Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-05-01
WHAT Is GOING ON In WASHINGTON.
Lively Tussel for Democratic Leadeship-H Hard
Work In the Scnate-More About the
Jeanette Investigation.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Morrison forces. though the motion to
consider the bill only passed bv ma
jority of two votes. But in politics it is
eminently true that nothing succeeds
like success, and it is argued that while
a bare majority of two means nothing
in itself in the House, the moral effect
of this vote on the tariff will be consider
able. If Mr.. Randall had won the fight,
by even small margin, he would have
showed his power so plainly as to leave
no doubt of his leadership. That he
failed, although by very little, it is be-
lieved by some will hurt his prestige.
| The first fruits of the vote to take up
the MORRISON tariff bill appeared in the
shape of list of ninety-two members
who have notified Chairman Cox that
they wish to deliver speeches on the
subject. This will open the flood
gates from the Capitol to the Govern
ment printing office, and the employees
of the latter establishment will enjoy a
prosperous spring. The Congress
sional Record will swell out of all
proportion, and tons of talk will be
printed and dumped on the country at
large. Then after all the bill may pos
sibly be amputated at the neck by the
passage of motion to strike out the
enacting clause; or be adopted in a
more or less altered shape and then
hung up to die of neglect in the Senate.
But certainly no person at this stage
can definitely forecast the fate of tariff
legislation for the session. For long
time there have been rumors floating
about among Democratic Congressman
of some attempt which it was said
would be made to harmonic the fac
tons warning on the tariff question
And 1t now turns out that the offer of a
compromise was actually made to
Messrs. Morrison and Carlisle, in which,
according to my informant, Mr.. Ran.
dali concurred. The proposition was
that if the Morrison horizontal reduction
were abandoned they would support
bill reducing duties wherever they
ought to be reduced, and at the same
time taking off the tax on tobacco and
native brandies. But the tariff reform
leaders intimated that while they might
have entertained this proposition had
il come sooner, they felt compelled to
reject it because it came too late.
They said it would take months to pre-
pare such bill and bring it to vote
in the House. There are, however,
those who think that a compromise
might be arranged pending the debate
on the Morrison bill, which is sure to
last several weeks, and that a compar-
atively simple bill, taking off the tobac-
co tax and that on fruit spirits, enlarg-
ing the free list, and making reductions
in number of the tariff schedules
could get larger vote in the House
than Mr.. Morrison's bill can.
The Senate was active during the past
week. Commencing with the Naval
appropriation bill, which it increased
6,52S,980, measures were passed in
quick order. 1t would seem that
the Senate has of late years become the
business member of the federal legisla-
ture, and that the House, as a law
making machine, has completely broken
down. The Senate in the course of
session usually manages to turn off
fair amount of work, in spite of its be-
setting sin of verbosity, but the House
seems less concientious. 1t is now only
the latter part of April, and the men,
bers of the Lower House already talk
wistfully of adjournment, though
scarcely single subject of serious inn
portance on which legitimate differences
of opinion exist, outside of the money
bills, have reached vote. In fact, not
one piece of affirmative legislation of
Importance has been added to the stat
utes by this Congress. The electoral
count, the refunding bills, the coinage,
the mormon question, the shipping in
terest, the bankruptcy bill, the relief of
the Supreme Court, the disputed land
grant. the tariff, the militia bill, reform
in the diplomatic and consular systems,
the admission of various territories as
states, our isthmus policy, the postal
telegraph question, and many other
matters lie in indiscriminate and hope
less bondage in the prison-houses of the
calendars. The situation is in great
measure explained in that the House
is paralized in its functions by set of
obsolete and unjust rules, which render
it almost impossible to secure proper
consideration of important measures.
Among the subjects now in the tolls
of our tireless investigator, none attract
more attention now that the Kiefer-
Boynton imbroglio is over and the Star
Route secrets are waning, than the Sec
ond investigation of the Jeanette scan
Dial. just exactly what Congress expects
to gain by this dreary recital of arctic
woes it is difficult to see The survi-
vors of the expedition and the widow of
| the gallant Commander are brought to-
gether daily, and witnesses are raked
over by the fine-tooth comb of cross-ex-
animation by two expert lawyers, to
show up what temporary chickering's,
little instructive iealousies, swearing or
harsh words now and then came to
pass. No one supposed that the jean
cite heroes were party of fiawless
saints, and 1t is poor justice TO draw
their foibles out OF the tomb. LENox.
Professor Virgins, the would he wealth
er prophet of Canada, claims that the
recent storms and the earthquake in En-
gland are fair fultillment of his March
predictions. The professor believes that
the forces which caused the disastrous
storm of last month will again unite
Saturday next, and earthquakes will
probably occur Friday and Monday,
while there is serious probability that
the earthquake in England will return