National Republican., 1883-01-16
ON THE AVENUE.


Senator Ingalls, is imbued with the belief
that his bill for the creation Of commission
to investigate tho subject of railway trans
portation will become law this session. His
bill contemplates the establishment of this
board as soon as practicable that il may work
through the vacation and compile statistics
and facts for the use Of congress at its next
session. ." The question of Interstate COM
mcrce," says the senator, is the most inn
portant economic question that can &C.
cupy the attention of congress, and
there is u pressing demand for leg
islation on the subject. The people west
of the Allcghanics are vitality concerned in
the question of railway transportation in Its
relation to the agricultural commercial, and
industrial interests of the country. The sub
iect is too large for congress to grapple with
intcligently without more official informa-
tion concerning rates, determinations, facili-
ties for traffic, and other matters re-
lating TO the railway business than
il now possesses; and / know of no
better way of acquiring tho desired knowl-
edge than by appointing board with specific
instructions to so and get it and report the nc.
suit of It's inquiries to congress upon its as
semblng next winter. / do not think there
will he serious opposition to the bill. II can
be incorporated in one of the appropriation
bills, however, and be brought before congress
this session, if fight should be made on it
from any quarter"
sae
How are you getting OH with your bills?"
asked the avenue man, addressing his re-
marks to q gentleman who is actively in
tercstcd in the distillcrs' relief bill and the
proposed reduction of the whisky tax. "Wc
arc not getting on at all, and do not believe
this congress will do anything for us. In
! fact we have pretty much lost faith in con-
gress as IL is now constituted 1t is composed
| largely of statesmen who cannot get it through
/ their heads that tax Of $i00,000,000 a year
is an oppression and q steal, and that
] il is tax upon the productive
/ interests of the country, whether it
! is collected from whisky or from any other
source. II amounts to a confiscation of the
entire wheat crop of the country, and the bur
den would be no greater If the revenue were
raised by direct confscation OF products Of
| labor. 1t amounts to precisely that in the
end. Tho productive interests pay the whole
tax anyway, and they will continue to do so.
| Tho people know something is expressing
them, but they cannot quite understand the
| philosophy of it. The people are in advance
of the lawmakers, however, and they will
learn before congress why it is thata few men
are enabled to amass colossal fortunes at the
expense of the masses. They will learn
wherein the injustice of indirect taxation
lies, and they will raise such a racket one of
these days that the gentlemen in congress
will fancy the capitol is tumbling upon
them"
The railway commissioner would have job
on hand which might keep him busy for ten
years should he undertake to do all that the
joint resolution, offered by Mr.. Dunn, of
Arkansas, yesterday, contemplates. The
resolution directs him to find out all about
the railways, what they cost, what they are
earning, what their stock is worth, whether
they are charging fair prices for transporta-
tion, and how their workings affect foreign
commerce, with power to summon persons
and papers, hire stenographers and travel
overall the roads. The resolution has reached
the commerce committee, where there is prob
ably room enough for it TO stay long time.
/
report on, to say nothing about the difficulty
of changes in rates as the time wore on,
~
Col. w. G.. Thompson, member from Iowa,
author of the report recently adopted by the
house committee ON election, declaring the
election held in the second Mississippi dis.
trict void because of democratic fraud and
violence, has received telegram from John
S. Burton chairman of the campaign com.
mittoc, dated Holly Springs, which reads
All honor TO the members of the elections
committee who have vindicated the republi.
cans of the second congressional district Of
Mississippi against the wrong so long put
upon them. Let us hope that full justice
may be done, and that we may'yet be repre-
sented by our lawfully elected member,
90
Senator Jones, of Nevada, who is pushing
the Holiday claim in the senate, is conf
dent of the passage of the bill in its present
form, although n determined effort will be
= made to cut it down. It's fate in the house i,
I by no means assured, and the friends Of tho
persistent Pacific sloper look grave when they
turn their faces in that direction. However
; there is no telling what six weeks may pro
duce.
= 90
S al am opposed to the Garland bill for Tho
: forfeiture of railway grants" said q member
of the senate judiciary committee yesterday
, "and if it is true, as stated, that the bill re
c wives 95,000,0O0 acres of land grants, IL should
be defeated by all means. Any attempt tt
force this bill through will of itself be sufli
c cient TO arouse suspicion. 1t is a measur,
y which should not be acted upon hastily"
g SO
1t is said that Senator Plumb win be givcl
= the chairmanship of the committee on rail
= ways next session Of congress.
4 Spanish Marriage.
" j. Herald
From the election of Pope Joan to tn
- claims against the estate of Cardinal Antonell
n there have been many delicate cases bofor