Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-06-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
trrom Our Regular Correspondents,

last Jay OF lufS IHOutfl, as tne f1ouSo
of Representatives has signified
desire to do, only eleven more
working days would remain of the
present session. But the record of
the past week does not indicate an
early adjournment. In view of the
immense amount of business that
remains to be transacted, the
thought of an early departure is out
OF the questions Important meas
ures were advanced very little in
either House. The Senate cannot
get along with the Mexican Pen
sion bill. After spending three days
debate upon it in open session, and
two days in secret session, the Re-
publican side of the chamber max
ing campaign speeches on amend
ments which they proposed, they
then went into caucus, and tried to
get plank or two of the Chicago
platform into it. or course their
aim is to defeat the bill, but they
would have it appear that they are
so very friendly to- the soldiers of
the late war that they cannot sup
port it unless it is so amended as to
include all ex-union soldiers in its
benefcent provisions. Senator
Salisbury does not approve of the
measure as a whole, but from a far
different standpoint. One objection
urged by him was that it proposes
to pension men who are holding
seats in the two Houses of Congress
with the money wrung from the
poor toiIer as taxes. The Senator
from Delaware does not speak often,
but he talks very plainly when
once melted. He informed his
associate that they fiattered them
selves that they were great men,
Senators of the United States who
made laws for the people but be-
hind them was another power great
er than themselves that controlled
their action ifnot their judgement.
He alluded to the pension agents
who sit around the Capitol and
issue their circulars and degrees
and send up petitions for pensions.
The great and mighty statesmen
| bowed to these behests for fear of
losing political status at home. He
| thought if Senators were not hui
man beings, controlled by motives
of self interest, and if the soldiers
had no votes, there would be no
such bills pending before the Nat
ional legislature. He respected as
much as any man the claims of the
war marked. veteran, but did not
approve Of squandering money,
which people who were suffering
for the necessaries of life paid into
the public Treasury, to pension able
bodied men. He said he knew the
man who ventures opposition to
any bill that proposes to pension
anybody, takes the risk of being
censured and denounced for it. He
was willing to take each mans GEN.
sure and reserve his judgement He
wanted a consistent record and
would vote for the reduction of tax
alton whenever he could, but would
not vote to increase the expenses of
the Government and thereby keep
up taxes.
The Senate added $500, 900, to the
House Consular and Diplomatic
bill. thus protracting the session
with another dead lock contest. 1t
has also debated a claim of Georgia
for money expended by that State
for the common defense 1777, but
the Republican Senators are not
willing to do justice of any kind to
a Southern State. Senator Morgan
in advocating the claim said, they
ought to be able to consider this
question aside from all reminiscent
ces Of the war, and as lawyers, as
construers and expounders of the
Constitution, say that this debt is,
or is not legal. "Can the Senate of
the United States" asked he "twen-
ty years after the war, permit itself
to be influenced by acrimonious feel
ing SO as to blind its judgement
upon pure, dry question of law ?"
After four days argument. the
House passed the River and Harbor
bill, the Hennepin canal scheme be-
ing stricken out, and then discussed
the Senates amendment to the Post
Office appropriation. u.F
The necessity for disloging from
power party which, according to
no less an authority than the late
Chairman of the Republican Nat
ional Committee, has long outlived
and abused its mission, is impera-
tive. And the Democratic party
seems to be in the face Of an oppOr-
tunity, which cannot be doubted 1t
will use wisely. lHsHs u
Now that Mr.. Tilden's noble doc
ument of declination simplified the
situation, by removing all doubts as
to his position, greater activity will
be shown in pushing the various
candidates and in scrutinizing the
merits OF possible ones.
1t is not generally known that
money was freely used at the recent
Chicago convention, nor that Blaine
was In constant communication, by
means of CIPHER kilograms, with
his managing friends there. When
he left Washington on Tuesday
morning before the nomination, he
only decided at the railway station
to turn Northward, when cypher
telegram from Chicago was placed
in his hands telling him to go.
Washington, June IL, 1884.
From New Providence.
To the Chronicle:
Tho ,,rofroofol- ,,aooFinn olnSod