The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-12-15
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspor dent.l

likely to be given to legislation by
the Democratic House constitute the
chief subjects'of speculation and dis
cussion here just now. Whether we
shall have tariff issue in the cam
paign next year depends somewhat
upon circumstances, but it is certain
that the Democrats will avoid it if
they can. AS to the shaping of legis-
lation on that subject, much depends
upon the make up of the Ways and
Means Committee. 1t has generally
been conceded that VIM. r. Mo-ri-
sen, of Illinois. would be the chair
man of that commiite, because he is
pre-eminently the leader ofthe tariff.
reform section of the party and be-
cause he held that position under Mr..
Kerr's administration as Speaker of
the Forty-fourth Congress. But there
is some talk that it would be good
policy to give this committee to Mr..
Hewitt. of New York, an iron man.
ufacturer and man of large business
interests and experience. 1t is not
improbable that the consideration of
policy will prevail if Mr.. Morrison
is satisfied to take some other posi-
ton.
While the Democratic House is en-
gagged in scramble ard division by
lot Of the spoils of Office, the ReDub.
lican Senate has postponed all action
looking to a change of employees. 1t
is understood that Judge EdmuDds
desires to resign the Presidency of
that BODY and that Senator Anthony
is likely in that case to succeed him,
provided he is sufficiently restored
to health. With the present Congress
Mr.. Anthony enters upon his fifth
term as Senator, and if he survives
to the end it will make a period of
thirty years continuous service. But
one similar case exists in the history
of the Senate-that of Thomas Ben
ton. Mr.. Anthony is now very APP
propriately called the Father of the
Senate, while Judge Kelley occupies
that responsible relation to the
House.
Senator Ednunds has promptly
brought forward his supplementary
measure for the suppression of poly.
gamy in the Territories. One great
difficulty heretofore encountered in
prosecutions for polygamy in Utah
has been the lack of authenticated
evidence of marriage and the impos-
sibility of getting the testimony OF
wives against their husbands. The
new bill provides, under adequate
penalties, that full certificates shall
be filed and recorded in court with
probate powers Of every marriage
that takes place in any Territory, and
make both husband and wife eompe-
tent witnesses, and may be conDell-
ed to testify in any ease where vio-
lation of the laws relating to bigamy,
or unlayful Capitalization is charged
Another difficulty in dealing with
the peculiar Institution of Utah has
been the right accorded to women tC
vote ut all elections in the Territory
Mr.. Edmund's bill takes away thai
right. 1t goes further, and abolishes
all elective officers in the Territory
and provides for the exercise of theil
functions by commission until sucf
time as the Legislative Assembly
shall make new PROVISIONS conform
ed to the requirements of Congress
This last feature Of the bill is tn,
most likely to excite opposition.
The report of Public Printer Rounds
appears in pampblel form, gotten uI
in the best style of the art preserva
tive. Mr.. Rounds takes some new
departures in the way of recommen
dations, not the least important o
which is contained in the suggestion
that the expense of publishing TIT
Congressional Record would be ma
teriaily decreased if the practice 0
printing speeches which were never
delivered before Congress could bt
abolished. This practice has grown t.
such enormous proportions in the las
four years that the Record has come
to take rank with that endless list o
public documents that are printed
only to be thrown aside as vast,
paper. If it is the height of a Mem
ber's ambition to see his speeches il
print, he should shoulder the expens,
of printing them himself, and not tax,
this clandestine way of pIunderin,
the Treasury, to say nothing of tn,
imposition practiced upon the public
Mr.. Rounds succeeds in establishing
the fact that his administration of thu
Government printing establishment
has been admirable; that it employ,
more than 1000 hands; that it is thu
UNa -