Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-04-18
wAsna,NGioH LETTER,
From onr Regular O ,rrcsroracrt.l

WASHINGTON. Artil II, 1884.
The debate IN the Senate the other dny
upon the hill e. increase the salaries Of the
Federal judges IN the district courts to
$1,000 evoked some very entertaining
statements from Senator'S who opposed the
bill, touching the nepotism that had chnr-
nc,erized the management vi these courts,
both North aud South, during the last
twenty years. Mr.. Coke, Of Texas, deelar-
ed that for score Of years there had moi
been judge OF the United States Court In
his State, whose nepulism in securing the
appointment Of relatives TO places in and
about the courts, had not become a matter
oi public scandal. And what Mr.. Coke
says Of Tcxas is equally Ii not surpassed
in many other States conspicuous among
which Ia that immaculate old Common.
wealth of Massachusetts, where the memo-
ry Of man runnelh not back TO the time
when Peleg sprngue wus not judge OF the
United States district court, and his broth
er clerk of the same court for don't know
how many years. There was Blodgett, OF
Chicago, who came within an ace OF being
impeached few years ago, who had more
relatives than Enoch but who contrived 10
find places for about all of them at the
Government feed-trough. Going back
further, we discover that old Judge Nelson,
afterwards on the Supreme Bench of the
United States, had his son for clerk in his
court in the Northern District OF New
York, and that son, by the way, is the
Judge OF the United States district court
for Minnesota, and one of the best judges
on the Federal bench. Aud there was
Judge Hanna, of Indiana, who managed to
take care of his son aud brother, and
don't know how many other relatives, but
l do know that the instances were rare
when the name of Hunna was not attached
to abeut every document emanating from
the court whether as judge, clerk, commits
sioner, or otherwise. And so it has gone
on all through the gamut of States and
Territories from time immemorial until
now Congress has sci its foot down upon il
with an emphasis that will effeclunlly
check 1.-THE present bill making the ap.
pointment of any relative nearer than first
cousin, high crime and misdenieanor, fol
which the judge Is subject to impeach-
ment.
The Blair educational bill, which is q
sort of stepping stone TO the paternalistit
form of government that we are drifting
to, will pass the Senate in it's orginal
shape, all important amendments having
> been voted down. The aggregate amount
provided for distribution to the States un
der the bill is $l05,0O0 600, the apporlion
g ment being made pro rata as the last cen
!, sus shows the iliiteracy in the severa
States. Thus while Iowa will get but
small dose of the government prescription
: - she and Kansas showing only littl,
more than two per cent. of population VIII,
can neither read nor write-Georgia ant
North Carolina will get an antidote TO
{ their sixty-eight per cent. of illiterac,
which, with the gigantic per centage il
~ other of the Southern and southwestern
It States, will swallow up Mt least sixty pc
e cent. of the whole amount. Yet the tabl
: upon winch this legislation is predicate,
=, is far from being correct because the pc
. centage Of illiteracy ia calculated upol
o those above and below school age, takin
no account OF those who have emerge,
frem school age since the census was ta-
ken. After all the fuss in the Senate owe
, the bill, however, it is by no means likel
!. that the House will concur in it withou
. putting a load of amendments to it tina
T. the Senate will not approve.
i. In the prodigious growth of snobber
:. here at the capital, We are prepared to be
lieve most anything that Is simply ridic
| MI "a at " OF N Il nj nj hut thor
/. are some solid facts about some of ou
y: public men, who are trying TO ape some {
- the phases of royalty, and all OF tile fol
lies OF foreign aristocracy, that the pee
Al pie OF this democratic government shOnl
p know about. The Attorney General of til
United States, who likewise parts his nam
IN in the middle. has recently aft xed his co;
of arms upon his official portfolio at til
rs department over which lie presides, so tlli
all who have any business with him al
instantly reminded of the Importance til,
attaches to this great man and his offic
1t was bad enough in all conscience
Ia see the old fellow riding around in his ca
rage with his coat-of-arms upon the dot
panel. but this carrying his disguslir
al insignia of would he royalty into his of
n. cial intercourse with the people of r.
:, public like ours, is Just such proceedlr
NJ ss weuld warrant the President in a de
On mand for his resignation. 1t is carryil
ad snobbery and todysn altogether too Ia
he And besides Mr.. B. Harris Brewster, ,
j. have another official, a Senator, who
trying to get grip upon royalty by clair
N ing to be a scion of the Plantagenets, an
ht who is ransaoking the records OF all ere
I'd tion to establish his claim. And this
ke the grandson of old Tiprecanoe, to-
Whut fn