The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1884-03-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, March II, 1884.
The galleries paid Senator Logan a
high compliment by waiting three
hours in the mephitic air of the SEN
ate chamber to hear his speech on
the Porter bill 1t was the first time
this session that the Senate assumed
that top-heavy appearance so COM
mon during the exciting political con-
troversies of few years ago, when
such orators as Blaine, Coukling,
Carpenter, Edmunds and Hoar were
contending with such worthy foemen
as Thurman, Beck, and Ben Hill.
There was something almost pathet
ic in the last charge of Gen. Logan
on Fitz John Porter, and as be sat
in gloomy silence listening to the
final roll-call which, after twenty
years, was reversing history" the
Stalwart Senator bad the sympathy
of many who did not share his views.
When the vote by which the bill
passed was announced, the gallery
vented its feeling in mingled APP
plause and Kisses. The bill has
gone to the House for it's concur
renee in the Senate amendment, but
under the rules it is readily accessible,
and it is expected by some members
that it will be taken up from the
speakers table during the first part
of this week under the head of bills
returned to the House from the Sen
ate with amendments. No doubt
President Arthur would be very well
pleased if it would hang fire between
the Houses of Congress until the end
of the session, for it will be a dis
turbing ten-days guest at the White
House when it gets there. Nothing
better illustrates the decadence in
the power of that mysterious infu-
ence called 'the lobby" than certain
transactions in the present Congress,
notably the passage of the acts re-
turning the land grants of dozen
or more of the great railroad corpo-
rations to the public domain. The
lobby was mustered in great force
and every appliance known to it was
brought to bear on members of Con-
gress, against the repeal of the
grants but for all this the country is
richer by about 100000 acres of
the best land in the Union. ''There
is less lobbying at the Capitol this
session than at any time since /
have been in Congress" said an old
member of the House to me some
days ago. "The proposed whisky
legislation seemed to open up a big
field for lobbyists, and they set in to
do somes ig work, but they were dis
appointed. There seems to be deter
mination on the part of the friends
OF important measures to keep clear
OF the lobby sharks. Nothing
would kill measure quicker now
than for it to become mouthed
about that it was being lobbisd."
Aprcpos of whisky Legislation, it
is claimed by its supporters that the
fight is not ended, and that the
bonded extension bill is not dead by
any means They say that it came
up at an unfortunate time when
many of its friends were absent, but
that it will pass when they get to it
properly. On the other hand, the
opponents of the bill liz the House
ridicule the claims Of it's friends that
1t has any chance of passing. How
ever, now that the whisky bill has
been defeated it is discovered that
no cataclysm of trade is impending
after all. There were suspicious to
that effect all along. for predictions
of ruin are the commonest of argn-
ment when any interest finds itself
threatened by the attitude of Con-
gress. The distillers, naturally
enough, are disappointed and vexed,
but even the whisky men now admit
that the failure of the bill, whileit will
cause some Inconvenience, will bring
no disaster.
The Lasker-O chiltree- Bismarck in
cldent is again rife. The action of
our government in the business, as
disclosed in the diplomatic CORE
spondence and by the language of
the resolution which MIR. Hiscock
offered upon the transmission of the
returned resolution to the House, is
marked by temperance and dignity,
and will be commended by the coun-
try Whila q frion.li.. 4o.,o -