South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-03-07

From OR Regular corrsspo.ds1.

Warrington. d. c., March 8.
Business is moving along quietly
in Congress, bat there are indications
that rapid progress viii be made here
after The committees OF the House
have been working like beavers pill
ing mp and marking ont business for
consideration on the floor and when
the reports begin to come in there
will be lively work. Prceident-mak-
ing is the chief business of interest
outside Of Congress, and on the Re
publican side great deal of anxious
attention is being given to the contest
now going on in the State Of New
York over the selection OF delegates.
The friends of Arthur are straining
every nerve to capture q majority Of
the delegation and hope by that means
TO secure the solid vote Of the State
for the man who John Sherman, when
Secretary of the Treasury, said was
not worthy to be entrusted with the
office of collector Of the port of Now
York. But they have found good
deal Of strong opposition which devel-
ops more and more every day. The
tools and methods relied upon by Ar.
thur to secure the State for him are
not satisfactory to the better elements
OF the party. They belong purely to
the lowest machine workers and tao
tics. The strongest point made BY
the Presidents friends in his favor is
that he has done nothing to offend
anybody; and it is true that large
quantity of empty champagne bottles
are the sole monuments of MFR. Ar
thurs official career He don't even
fill vacancies in office when they oc-
cur, lest the unsuccessful applicants
should be against him, but holds them
open to promise and trade on for del
egates. There are many vacancies
which have been accommodating for Sc
veral months and old politicians are
beginning to remark that the Prcsi-
deut is OVERRIDING the thing and that
it will finally do him more hurt than
good.
In this connection 1 may State that
Mr.. Springer's proposition for an a.
monument to the constitution, max.
ing the Presidential term six years,
aud rendering the President ineligible
to reelection for the next succeeding
term, is received with great favor. Ii
provides Cor q direct vote for Presi-
dent in each State, and abolishes the
electoral college. Each State shall
have number of votes equal to the
number Of its Representatives and
Senators in Congress, to be given to
each candidate in proportion to the
total vote cast for each. The term of
Representatives in Congress is fixed
at three years, and Congress shall
meet each year on the first Wednes,
day in January. the first session to
convene in the January succeeding
the November election. There are
many considerations TO recommend
these changes. n OF the least OF which
would be raising the Presiden tial of
tic. and administration to something
above schening machine for tue sue
cession.
Some idea of the danger we are ap-
preaching through the destruction OF
our forests may be gathered from the
fact,reported by one OF the first lumber
statisticians now living, that the en-
tire stock OF standing white pine in
the United States does not exceed
eighty billions of feet, which includes
the small and inferior trees which
rsed to be thought not worth cutting.
and ten billions feet out OF these eigh-
ty billions are cut every year, with
the demand steadily increasing. The
annual value OF the product OF our mill
as it fails from the saw is $500, ooo,-
900, Of which white. pine is the chief
item. At the lumber yard from
which it is obtained by the consumer
the worth of this annual product is SO
per cent. more or S45o, 900 900. To
replace this from other countries, which
by the way, is an impossibllity, would
require more than all the tonnage Of
the word for its transportation and it
would then cost in the yard more
than twice what it does now. Here
then, we have ali annual deficit of one
billion dollars, to say nothing Of the
loss from the crippling of manufac.
lures depending on working wood,
and the derangmcn; of the water sup
ply. In Michigan to-day, good, stand.
ing pine, bought of. the United States
Government Tor 50 so per acre, is
valued at $500 per acre, and yet tho
remorseless slaughter of our remnant
OF pine timber goes ON at increasing
speed; and the cut OF last year was
the greatest ever known. One out Of
the eight years supply is thus entire
iy taken away, and the end is there
fore close at hand unless we begin to
economic. These are cold facts to
which Congress should promptly APP
ply RENE dial legislation.
Hon. John d. Alley and family, of
Massachusetts, and Col. Bob Inger.