Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-01-07
Nanraster fnteIIigenrer.
MONDAY EVENING, JAN, =. 1884.
Tho work in Washington.

A dispatch from washington 10 lhe
BOSTON Post, credits Mr.. Randall with
the intention OF disrupting the Demo-
cratic party by agitating course on the
tariff question In opposition to that OF
the ways and means committee, and, In
the certain event Of his falling to
accomplish his purpose he is to leave the
organization of which he has so long
been q faithful member and trusted
leader. or course, an announcement of
such intrinsic impossibility as this
would attract no more notice than it
deserves except from the fact that it Is
credited to the regular Washington
correspondent of the Post, Mr.. Henry
l.. Nelson, who happens just now to be
Mr. Carlisle's private secretary In
this view of the case his announcement
of Mr.. Randalrs purposes--which can at
most be only speculation on his part
must be regarded as in the worst of pos
sible bad taste and much more likely to
injure the speaker than Mr.. Randall
As a matter of fact, we presume
that Mr.. Randall aud every other con
servative Democrat in the House, whC
might be likely to differ from Mr.
Morrison and bis associates, will be
content for the present to attend to the
faithful discharge of the duties allotted
to them in the committee assignments
That will be their highest duty and sufli
cient engagement for the present.
Meantime no tariff measure will likely
get before the House before the commit.
tee of ways and means has considered
and agreed upon one and this may be a
matter of serious difficulty for while
Mr.. Morrison, Mr.. Hurd and Mr..
Hewitt, leading members of the com.
mittee, are all classed as revenue reform
ers, it is by no means sure that they will
agree upon the thing to be reformed nor
the way to reform 1t. 1t is notable that
revenue reformers from Louisiana
rally as solidly to the protection Of
sugar, as the free trade representative
from Virginia stands up for the indus
try of gathering sumac. Until the COM
mittee itself agrees upon bill,
there is no occasion, obviously, for
indulging in gloomy vaccinations of
Democratic disruption in Washington,
nor any decent pretext for ascribing
such purposes TO trusted and patriotic
Democrats.
An indication Of other issues than the
tariff revision that should engage the
attention of the Democratic House and
an earnest that Mr.. Randall in the posi-.
tion in which he won his best distinction
will be able TO shape those issues for the
good of the country and TO he advant
age Of his party are furnished by the
action of the appropriations committee
upon the estimates OF Pensions Com
missioner Dudley. 1t seems that this
functiDnary last year asked from his
party in Congress the granite of ahuudred
million dollars, and reported an unex
pended balance Of fourteen millions,
upon which representation ne was given
eighty six millions. 1t turned out that
his estimates were SO lavishly and loosely
made that uu the one hand his uueX-
pended balance was thirty nine instead
Of lfteen millions-increasing the tota
grant at his service 10 one hundred anC
twenty five milliOns-while his expendi
lures for the year are only sixty or sixty
five millions leaving him an uuexpended
balance of sixty millions at the least. In
the face Of this he asked Congress fol
forty millions more, and the appropria
tion committee cut him down 10 fifteen,
which, with his balance brought over,
will be ample to meet the largest esti
mated necessities of his department for
the coming year. A few more such SWEEPS
of the pruning knife and a remorseless
cutting down Of the eXtTayagant grants
asked by reckless Republican depart
ments will be the best work npon which
the Democrats Of the House can engage
and it is entrusted to hands that vii
not be likely to neglect it.