The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-02-29
MANKATo FREE Press
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY, go 1884.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent

A spirit of inquiry and criticism pos
sessed the upper House OF Congress
this week. 1t began with debate on
the Senate patronage, in which the re-
cent removal of officers by the major
ity was attacked and defended, Sena-
tors Vest, Conger and Riddlebergcr
taking prominent parts. Then there
was sharp controversy in regard to
the use of money for political and par
tizan purposes, in which Senator'S Beck,
Hawley, VOORHEES,, Dawes and Harrison
figured conspicuously. Senator Beck
stated that men had been before Con-
gress seeking confirmation who had re-
tanned fifteen or twenty per cent. of the
salaries of Government employees I'M
der them in order to send men to polit-
ical conventions. Senator Hawley did
not doubt the existence of infamous
abuses in connection with political as
sesments, but thought no citizen of a
free country should be prohibited from
contributing voluntarily. The next at
tack was made upon the Cabinet. Sem
ators ingalls, and Butler criticised At
torney General Brewster and Postmas-
ter General Gresham for delay in the
execution of business in the depart
ments, and Mr.. Brewster was directed
to report in the matter.
The House of Representative first
listened to telegraphic appeals for re.
lief from the sufferers by tthe Ohio riv-
er floods, debated the question for a
day, and voted an appropriation of
three hundred thousand dollars for the
purpose lin which action thi Senate inn
mediately concurred. Thl. Naval APP
preparation bill then came up and Mr..
Calkins spoke lengthily on the subject,
taking the ground that the allowance
was altogether insufficient.
The proposition granting fifteen hum
bred dollars for the expenses of COM
mittee of five members to go to the
Arkansas Hot Springs and investigate
the work now being done on the Gov
eminent reservation there was recon-
sidered, and caused considerable de-
bate. 1t has been alleged that the
men who control the hotels have a
monopoly of the springs, and that the
waters set apart for free baths for the
INDECENT have been greatly mis-used.
The bill was amended SO that the COM
mittce will consist of three and the
amount to be expended be one thou
sand dollars. The House also devoted
day to the Chalmers Manning con-
tested election case, without reaching a
decision, and the Senate considered
the bill regulating the circulation OF
National banks. Both the Senate and
House committees have reported ma
nv bills for action during the week and
there has been no lack of new measures
in both Houses.
The Senate committee charged with
the investigation of the recent political
murders in Mississippi started south
Tuesday morning. Doubtless the usual
crowd of democratic witnesses will be
presented who will be prepared to
prove that good democrats labored I'M
der such fears of horrible negro in
surrcction, that they were forced to
cali upon the Governor of the State fol
arms with which to protect their
homes.
The democratic national committee
will find some queer complications
when they come to decide upon the
place for holding the national conven-
ton. The struggle is between st. Louis.
Chicago, Cincinnati. The Mcdonald
Morrison-C Carlisle wing want the con-
vention held in Chicago. Morrison
thinks that will insure him the second
place on the ticket, and Mcdonald is
willing he should have it. The "push'
er'ofthe House has discovered that the
people ofthis country are not moaning
to make him President, and he will
be satisfied with the second place and
chances are that Mcdonald will die be-
fore his term is out. The Payne party
desire that the convention should be
held in Cincinnati 80 that the Standard
Oil king should be upon his native
health, as it were. John r. Mclean
who is Payne's chief bugler, naturally
thinks that the city where his paper is
published would be the best III the
world in which to hold great political
convention. There are number OF
the members of the committee who are
known to favor St. Louis, but they will
meet with stormy and decided opposi'
ton from all the candidates, and for a
peculiar reason. These candidates
know there will be hot fight, and they
fear that if the convention is held in
the great hall of the chamber of com.
merce in st. Louis, where Tilden and
Hendricks were nominated in rs the
delegates finding that it is impossible
to reconcile the claims of really living
candidates will have a rush of senti-
| A.. laaI oDI ~ Ia