Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-06-23

SPECIAL ,oRREsPoNDRYc THE moN1ToRl
Washington, JuRe 18th.
The weeks record in congress does
not indicate an early adjournment.
Business moved but slowly, slowly
creeping ,on from point to point. AS
q law making machine, congress has
grown far to cumbersome for rapid
work. For five days the senate wres-
tied with the Mexican pension bill,
passing it finally, after having divest-
ed it of the Hennepin canal attach
ment. In discussing the senate amend
ments to the post-office appropriation,
the city congressman were too much
for the ruralists on the question of
improved postal facilities. In this
matter the house went even beyond
the senate. 1t increased the pay Of
letter carriers, and in adopting APP
preparations for fast mail service,
gave Baltimore a fast mail to Hagers-
town. The. course of postage takes
its way still farther down, and the
lower it gets, of course, the better
the people like it. The latest change
in the law permits not only publish
ers, but everybody else, to send news
papers through the mail at the rate
of one cent for every four ounces.
This practically gives the country a
cent newspaper postage act, as few
papers weigh more than that. The
reform will be everywhere except in
the P. O. department., which sees its
labors increase while the receipts di-
minish.
One small branch of the public SER
vice which was established about
twenty years ago, has attained great
er Importance than the people gener-
| ally are aware. This is the money
order system, which, last year ham
died over $50, 100000 of the peo-
pies money. The backward condi,
ton of work in that office, because of
insufficient force, is cause of great
Inconvenience to postmasters through
out the country, and congress has
received hints to treat it more liber-
ally.
At the moment ween the two great
| political parties are preparing for q
desperate struggle, one sign is full OF
| promise. This is the house commit
tee report ia favor of continuing the
civil service reform law of last year
1t gives evidence that the poison OF
the spoils system is losing its hold
and that the honesty of the people
is getting the better of the passions
and prejudicies of parties. 1t shows
also that the public sentiment is in its
favor, for otherwise such repor
would not have been made. A shor
time ago both democratic and repub
lican members of this committee,
asked whether appointments to tn
public offices throughout the countr,
by competitive examinations were fea
sible or desirable, would lave doubt
ed the advantage of the system, an
have said it was not practicable. No,
! they express the conviction that
has already done much good, an
that much more can be done.
The doubts concerning Mr.. Tilden'
position having been solved at las
to the relief of aspiring candidates
the campaign has received a new in
pulse, shown in the pushing of IL
various booms, and the closer scrut
ny, by those unconnected with Blooms
as to the merits of possible cand
dates. Representative Bedford {
: Colorado, stated in one of his cha
: acteristic speeches, that the republic
= an party had nominated a man wi
had been willing to recognize tt
great silver product of his state, al
: if the democratic party had sem
enough to nominate as its candida
:, John G. Carlisle, the country wou
= get along very well whether one
= the other was elected. Ha
Y The notable speeches of the pa
: week on the pension bill were MAJ
= by Senators Hawley and Saulsbur
both of whom opposed it. The fo
% mer on the ground that all servi
, pensions were wrong, the latter, me
y particularly because it would be ia
- ing the poor to pension, in many
stances, rich and able bodied me
" The senator from Delaware said
~ knew it would be useless to oppc
- anything that proposed to take mon
OFT of the public treasury. He wol
:. have been DID not to have learn
: that long ago, but he wanted a CT
sistent personal congressional reco
He was there to reduce the taXat
,ba of the people, not to increase it.
''If Mr.. Edmnnds had only been II,
n mated is an expression which a few
contents are constantly uttering. 1t
soothing to them, but practically absI
nti- Tn n convention nf ai phf hnndrnd