Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-05-29
WASHINGTON NEWS.
1diocy and Damphoolism In Poltics-Senat0r Ed
munds-Blalne Needs No Friends
Washington Society.
From our Regular Correspondent.

From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May %, 1884.
Whoever thinks that the era of idiocy
and damphoolism III politics has passed,
need but attend one session of this
Democratic House to have such an Illus
ion thoroughly dispelled. For some
days that illustrious body has been at
| work upon the Consular and Diplomat
ic Appropriation bill. which has come
from Randalrs committee shorn of al
most one third of the amount estimated
for the service, without establishing any
reasonable proportion in the division of
salaries among the consuls. Old Rob-
inson of New York, who thinks that
Congress and the Constitution were
both instituted aud ordained to promote
the welfare of Ireland and the Irish,
went into spasms over the Diplomatic
service generally, and the mission to
England specially. He characterized
Minister Lowell as a hcksppittle of
monarchy, and declared that Minister
West would be more satisfactory
American representative in London.
Winding up, he moved that the appro-
priationI for the. English mission be strick-
en- out, which the House proceeded not
to do by laying his motion on the table.
The vote, however, shows that the
number of weak men in the present
Congress is a most bitter comment upon
our political system, and most grovel-
ing humiliation of our boosted freedom
OF the ballot. Here we have in all their
viciousness the fit results of ward bum
merism and the plug-uglyism that in
vests political authority in the hands of
such men as these. The country stood
aghast when New York sent John Nor
rissey here, but can put my finger up
on two score of men in this House by
the side of whom John Morrissey was
both scholar and gentleman. This
degeneration of our politics = but am
Disguised, and so are you.
A friend of Judge Edmunds wants me
to speak good word for him in this let
ter if | can consistently do so. Well, l
can, and | will, and you may print it if
you are disposed to, The best that can
be said of him is that late issue of the
New York World contained four col
umns of the best abuse of Edmunds
that George Alfred Townsend.or some
body else, could lay his tongue to, but
not word derogatory to his character
as man, his ability as statesman, or
his integrity as an official endowed with
Il great public trust, can be found from
one end of the TRADE to the other. 1t
may or may not be in his favor to say
that Edmunds is not wanted by the pol
iticians, and herein will lie his great
weakness in convention. He is not the
kind of u man who knows how, and
never will learn how, to manipulate
machine politics in the way that it has
now become necessary to manipulate
them
And here is friend of Mr. Blaine, who
insists that his favorite candidate is en-
titled to send-off, if MIR. Blaine is really
in need of one, which Mr.. Blaine says
he is not. 1t is the misfortune of Mr..
Blaine to have enemies who are terrible
ones and who, as has been manifested
in more than one political contest.
would hazard the success of the party
for the sake of getting even with him.
These enemies are sure to be in at the
doath if Mr.. Blaine ehould DO killed at
Chicago and herein lie the chances of
Mr.. Arthur or ~ Logan or some other
Mr.. whom the fates will not permit US
to name.
| have nothing but admiration for
Washington society generally, because
it aims at the top notch and usually
gets there, but there are some features
of social intercourse and others of So
cial ostracism that do not augur well
for the future of the Capital. mean by
this that Congress, which is ever ready
to appropriate millions of the money of
the people for the improvement of the
streets and parks OF the city, and front
door yards of the public buildings, not
to include residences of Government
officials, has not provided school facil-
tiles for more than one third of the
school population of the District. There
is an area in the northeastern portion of
the city of more than mile square
which is thickly populated, in which no
school building for the accommodation
of its thousands of children has ever
been provided. Indeed the school man
agement generally here is about the
poorest to be found anywhere, not ex-
cepting the most benighted regions of
the South, which have recently received
so much of our commiseration. 1t
would be good idea for Congress to
retire from the statute business and
build few school houses. JUNIUs.