Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-01-17
WASHINGTON.
TIE Work Of the Balance Of the Second
Session Of Congress.
Many CiiBched Antagosfsns TO be Recon-
eilcd Before the End.

d tatt fticft INV ohsts
| special orrcspondenee OF the Gazette.
Washington, January 13.--Congress
/ has now been Ia session thirty-five
/ DAYS, and has forty-three days, not
/ counting sundays, remaining. The APP
| propriation bills will consume
much Of the remaining time,
and the tariff and revenue bills
will not be passed without lengthy de-
bate. Before the end Of the next week
I the senate and house will have sepa-
revenue bills under consideration. IL
will require energy, tact, vigilance,
and, might say, genius and stoicism
to secure the passage of measure
reducing the revenue. Indeed IL is diff
fcult to see how so many "clinched
antagonisms" can be reconciled, but
congress realizes that the demand for
the reduction Of taxation 10 peremp-
tory, and taxes and the tariff will be
reduced in spite of the most formi-
dable protesting lobby that ever be-
seiged the capitol. The total reduc-
tions proposed in the bill reported
from the finance committee, and now
pending In the senate, amount to 49,
S39,S24, Of which $40, 100000 are TO
come from the tariff and $34 ,304
from internal taxation. All internal
taxes, save those upon tobacco, in
its several forms, spirits and
been, are abolished by the bill.
Mr.. Morrill,. who is one of the most
careful students of national finances
IN congress, thinks this is as far in the
say Of reductions as IL would be safe
to 20. He has some apprehensions of
another monetary crisis, and thinks
congress should pay heed to the storm
signals which have of late been fire.
guenIly visible in the financial hori-
zon. The surplus estimated by the
secretary of the treasury Is S74 ,837,
or about 1000 900 less than the pro-
posed reductions. a reduction of let
ter postage 10 two cents will cause
q falling off in the revenue
Of about SS,550,6l6 (estimated), and
the pension expenditures are increas-
ing TO such proportions as to make it
uncertain how much can be spared
from the government revenues. 1t 10,
perhaps, quite safe to predict that the
senate will 20 fully as far as the finance
committee recommend in the direc-
ton of reductions. In fact it is prob
able that that body will go beyond
the committee in this respect. The
bill is not satisfactory to those who adj
vocate liberal cutting down of tariff
duties, and they will make every eff
fort to amend it so as to embody
their ideas Of what tariff
bill should be. This element
seems to be stronger in the senate than
in the house, and hence the tariff re-
formers prefer to start tariff legislation
In the former body. The Republicans
feel that they must, as matter Of
party policy, meet the popular demand
for tariff legislation at this session, and
rather than have such legislation fail
10y reason Of the determined opposi-
ton Of the tariff reformers, they will
probably make concessions in the way
of reductions, which they would not
I assent 10 il they We're strong enough
| in congress 10 enact such "A law as they
I prefer.
Now that the civil service bill has
1 passed both houses of congress aud is
certain 10 receive the approval of the
! president, candid opinions are being
| expressed about 1t. The bill Is getting
more kicks than compliments. Re
publicnns regard the measure as one of
policy more than principle. In sup
porting 1t the Republicans were not
only oheying what was considered the
popular will, but they felt that at the
| same time they were making good
stroke for the party. In the event of
! Democratic success in 1854 the law
/ would serve to keep Republicans
/ In office. 1t cannot be eX-
pected that bill passed under these
conditions and circumstances would
he by any means perfect. 1t Is admit
ted on all hands that the bill is crude,
and many who gave 1t active support
excuse It's short c0mings by snyinp il
Is but start in the right direction;
that II merely bla2es the way for other
and succeeding congresses to follow
through trackless and untravelcd
forest. What the bill may accomplish
depends largely upon the president
He Is really invested with power
enough to make il a fair success or i
total failure.
For two days we have had tho phe
! nomenon of fine sleighing in Wash,
ington, and ii Is astonishing what .
large number of sleighs, many OF them
elegant structures, have appeared OF
the avenue. To-day there was q
sleighing carnival on the avenue
which, although very impromptu
affair, was quito successful in gro
tesque and comic effects. Three prizes
were offered To the three turnouts pre-,
scnting the most stri' ing tableaux,
Hundreds of sleighs appeared, each
filled with masked groups, and the
avenue was lined with as MANY a,
twenty thousand spectators.