The Rock Island Argus., 1884-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 7, 1SSi

in the congressional arena, though just
what will be done about it is as much in
doub: as ever. From the best informa-
ton | can gather, after sounding two
thirds OF the members of both parties,
think the Morrison bill will finally pass
the house, though there arc several dem
ocrats who will vote against it, Some Of
those who are inclined to ooppose the tariff
reduction will vote for this bill, because
il really only docs what tue commission.
said last year ought to be done. Why
the commission recommended certain Re
ductons and then framed bill which
failed to reduce, is not generally under
stood, but that such was the result is
shown by the figures furnished the ways
and means committee by the bureau OF
statistics. Six principal classes Of goods
wcro reported on and of these foul showed
an actual advance in the average rate Of
duty paid for the first six months OF tie
operation nf the reduced" tariff They
were glass and glassware. 0.g5 per cent;
WOODEN goods,2 10 per cent; cotton goods,
81 per cent, and. earthcn. stone and
pottery ware, rs per cent. On each of
these there was also falling off of i'm
ports amounting in the aggregate to ST.
3T4 49l As TO these, al least, the plea that
the tariff bill oflast session has contributed
10 the depression OF trade is contrary to
thu facts Ga two classes Of goods there
was Il dpcrease in the average duty. One
was sugar on which Che duty was cut
down 221 per cent, and -tae imports
Increased by $3,36S 500 The otGti W,
iron aud steel. on which the average duty
was lesscned 2.7l per cent, while the i'm
ports were reduced by SS.S04,709 The
latter class is one Of the most highly and
unwlseiy protected of all our manufac-
lures Since the trifling reduction was
accomplished by a heavy falling off in
imports, the claim that the business has
suffered by the change is untenable.
The subject of providing proper accom-
modations for the congressional library is
being agitated good deal of late, as it
has been in the past, but the chance Of
getting anything done still remains slim l.
The great trouble is lack of finterest on the
part of members. Tho library has no
constituents to please, and differs widely
from creek which somebody desires to
have improved for the navigation of
scoWs. Members of congress take little
interest in books, and have no pride in a
library so long as they can get somebody
TO coach them on statistics and historical
facts for their speeches. What is called
the library of congress ought in reality be
considered great national institution, in
which the literature of the country and of
the world is to be garnered as precious
legacy to all generations. 1t is q shame
that indifference andIack of national pride
should leave it SO long without an edifice
worthy Of the nation and its capitol.
1t is interesting for one who don't care
picayune which side comes out ahead to
watch the political chess playing between
Arthur and Logan. The latter has always
been successful in the use of patronage
for his ends, but the president being now
his competitor has much the advantage
in that respect. Whenever a Logan man
is found in Office he is pretty generally
gotten rid Of, if there is any way to do it;
and on the other hand, if Logan man
can be won over to the administration by
giving him an Office. it is done. This
anxiety to secure supporters has caused
the president to go square back on the
position taken by him last fall, on his
return from his western trip. He then
said that it was wrong to send non resi-
dents or carpet bagger8 to govern the
territories, but Of the territorial appoint
mentS just sent to the senate, W f
Fitzgerald to be associate justice of the
supreme court of Arizona, is a Mississip-
plan; William NJ. Bum, nominated to be
governor of Idaho, is from Pennsylvania,
and John G. Perry to be chief Justice of
the supreme court Of Wyoming, is from
New York. Fitzgerald was a Logan man,
and the object was TO get him away from
the south, where Arthur is trying hard tc
get all the delegates. General Grant has
lately declared for Logan, but unfortu
nately the ex- presidents influence, here il
Washington, at least, is pretty nearly
gone
That regular annual Congressional
sideshow, the Woman Suffrage Conven
ton, commenced its session here on tht
fourth instant, with a promise to continue
therein for five days, or long enough tC
get their work in before the Senate anC
House committees. Miss Susan B. An
thony, Phebe Couzzins, Lille Devereau2
Blake, and the other fair clamoreis for
whack at tho ballot-box, are all on hand
and, SO far, the Convention has been
decidedly breezy ones Quite a numbe
of accessions to the ranks of the suffrag
lists have recently been made, and anon!
them is Mrs Helen N. Cougar, of Indiana
the heroine of the celebrated slander sui
against La Fayette, Indiana, newspaper
She drew touching picture of that time
which she believed would vet come, whei
men would be drawn up in still NOR
hostile attitude against the wives, tn
sisters, and the mothers of the country
when they would snatch those feminin,
tInbloms that represent the virtues from
their pedestals, and supplant the Goodies
Of Liberty with man having plug ha
on his head and pipe in his mouth
with his heels resting on parlor mante
piece The figure of Justice blindfolded
with scales on her hand, would b
changed to that of prize fighting bully
with cropped head and and a pair o
brass knuckles; and already a PROPOSE
ton has been started by the men to bacl
cut Of the agreement that they once mad
with women to have the differen
branches of agriculture personated b
females as goddesses, and confer the rep
resentation upon her whiskey -bloated
tobacco-chewing enemy. Imagine, if yo,
can, what sight it would be--Ceres an
Pomona with their pant legs stuck int
the tops of their boots, blue fanne
shirt with sleeves rolled up, displaying
pair of dirty arms, to say nothing Of tn
hairy appendages to the face and tn
general incongruity Of the character
II is probable that the Convention o
1884 will make about as favorable i'm
,,poorinn unon COnpresa in the matter n