Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-03-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
rTro~ ovr R.qslar Csrr.so.s..i.l

wAsHIxSToE, d. O., Feb. 18th, 1850.
Since it becama evident some time age
that the house neither could or would
pass a tariff bill all eyes have been turned
upon the senate. IL was felt that nc
change in the tariff was likely TO take
place at the present session unless through
the action OF that body. Two weeks
since the senate took up the bill which II
had been debating for months in the com.
mittee Of the whole, and it was an.
nounced that rapid work would be made
with it. The discussion in COMMITTEES
had been very thorough, and in many
respects a more liberal bill had been 90
cured than was reported by the finance
committee. There was a general i'm.
preston that the senate, yielding C
the pronounced and extensive public
demand, was willing to make at least a
commencement of substantial reform in
the fiscal system which now weighs &c
heavily on TIE industries and commerce.
of the country. But when the bill came
ouS of the committee OF the whole it was
taken in hand by another committee, not
known to the constitution or the laws, NOT
appointed by the senate, not responsible
to the people, and yet more influential
than the peoples representatives, more
powerful, for the time being, than the
people. themselves. This COMMITTEES
consisted Of the lobby of the favored
manufacturers. and particularly Of the
iron and steel interests. They were not
satisfied with the bill. They gave orders
that it should not be passed unless il
could be changed to suit them. Under
their direction senators from various
parts Of the union resisted the bill, and
proposed its modification, and two weeks
have been consumed in satisfying the
representatives of private interests, while
the body of the people have waited, i'm
patient at the delay, which threatened
the continuance of their burdens for an.
other year. Finally the bill has passed.
what there is left of it, and we are still
at sea concerning what the house will do
withit.
There is every likelihood that the new
senate will have a session Immediately
after the adjournment of the present
Congress. What beautiful array
of senators the west now produces. Bow
en-, for example. and Tabor. and Miller
and Senator elect Sabin and a few others.
1t has been suggested for some time that
senatorial honors could not alight 90 per-
sistently on the heads of millionaires
without few taps from the barrel, but
Senator.elect Sabin will take his seat un-
der the firm conviction in the minds Of
his seventy-seven brother senator's that
he got there by sell out to Mr.. Mark II.
Dunnell. Mr.. Dunnsll is afflicted with a
vaulting ambition that habitually DER
leaps itself; he wanted to be speaker-an
office for which he possess but one single
qualification, and that is voice like
fog horn when he is excited. and q way
of Tapping his arms against his sides like
preparing for long, loud and
voluminous crow. Now, Mr.. Dunnell
longed with an intensed longing for Mr..
WINDOWS shoes, and, more than all. he
didn't want to see Mr.. Window back in
the senate, SO he looked around and saw
that he could probably strike bargain
with Mr.. Sabin. Before the election
came off Mr.. Windows friends in Wash
ington got panicky and wanted him togo
to Minnesota himself, but he counted on
Mr.. Spain. 1t is very well known that a
good deal of money was used in the fight
against Mr.. Windon out there, and sv-
rybody knows that Mr.. Dunnell didn't
have any money to use-nevertheless, the
thing for Mr.. Sabin was decided by ten
or twelve of the strongest Dunnell men
going over in body. So people put two
and two together and saw through the
artless Dunnell and the transparent Sa-
bin. Now, is not that nice way to come
before the United States senator One thing
s certain. Palace building by senators and
cabinet officers is at an end in Washing
on. It has not been scorched, but killed
outright and buried, and the gravestons
marked with the names of Blame, Robe
ION and Window, with room for Don
Jameron's to come. Senator Miller, the
California millionaire, lives in fine
house which he does not own and with
'uch memento moral before him - Mr..
WINDOWS house, and such Wiggins-
ike disappointment as Mr.. Blaine's house
behind him, he will hardly be beguiled
INTO the fascinating pastims of palace
building.
Another young men has turned up
with a scheme for receiving and record
ng the votes OF Congress by the aid Of
electricity. His name is Enos, and he
zones from Peabody, Mass. I wonder
low many inventors have tried their
1ands at solving this interesting problem?
This last invention is quite perfect in its
heory, and If senators and members
we're so anxious to dispatch public busi-
less, as to wish to abandon the roll call
md vote instantaneously and all togeth-
n, Mr.. Enos might get a chance to intro
luce his mechanism. Every roll call now
occupies about one hour, and to abtain
requent calls is one Of the favorite
Methods of fillibustering. II members
ecorded their votes simultaneously by
Electricity the roll call would not occu-
" more than three minutes. But the
rouble is that more than half the mena-
'ers and good many of the senators
lever would hear the sound of their own
oice during the proceedings at all il
here were no roll calls. A moiety Of
hem still have an almost irresistible de.
ire to blow out the gas every night be-
ore going to bed. don't think the lit
le button business will be introduced
nto legislation for long while yet.
PHoNo.