Record
to remarkable proportions. Over
400 bills have been introduced in
two days Of this session. In the
Forty-seventh Congress nearly eley-
ell thousand Of these bills and reso
lutions were introduced, ali of which
except a few hundred, perished
History will no doubt repeat itself
in the new Congress. For a long
series of years the total number Of
bills has steadily risen, while the ra
ito of bills has declined.
One of the features of the weeE
was Senator Morrell's able speech Oh
the coinage of the country. lie ad
yocated the stoppage of silver coin.
age, and made fun of the beautiful
works of art we carry around in oul
pockets. He said the United States
ought to have as artistic coins as
any other country, and intimated
that the present coins, from an ar.
tistic point of view, were not worth
working for or placing in a brio a
brac cabinet.
1t is matter of common remark
that there are more young men in. Con,
gress than ever before. In the'HousC
there are fifty members under forty
wears of ape. The younuest member