McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-07-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., July ID, 'S4.

characterized all of its predecessors.
AS usual, the most important legisla-
ton was left to the hurly burly mo-
ments of approaching dissolution, and
rushed through only after a most I'M
reasonably brief consideration by
conference committees. Nevertheless
the session has given us some few
beneficent measures, and none that
are positively vicious. The unani-
nous vote of thanks to the presiding
officers of both houses, and particu-
larly to Speaker Carlisle, were never
more deserved. Mr.. Carlisle leaves
his chair with a record for impartiality
and faithfJness to duty that has not
been excelled in the long line of
Speakerships.
The sixty millions Of people in this
country who have for SO many years
been worried out of sweet repose lest
some fourth-rate frigate from some
fifth'rate country should come in the
night and lay waste the cities Oh our
eastern and western coasts, can now
hull themselves into complete security.
Half a million of dollars has been ap-
propriated by Congress to be expend-
ed in providing ordnance for the steel
cruisers that are now being construc-
ted by the Government, and these
guns are to be of sufficient size calibre
and power to knock into smithereens
anything that is reckless enough to
get within range. To be sure our
naval constructors and our engineers
and other experts, native and foreign,
have all pronounced these cruisers
as conspicuous failures as they are
prodigious frauds, but what does all
that amount to beside the opinions
of Secretary Billy Chandler and his
superior officer John Roach ? 1t will
not be until some of these cruisers
blow themselves under water in an
attempt to blow something else out
of water, that the Government will see
fit to initiate the example which even
the CHILEAN government has set.
1t is perhaps better late than never,
but who that has seen the plan of
the monument to be erected to the
memory Of the mother of Washington,
would rather say never? Why Con-
gress should submit the devising of
this kind of architecture to the taste
of q board of engineers, who have no
more conception Of such work than
the merest laymen, is beyond compre
hension. Here is IN appropriation
of $25, 700, in addition to what has
already been expended, to complete
this masterpiece of architectural folly.
There is nothing appropriate about
is from base to apex, and is altogether
about as inccngruous a piece of work
as could possibly be devised. To cap
the climax of the absurdities sur
rounding this particular appropria-
ton, there is neat little steal of
$4,000, in requital for the trespassing
upon somebody's land i'll order to
reach the spot where the monument
is situated! However, the whole
business is only on a par with the Mt.
Vernon monopoly, by which the
American people are kindly permitted
to give vent to their lamentations at
the tomb of the Father of his Country,
after depositing in the Golfers of the
captain of a one-horse steamboat the
small price of 81 per lament.
One by one the cases of grand
larceny in which the Government
is always the victim, are being un-
earthed, not by any system that the
Government maintains for the detec
ton of crime, but from the lack of
confidence that the thieves have in
each other. Here are bills made out
against the Government amounting
up into thousands of dollars, sustained
by vouchers and approved by Govern
ment officials, for which the Govern