The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan 25, 1884
The American hog is occupyinga good
deal of attention in congress recently.
This does not refer to Vanderbilt or his
species as some suppose, but to a product
more valuable to the human race The
action of the French and German govern
ments in excluding our pork from their
markets, is the subject to which our
statesmen are devoting themselves. Just
what remedy we have for this discrimina-
tion against our meat exports, has not yet
been made clear. Senator Logan strongly
advocates retaliatory measures by placing
certain restrictions upon the trade of these
countries with us, but other senators
oppose such course on the ground of its
uselessness and inexpcdicncy. The debate
on this subject is not especially interesting
but the talk of Senators Beck. Miller and
others as against the proposition of Gen.
Logan shows that the value of reasoning
power is still understood by some of our
senators. 1t IS pity that Mr. Logan has
been denied this useful gift
One of the greatest wrongs of the carpet
bag era was the chartering the freedmen's 5
bank in 1866, for the use of persons here
tofore held in slavery, and their descend
ants. 1t was ostensiby savings bank the
deposits of which were guaranteed by the
United States government. The original
trustees, who were mostly prominent ab, =
itionists gradually made way for a set
Of financial sharpers. they unawfulIy
established thirty branches in various
parts of the south, and received large
sum in deposits from the poor, iguorant
freedman. Having bagged large amount
OF money, the trustees became tired of
investing it in government securities. and
had their charter so amended in 1870 as
to permit their holding, improving and
receiving mortgages on real estate i'll this
district. Then came some wonderful
investments. The money was loaned to
Of1cers of the bank and their friends, of
the carpet bag, irresponsible stripe, and
the paper of the Seneca Stone company, -
a kite flying concern, the Capital Pub
fishing company" conductors of the ring
organ, some hotel furniture and worthless
securities, with lot of personal notes not
worth the paper they were written on
soon represented all there was left of tho
bank s capital, deposits and all This of
course is an old story, but it's results are
not yet passed Congress has wound up
its affairs in the most expensive manner,
paying Mr. Creswell, of Maryland, and
| other commissioners large annual salaries,
and there is naturally great deficit.
Hundreds of dep0sitors hive never re
ceived anything, and it will he no more
than just if congress should pay every
! bona fde depositor. now asked to do, the
| full amount of what he or she invested in
| the savings bank. The officers of the bank
managed to get hold of some of Mr. Sum
ney's money, but his suspicious were
aroused and ne secured himself before the
bank went to smash.
Senator Van Wyck, OF Nebraska, is q
perpetual thorn in the flesh of his repub-
lican associates, in that he is constantly
offering resolutions of inquiry into matters
| WHeFC O1lCldl CEOOhGIuCSS Is suspected
His last call is upon the attorney generals
office for information concerning unsavory
transactions in connection with the Stal
route trial. Mr.. Van Wyck's resolution
brought some of the republican senators
to their feet to ask why that gentleman
wished to attack the attorney general.
1t makes the average republican very mad
TO think that one of their own party should
lead off in exposing official wrong doing
or delinquincies. Is it not bad enough
they say, to have the wicked democrats
always nosing around2 Speaking of nos
ing, the house committee on accounts is
turning up more crookedness, it is said
on the part of an official of that body in
the last congress, and when the facts are
all out 1t is intimated that the republicans
will he sorry they had the responsibility
for the last congress. Keifer and all thai
came in his train was big load.
The Hon. r. T Merrick, who is de
livermg course of lectures on the con
stitution before the Georgetown College
law school, spoke last night before large
gathering of the students on the powers
conferred by the Constitution upon Con
gress 10 tax the people Under the Const
tuition he maintained, the people can only
be taxed''to pay the debts and provide fol