The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-06-26
Washington Correspondence.
EpITon PLAIN DEALER.


taken not u little interest IN Iosa
politics. My interest has bern II.
! yiy"d during the present session Of
congress. for the representative
from your district belong IL the sumo
badly maligned and ridiculed, Int
SOON To victorious party that |
belong to. | have for that reason
watched his course the more intent.
~, and have to congratulate you and
his constituents as well Us our rarty
generally, on the honorable rromi-
ncncc to which he has attained. II
l. very rare that member takes n
high Il stand during his fist session
a. Mr.. Weller has. | have never
known another instance. But his
success in this regard Is less crafty
ing to his party friends here as 1t
will be to his constituents. than the
fact that he can be relied upon ut all
times, and In every case, to watch
every attempt at corrupt and iniqui-
tons legislation, and attack ii with n
vigor and ability that has come to
be respected and feared. He Is rare
ly absent from his scat for II mo-
mont. In fact it may be said that
Weller has wrought Il revolution in
the methods Of certain kinds OF leg
| islation. Heretofore ii has been II
very common occurrence for bills in
the interest of the money power, or
some railroad or other corporation,
or involving some kind of steal, lit.
tie or great. TO he presented and
passed without debate, hy unani-
nous consent. Many millions Of the
peoples money have been squand-
cred in this way. and many infa-
nous schemes, cnnninsly concealed
in some innocent looking measure,
enacted into law-no one noticing
or suspecting the real character or
else not caring, or cftencr not having
the courage to oppose them. Let IL
member try to pass n bill In that
way now, and except in rare cases.
where the measures are unmistaka-
bly, just and right, you are certain
never any doubt about ito hear
Il object!' ring out in the clear
voice Of Calamity Weller. lie says
that no bill shall pass without IN
opportunity to let daylight in upon
its motives. There is no estimating
the services that he has already
rendered the country, both in the
saving of money and preventing the
enactment Of bad laws.
But it is not i'm this way alone that
he has won the gratitude and nd
miration Of all patriotic people who
have known his work in congress,
a. well as the intense hatred OF the
money power all over the country
and Of the lobbyists and thieves all
over the capitol. He is an able leg.
islator, and one Of the readicst and
most powerful in debate. When lie
first took his seat in the house, at
tcmpts were made taking advantage
of his nervous and rather eccentric
manner-to ridicule him as Il
crank" One after another they
tried TO sit down upon him" But
it is noticeable fact that not one of
them tried it Il second time.
Did your readers notice a few
weeks ago, a Geographic item to the
effect that great pressure would be
brought to bear upon Mr.. Weller TO
induce him to withdraw his opposi-
ton" to the Dinglev bill? There was
Il world OF meaning in that item that
you and ! did not see ut first. What
pressure" was to be brought TO
bear no one could conjecture. Prob
ably it projectors did not know
themselves. But. they could not
overawe or intimidate him; they
could not sheer him down, they
never dared attempt to corrupt him,
and SO they had determined to de-
stroy his influence by some attack
upon his official character. They
thought they had found their oppor-
tunity ut the time of the
English Peele election contest. II
was the most cowardly and con-
temptible scheme to destroy politi-
cal opponent that the republican
party has been guilty of. The
country is familiar with the result.
Mr.. Weller completely repealed and
refuted the charges that were made
against him, and instead of iniuring
him, the affair has raised him in the
public estimation and gained him
friends and sympathy that he would
SsaSA iSN Iol NAVY hit hllI
OF pressure" will not be tried again.
A little incident will illustrate the
practical character Of Weller's work.
The bill granting "A charter to Il Ger
tain railroad through the Indian
Territory was under consideration
There WAS Il provision that the lands
taken for the right OF way should be
appraised by appraisers to be ap-
pointed in accordance with the pro-
visions of the act. Weller's practi-
cal eye, watchful rs ever for the in
terest OF the people, saw that the
appraisers could readily be appoint
ed or controlled by the railroad com
pany, and he introduced an amend