The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1884-02-15
WARRINGTON LETTnR.
(Fromour reg uiar correspondent

Il
work done has been credltahle, AMI
the character OF Il unusually impor-
tant. Oyershadowlng In Importance
other matters, was the hostility shewn
by. the House to land-grant railroads,
through the most unanimous adoption
OF the Holman resolution, which ID .
comprehensive measure for restoring
TO the public domain oil those vast
tracts Of land donated to railroads. Ia
cases where the roads have not met
the conditions OF the grant. Tho ma
jorIty vote was Overwhelming, 2S1 10
Is, and may be accepted as tho dc.
claratIon of fixed policy for the fu-
tnre. II dates the failure Of glgan.
tic scheme to plunder the govern
ment and signifies tho restoration of
many millions ofacres OF valuable land
to the rightful ownership. Mr.. Hol--
man made this subject special study
last summer and the resolution Is
based upon his personal observation.
Another movement In the direction
OF reform, was blow struck at ex-
members Of Congress who have abus-
ed gthe privileges Of the floor for lob
bylng purposes. Dir. Anderson OF
Kansas offered q resolution requiring
ex-members before being admitted
TO the hall door, TO obtain from the
Speaker an order which shall be Is
sued only by the ex-member declar-
Ing he Is not Interested In any corpo-
ration or person having q pecunlary
interest In the defeat or passage Of
measure before Congress or the CON-
mIttees, and pledging that while the
House Is In session he will not COM
municate with any person having 90
interest In legislation. Violating this
pledge the ex-member win forever be
deprived of the priv ileges ofthe door,
At times the chamber swarms with
ex. members some Of whom have not
been In Congress for years. Others
were members of the forty seventh
Congress, and nearly all OF them are
lobbyists or "attorneys" for this or
that special interest sugar, whisky,
claims, and Jobs great and small.
Havieg learned the ways Of legisla-
ton In former years, they convince
clients Of the vslae Of their ssryIeee
on the floor, and the Empudenco 81
this class Is appalling 1 Nothing short
OF an lron-clad oath will cure this
evil, Of which every honest Congress
man has cause to complain.
Speaking Of an Iron-clAd oath re-
minds mo that one Of the first acts OF
the House OF Representatives this
week was to repeal the sdron-ciad"
oath. As the confederate record OF q
man 10 no way dIsqualifies him for
service as q legislator, 1t was too alb
surd to retain on the status books two
sets OF oaths, one designed to keep
out of Office persons who had engag-
ed In rebellion, and the other framed
expressly to let them In. DIR. Cox
OF New York spoke Iengthily In favor
OF the movements as one In accord
with the times but the bill would
have come with moro grace from the
republican side Of the aisle.
In thleworking Of the amended Sem
ate rules which went into operation
for the first time Monday, there has
been little friction. Senator'S have
not adjusted themselves readily to the
new order. One Of the rules Is that
when bill on the calender has once
been called and passed over 1t shall
not be called again until the calendat
has been gone through. Certain Sea-
ators among them, ,Messers Logan and
Blair, who were sponsors. for some ol
the frat called measures, were not In
the Senate at the time, and seemed
much thwarted at not being able tc
give reasons for the faith that prompt
ed them to ask the Senate to pass
their bills. Senators revel now in
the luxury Of q seclusion hitherto mol
enjoyed. The floor OF the chamber
Is visited by very few Of the persons
who have heretofore gained admis-
sion as the secretaries OF Senators.
Mr.. Edmunds is the draughtsman oi
the stringent rule pa0hlbiting en-
trance to all but bona fide secretaries,
and IL Is said he aimed 1t at persons
who In the guise of newspaper cores
pondents used their cards Of admis-
sion to engage in lobbying.
The Senate has been considering
number of important measures dur
Ing the week and has further discus
sed the pork question. The HOUSE
has passed some rather unimportan
bills. Committees have discussed
pensions, the currency, land grants
interstate commerce and territoria
boundaries.
Indications are that the democrat
ic leaders propose to move yer.
slowly and cautiously In formulating
ar;fr fan,fofaffon Thou do not fhfnl