South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-03-14
Letter from Washington.
From Oar Regular Csvrssposdsnx.


Washington, D. c., March 10.
The tariff question remains upper.
mostin the congressional arena though
Just what will be done about II is as
much in doubt as ever From, the
best information l can gather, after
sounding two Thirds of The menu
bers of both parties, I think the Nor
rison bill will finally pass the House,
though there are several Democrats
who will vote against IL. Some Of
those who are inclined to oppose tariff
reduction will vote for this bill. be.
cause it really only does what the
Commission said last year ought to be
done Why the Commission recon-
mer ded certain reductions and then
framed bill which failed TO reduce,
is not generally understood, but that
such was the rcsult is shown by the
figures furnished the WAYS and
Means Committee by the Bureau of
Statistics. Six principal classes OF
goods were reported on, and of these
four showed an actual advance in the
average rate Of duty paid for the first
six months of the operation of the sre-
duced' tariff. They were glass aud
glassware. 0 90 per cent; WOODEN
goods, 2 10 per cent; cotton goods,
2 z per cent, aud earthcn, stone and
pottery war, 4 SO per cent. On each
OF these there was also falling of o.
imports amounting in the aggregate
to 81 ,37I ,49l. AS to these at least.
the plea that the Tariff bill of last ses-
sion has contributed to tue d preston
CT trade is contrary TO the facts. On
two classes OF goods there was de.
crease in the average duty. One was
sugars, on which the duty was cut
down 2 n per cent, and the imports
increased by s2,367 $50. Tie other
was iron aud steel, on which the av-
erage duty was lcssened 2 II per cert,
while the imports vere reduced By
S6,s04,T09. The latter class is one OF
the most highly and mos. unwisely
protected or all our manufactures.
Since the trifliug reduction was ac.
companied by heavy falling OF in
imports, the claim that the busin. ,s
has suffered by the change is INT. ma
bic. - sas
The subject providing proper ac-
commodations Tor lie Congressional
Library Is being agitated good deal
OF late, as ii has been IN the past, but
the chance OF getting anything done
still remains elm. The great trouble
is lack of interest on the part of NJ en-
bers. The library hac no constituents
to please, and differs widely from a
creek which somebody desires to have
improved tor the navigation OF scows.
Members OF Congress take little inter
est IN books, and have no pride in
library so long as they can get some
body TO coach them on statistics and
historical facts tor their speeches. -
What Is called the Library Oh Coz.
gress ought in reality TO be consider
ed great National institution In
which the Literature OF the country
and or the world is TO be garncred az
a precious legacy to all generations.
1t is shame that Indifference and
lack Of National pride should leave it
so long without an edifice worthy OF
the Nation and It's Capital.
1t is Interesting for one who don't
care picayune which side comes out
ahead TO watch the political chess
playing between Arthur and Logan,
The latter has always been successiul
in the use OF patronage for Lis ends.
but the President being now his com
petItor has much the advantage i'm
that respect. Whenever q Logan.
man Is found IN Office he is pretty en-
orally gotten rid of, if there is any
way to do IL; and on the Other hard
If Logan man can he won over to the
Administration bv giving him an OF
flee, x is done. This anxiety to secure
supporters has caused the President
TO go square back on the position Ia
ken bY hinr last fall, on his return
from bis western trip. lie then said
that 1t was wrong 10 send non-resi.
dents or carpet-baggers 10 govern the
Territories, but of the Territorial ap-
polntmeDts just sent to the Senate, w.
r. Fitzgerald, 10 be Associate JUS
tice OF the Supreme Court of Atizo-
IA, IS a Mississippian; William NJ.
Bum, nominated to be Governor OF
Idaho, is from Pennsylvania, aud
John T.. Perry, to be chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of Wyoming, is
from New York. Fitzgerald was
Logan man, and the object was to get
him away from tie South, where Ar
thur is trying hard to get all the dele.
gates. General Graut has lately de-
clared for Logan. bat unfortunately
the ex-Presidents influence, here in
Washington, at least, is pretty nearly
gone.
That regular annual Congressional
side show, the Woman suffrage Con
ycnilon, commenced its session here