The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-05

Regular Correspondence.

The past week in Congress will not go
down to history marked by any great legis-
lative results, but, nevertheless, 1t was an
interesting one and an eventful one, as
weeks in Congress go.
First, Senator ingalls,, of Kansas, and
Brown, of Georgia, furnished a sensation
by indulging in bitter quarrel, which, in
termittantly, lasted for two days. Then the
Mexican Pension bill got all mixed up
with politics in the Senate and still hangs
there. A pusillanimous attempt was made
by the Republicans to investigate, as lob
byist, ex-Member English, father of the
member who recently took possession OF
Mr.. Peele's fraudulent seat. The Anti
Polygamy bill came triumphantly through
the Upper House, but too late perhaps to
be acted on this session at the other end OF
the Capitol There was some sharply sea
soned debate on the measure. Senator
Brown opposed it on the ground that some
other states, Massachusetts for instance,
were as wicked as Utah. Then the major
ity in the House took pleasure in render
ing tardy justice to the Democratic oppo
nent in the Ohio contested election case OF
Campbell vs. Morey. In advocating the
claim of the latter Representative Miller,
of Pennsylvania, disclaimed all partisan
and sectional proclivities, and made
speech suggestive of valedictory. He
said at the outset he did not expect hear
ing, or to change the mind Of single In
dividual. Every man had already decided
how he would vote, and 1t was an unpleas-
ant duty to address jury which he knew
would give a verdict against his views
Still he would make no complaint against
the Election committee of the Forty Eighth
Congress. II had in the main been just
and fair He, as member Of it, had
made some mistakes. He had done some
things, which he did not believe he would
do again. He had voted to turn out
southern member, who, he afterwards
learned, was one of the best, and purest'
and most upright men living. Some of his
most pleasant memories of this session
were connected with the Election commit
tees room. "And," continued the speaker,
81 shall love the state of North Carolina
and her people better for having known
her kind, genial, even-tempered represen
tative, Mr.. Bennett" But Mr.. Miller
found fault with the system of deciding
election cases, and complained that they
were not treated deliberately and judici.
ously.
Speaking of pensions and politics, the
republican senators permitted party tactics
to get away with their interest in the
Mexican veterans. They agreed In caucus
to tack on the bill an amedment reviving the
arrearages act for Union soldiers, hoping to
make of it political capital. They expected
the Democrats to oppose and defeat 1t, and
thus give ground for the charge that the
Democracy is unfriendly to the Union sol
der 1t was the purpose of the Republi-
can senators to kill the bill In the meanest
possible manner but this motion, offered
only for trap, will be voted for by some
of the Democrats, and the Republicans
will be responsible for this raid on the
Treasury of nearly $3OO,OOO,O0O
The recent exposure of Department
frauds caused quite commotion In Wash.
ington where the parties are we'll known,
especially those in the Navy Department.
Five arrests were made last week for EN-
bezzlement by Republican government Of
ficlals, and more arrests are expected this
week
As l sit by my window writing at II
o'clock p NJ, see the glare of calcium
lights around the residence Of Gen Logan,
which is but two squares distant, and hear
the music, cheers, and shouts of the
crowd, mostly colored The Republican
Vice Presidential candidate is the recipi-
ent of a serenade.
1t is gossiped in society here by those
who remember the exclusiveness that pre-.
vailed at the White House during the
early weeks of the Garfield administration,
and suggested, as all believed, by Mrs.
Blaine, that she would thoroughly carry
out those plans If her husband was elected
President She once said; "The people
should be made to esteem 1t privilege to
be permitted to go to the White House"
When her remark was repeated to the
Governor OF a western state, he inquired
IF the people whom she wished to keep
away were those in the same positions that
the Blaines and Garfields were In ten yeal s
ago?"
LOGAN'S ORATORY.
II is not often that anything funny appears