The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-01-27
[FRoM OUR REGULAR CoRREsPoNDENT. !
WASHINGTON Jan. %. 1883.

FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
WASHINGTON Jan. %. 1883.
The work of legislation or trying to
legislate is pursued with commendable
diligence III both wings OF the Capitol,
though the Senate still deserves the
palm. Considerable dissatisfaction was
for time expressed with the bill lately
passed by that body relative to the line
of succession to the duties of the Presi-
Dental office in case of death, disability
or removal. There existed prejudice
in favor of the old law which made the
President of the Senate and next the
Speaker of the House follow after the
Vice-President. but on further consider
alton the new plan making the Secretary
of State follow the Vice-President ard d
after him the other members of the Cabi-
net, is received with more favor 1t
takes the matter more out of the general
scramble and uncertainty of politics.
Besides there is always q possibility of
there being neither presiding officer of
the Senate nor Speaker of the House,
and the chances are about even as to
such official being or not being in politi-
cal harmony with the party that elected
the President; whereas the Secretary of
State and the other members of the Cabi-
ner would be most likely to be identified
with and inclined to carry out the policy
OF the Administration which they thus
succeeded to. In one respect, however,
the new law is defective. 1t fails to de-
fine what shall constitute "inability." It
will be remembered that this question
painfully and forcibly presented itself
during the illness of President Garfield,
when large element in the Republican
party held that Vice. President Arthur
should at once assume the reins of gov
ernment.
There is said to lie q set of men in
Washingt ton-second-c newspaper
correspc ndents, women clerks in the de-
partments, and so on-who make n regu-
lar business Of supplying members of
Congress with written speeches. If that
be true they certainly turn ont some VI :
commonly poor work. Two-thirls of
the set speeches in Congress would be
wortA about so cents a column in typc.
The short, sharp, snappy debates are
good enough, but when some of these
old long-winded and hair-splitting irdi.
viduals begin to argue the difference be-
tween tweedledum and tweedledee 1t is
immensely trying. They always become
so interested in their own oratory that
they thunder away as If they were trying
to wake the dead, so that even the acting
F!ce-President can only get an occasion.
al cat-nap, II seems to be the invariahll
rule in Congress that the less man ha,
to say the louder be saysi; and the more
be prances around and kicks up toe Gus'
generally. Uncle Rufas Hatch llics bacl
and forth between New York and Wash
ington with some occult idea in III,
brain, and several other gentlemen Lay,
likewise yibrated like Mahomet's ccllr
between Manhattan Island aud tie p
tomac marsh lands, There is uucl
mysterious talk going on about the Vel
! lowstone Park, and that frigliful bogi,
known us Giant Monopoly is said to b,
hovcring-if giants cap Lover-arounc
Uncle Rufus and tie gentlemen whom
he buttonholes in the dim corridors o
the Capitol.
Congress has been as interesting n
usual during the past week, and map,
persons have attended tie sessions of tn
q Senate to watch Judge Edmunds pokiu,
holes in the Presidential Succession bill
For once, too, the public almost felt sor
g ry for Mr.. Hoar when he made his un
, fortunate allusion the other day to Sen
r. ator .Edlnuuds' prolonged absences frou
S the Senate Chamber. It's grossness wa
/ acknowledged, but Senator Edmund,
. emotion Was partly due TO the iinplie
+, accusation that he had neglected his Gu
= ties, Senator Edmunds does not assoc
j. ate very much with his brother Senator
: from New England. As long as Jndg
= Thurman was in the Senate he and n
= Vermont Senator were as inseparable d
r Senators Burnside and Anthony. VIII
l. though twain were of one flesh. Do
e Cameron and Senator Butler. of sout
It Carolina, are another pair Of chumi
o Some psople in Washington Vish III,