Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-16
Orr WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence Posi- -ISTKLLrGEScEB.l

Correspondence foeI
WASHINGTON, April :, 1894.
The erudite members of the upper |
House have been indulRing during the
greater part of the past week in an an
mated discussion upon the Blair edu-
bill. The measure approprl-
ates &105 10000, and the main idea. |
which is to give the South funds with
which To educate the negroes. finds favor
on both sides of the Senate. The strong
est opposition COMES from Mr.. Morgan,
whose speech attracted much attention.
IL Was a frank statement of the opposi
ton on constitutional grounds. and an
equally frank expression of doubt as to
the real value of education to the negro.
He said there was less to be expected
from the young negro population of the
L tied States in contributions TO the
moral, social and political institutions
Of the country than was u be expected
from the Arabs in the des 'rts OF Egypt,
and that he would rather SCI fl,op.Uo
appropriated 10 establish seam com nu-
nication from Charleston tn the u'outa
of the Congo river than to see tais ap
prepristinl of SlO5.W0c00 for educa
tion. The prIncipsl bone of contention
upon ths bill IL, however. upon the ques,
ton Of the system of distribution ana
Supervision of the fund: and IL ls here,
IL anywhere. that the bill Will fan. In
this oonnec ion Mr.. Hoar has introduced
All amendment providing for the distrl-
button of only 100000 the nrst year,
80 600 coo the second. $l5,0o,OOO the
third. and then the amount to DIMINISH
at the rate of 100000 year for pc
riod of eight years. Mr.. Blair Is CONN
dent of the passage of his bill without
radical alterations, and 1t has been
agreed to finally dispose OF the measure
oiay.
On Saturday the House entered upon
what promises to be one o. the bItterest
fights Of the session. The Public Lands
Committee got the floor with the bill
FORGETTING the Oregon Central Railroad
land grant. 1t is one of the eight bills
which the committee has reported since
the House passed the bills repeating the
land grants of the Texas Pacific and
cnt other roads which made no pre-
tense of having earned their grants.
The bills now to be considered relate to
roads which claim to have earned their
grants in whole or part, and here the tight
will be hottest.
II now seems almost certain that the
House will reach no important measures
of general legislation outside of those
| which have secured the right of way,
aud that the gloomy prospect for the
e,r1y In
| to dry on the calendars, rs, for instance.
the Mcpherson banking bill, is that they
will stay where they are till they die OF
old age. on the 4th Of March, 1885. Ii
is therefore very fortunate that the Con
cressional library bill has been made a
special order. The people at large be-
DIN to feel that the vast Government
collection of hooks is by no means a
mere Congressional library. 1t Is fairly
and fully a representative of the intel
lectual life of the American people, and
the question of providing an adequ tie
library building has grown to be one OF
national importance. The books and
periodicals. of the library already mum
Der far above half a million, thus giving
| it the fifth or sixth rank among the Rrea,
government libraries of the globe. 1t:
|
volumes in number. making it the larg
est collection of Jurisprudence IN the
country. Its grand collection of maps
numbers nearly ten thousand, illustrat
ing every part of the country from the
charts of the earliest explorers down t.
the latest postal maps issued by the
government. In school and college text
books its collection is most complete
| l., nd 8
library is very rich, while in the history
of nations and of epochs 1t has all the
more important literature in very Ian
guage. The national expression of the
requirement for suitable accOmmoda
tons for this vast collection and liter
airy treasure has at last visibly affected
oar law makers on Capitol hill, and tht
prospects are bright for an early passage
of the bill.
The average Representative in Con-
eress must give pltient ear to the ex
pressi"ns Of his constituents. and mus
carefully obey their dictates. HIS lif,
is not a very happy one. lie has to an
sger from ten to fifty letters daily. IL,
must also look after the interests IF hi'
constituents. which means doing every
thing, from getting forty five ditferep
sorts If garden seeds fer the farmer Il
obtaining positions for the party work
ers at homo. Besides this. he Is neve
sare that some one is not covertly un
derminiug him by cutting tn grount
upon which he politically Stands from
under his feet at home. Every two year.
he must make an expensive canvass t.
maintain his position. In fact, 1t is al
work. if he does his duty, and no play
for but 5000 year Under the teach
ings of tho wll-tounded adage, thi,
makes Jack dull boy; and to this cir
cumstance of mental and physical druid
gerry for his constituency may be attrib
uted the declsne of oratory, Legislative
and intellectual work.
LENox.