South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-02-01
Letter from washington.
From Or asaalas cerrsspe.de.s.



Washington. d. O.. Jan. %.
The Ainerican hog is occapying q
good deal Of attention in Congress re-
Gently. This does not refer 10 Van
derbilt or his species, US some suppose,
bet 20 product more valuable to the
human Race. The action OF the
French aud German governm, nts in
excluding our pork from their mark
CITE, 10 tue subject to which our states
men are devoting themselves. 81 ust
what remedy We have for this dis
elimination against our meat exports,
has not yet been made clear. Seua-
tor L gan strongly advocates retalia-
tory measures by placing certain re-
strictions upon the trade of these
countries With us, but other Senators
oppose such course OF the ground
Of it's uselessness aud inexpediency.
The debate on this subject Is not es.
pecially interesting but the talk of
Senators Beck, Miller and others as
against the proposition Of Gen. Logan
shows that tue value of reasoning
power is still understood by some of
our Senators. 1t is a pity that Mr..
Logan has been denied this useful
gift.
One of the greatest wrongs Of the
car petbag era was the charterlng the
Freednian's Bank, in 1865, for the
use OF persons heretofore held in la.
very, and their descendants. 1t was
ostensibly savings bank, the depos-
It's OF which were guaranteed by the
United States Government. The ORR
ginal trustees, who were mostly pro.
minent abolitionists, gradually made
way tor u set OF financial sharpers.
They unlawfully established thirty
branches in various parts of tho South,
aud received large sum in deposits
from the poor, ignorant freedmen.
Having baggcd a large amount of
money, the trustees became tired Of
investing it in Government securities,
and had their charter 80 amended in
1870 as to permit their holding, i'm.
proving and receiving mortgages on
real estate in this District. Then came
some wonderful investments. The
money was loaned to officers of tie
bank and their friends, OF the carpet
bag, irresponsible stripe, ard the pa
per Of the Seneca Stone Company
kite flying concern, the Capital
Publishing Company conductors OF
the ring organ, some hotel furniture
and worthless securities, with IL lot of
personal notes not worth the paper
they were written OH, soon represent
ed all there was left OF the bank's ca
pital deposits and all. i his of course
Is all old story, bu, its results are not
yet passed. Congress has wound up
Its affairs In the most expensive man
ner, paying Mr.. Creswell, OF Mary
land, and other commissioners large
annual salaries, and there is naturally
IL great deficit. Hundreds OF the de.
positors haze never received anything.
and it will be no more than Just il
Congress should Fay every bona Tide
depositor, rs now asked TO do, the full
amount OF what he or she invested in
the savings bank. The officers of the
bauk managed to get hold OF some Of
MIR. Suu.nei = money, but his syspi.
cions we're aroused aud he secured
himself before the bank went to
smash.
Senator Va2 W. of Nebraska,
is perpetual thorn i'll the flesh OF his
Republican associates, IN that he Is
constantly offering resolutions OF in
Guiry luto matters where oIiicid
crookedness is suspected. lis last
call is upon the Attorney Generals
Office for information concerning Ger
tain unsavory transactions in connec-
ton with ;he Star Route trial hir.
Van Wyck's resolution brought some
OF the Republican Senators TO their
feet to ask why that gentleman wish
cd to attack the Attorney General.
1t makes the average Republican We
nv mad TO think that one Of their own
party should lead of in exposing Off
cial wrong-doing or deiibquencies. Is
it not bad enough, III ey say, to have
the wicked Democrats always nosing
around? Speaking of nosing, the
House Committee on Accounts is
turning MP more crookedness, it is
said. on the part Of an o flicial of that
body in the last Congress, and when
the facts are all out it is intim ted
that the republicans will be sorry they
had the responsibility for the last
Congress. Keifer and all that came
in lis train was n big load.
The Hon. Il. T. Meriich, who is
delivering course of lectures OH the
Constitution before the Georgetown
College Jaw school, spoke last night
before large gathering OF the Stu
dents on the powers conferred by the
Constitution upon Congress TO tax the
people. UnGcr the Constitution, ne
maintained, the people can only be
taxed 'to pay the debts aud provide
for the common defcuse and general
Welfare of the United States The