Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1884-03-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.

MARCH 22, 1884.
| On two days this week the Senate
put aside its regular order of .busi
ness and devoted the time to tina
perennial theme, the relief of Fit;
John Porter. So far as Congress 1.
concerned he has been almost re
lieved. The bill as passed by the
Senate has yet to go back to the
House for concurrence in an amend
ment, for which, no doubt, Presi
dent Arthur is thankful. The de.
lay may keep the bill away from the
White House until the pending cam.
palgn is over. The Presidents init
mate friends and political advisers
were opposed to the passage of the
bill, and more than three-fourths OF
his party in Congress voted against
it. 1t will require good deal OF
courage on his part to sign the bill,
as he has nothing to gain by letting
it become law. During the argu-
ment In the case the Senate galleries
were crowded, and every body who
could get upon the floor of the Cham
Der was there. The orators were
Senator Sewell in support, and SEN
ators Wilson, Manderson and Logan
against the bill. Though Senator
Logan's vocabulary is proverbially
meagre, his vociferous ability made
up for all deficiencies of dietion, and
would have shamed the vocal tri-
umphs of the bulls of Bashan. When
he made some allusion to an alleged
military march of Demosthenes, one
Senator remarked to another, soto
voce, 81 thought Demosthenes
fought only with his tongue" But
the most ludicrous feature of Logan's s
style is his misplaced emphasis.
When he screams the loudest, ten
chances to one his utterance is not
ono of bis strong points, but trivi-
ality. When he charged that Porter
was the cause of the loss of the first,
as well as the second, battle of Bull
Run, there was vigorous applause
from his friends in the galleries, al
though it was difficult to see the rele-
vancy of merriment and the loss of
two important battles.
The friends of Senator Logan's
Presidential movement pointed to
the throngs of people in the corri-
dors during his speech, and to the
procession filing down the stairways,
disappointed in their efforts to get
admission to the Senate chamber,
and see how popular their candidate
is. But those who have watched
Porter's long quest for vlndication
knew that interest in his case drew
the crowds to the capitol.
During the week the Senate in Sc
cret session ratified the Mexican
treaty. 1t also discussed the bill for
establishing a labor statistic bureau,
talked about an appropriation for
eradicating the foot and mouth dis
ease prevalent among the Kansas
cattle, and the now pending ques-
ton, which has already been de-
bated at some length, and which has
met with vigorous opposition in that
end of the capitol is the pleuro-
pneumonia bill. The Senate, as is
its habit of late, adjourned from Fri
day until Monday.
Business continues to accumulate
in the House of Representatives At
present on the calendar OF the COM
mittee of the whole there are ninety
four bills, on the regular calendar
eighty and on the private calendar
three hundred. There are one hum
dred Senate bills On the Speakers
table, and eight special orders. With
this formidable mass before it the
appropriation bills are Just coming
forward, and the tariff aaestien is
ready to demand attention, the Nor
rison bill having reached the House
early in the week in shape for action.
Unless rapid, steady work follows
during the remainder of the session,
at the adjournment of this Congress
the gayel IS likely to come down like
the stroke of fate on several thou
sand plans and hopes, as it did in
the case of its predecessor. The
House gave most Of its time during
the week to the consideration Of the
post Office appropriation bill, which
has not yet been disposed Of. The
House also refused to recognize
civil pensioaer in the grand-daught-
er or Thomas jefferson, taking the
ground that the latter's services were
civil instead of military, and that
Congress had no authority to vote