The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-01-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular Correspondent
l.

Recently, between eighty and II
hundred bills were introduced in Con.
gress In one day. To learn Of the
ridiculous subjects on which some of
these bills touched would edify and
astonish the constituents Of the Con.
gressmen who chaperOned the bills !;
but it would he equally apparent to
all that their Representatives in Con-
gress were learning and progressing
remarkably in the ways and wiles of
legislation. Most of these bills were
introduced to produce beneficial eff
feet In behalf of the intrOducer.
while others were presented to salts.
fly the pet scheme of some prominent
constituents. Happy, however. to
relate, few can pass the branch of the
National Legislature into which they
were introduced, while still less
number can become laws.
Now that the session is past its
prime, congressional prOgnOsticators
are busy prophesying the fate of pend.
ing legislation. The tariff bill was
under consideration in the committee
for thirty eight days. and weeks
discussion has brought Congress no
nearer u settlement, and from present
indications and current opinion about
all that can he expected Is that, after
parading the tariff in all its bearings,
and fully discussing each item from
guano to pocket knives, the revising
experts will suddenly drop to a tariff
bill which will revise sugar and steel
and put it through with an excellent
amended law for the administration
of the tariff. That would be worth
the eff ort, and will probably he done,
but to say the least 1t is reasonable to
doubt the passage of bill which
will revise up apd down the entire
import list.
The bills that must have attention
before the month is passed are such
that cannot he hurried. The Navy
Appropriation bill with its cutting
down of titles and sweeping away Of
long established privileges has excit.
ed Naval officers to the highest pitch,
and brought down upon influential
Congressman powerful naval lobby
reinforced by society in both sexes.
This bill will keep Congress busy for
at least a week.
The whisky bill will come in for its
share of discussion, for the supporters
of this measure will not allow 1t to be
forgotten. Their perseverance will
not, however, be rewarded in this
Congress-, although it may be in the
next. Then there Is the report Of the
Mississippi river special committee,
against which a determined opposi-
ton has set in to shut down on the
large annual appropriations for ex-
perimenting with narrow channels ;
but what this opposition will nc.
complish can only be settled by future
developments. Levees and other
entertainments do not seem to prevent
the disastrous effects of IN overflow,
as past floods have testified, and ii
money is appropriated it should he
spent to better purpose than it has
been spent in the past. This will he
the argument of the opposition when
the report comes before Congress.
With more than half of the regular
appropriation bills out of the way,
one would think there was time left
to do wonders in commendable legis.
lation, but there is not, and Congress.
men know this too well.
], Washington has been deluged fol
the past week with rain. snow, sleei
and slush. The usually clean looking
avenues are changed TO streams OF
writer, and the smooth asphalt side
walks made still smoother by sheets
Of ice, rendering Professionalism 81
perilous that the middle Of the streets
IL sought as the only place OF safety
for walking. There has been numer
, Gus accidents occasioned by sliI
upon the Icy sidewalks. Broken legs
arms and noses are frequent happen
. ings, and many ludicrous scenes oc
cur, stately, dlgnified ladies ant