The Dawson journal., 1884-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Frsm our Regular Correspondent.

! tiIOuSl lnc ulOtiOl W COiS1uGf Tie
bill only passed by majority of
two voters. But in politics it is
eminently true that nothing sue
ceeds like success, and it is argued
that while a bale majority OF two
means nothing in itself in the
House, the moral effect of this
vote on the tariff will be consider
able. IL Mr.. Randall had won
the fight, by even small margin,
he would have showed his power
80 plainly as to leave no doubt of
his leadership. That he failed,
although by very little, it is be-
lieved by some will hurt his pres
tigo. The first fruits Of the vote
to take up the Morrison tariff bill
appeared in the shape of ninety
two members who have notified
Chairman Cox that they wish to
deliver speeches on the subject.
This will open the food gates
from the Capitol to the Govern
ment printing office, and the en-
ployes Of the latter establishment
will enjoy a prosperous spring.
The Congressional Record will
swell out of all proportion, and
tons Of talk will be printed and
dumped on the country at large.
Then, after all, the bill may posi-
bly, be ampntated at the neck by
the passage of a motion to strike
out the enacting clause; or be
adopted in a more or less altered
shape and then hung up to die of
neglect in the senate. But GER
tainly no person at this stage can
definitely forecast the fate of tariff
legislation for the session. For
long time there have been rumors
floating about among Democratic
Congressman of some attempt
which it was said would be made
to harmonize the factions warning
on the tariff question. And it now
turns out that the offer of COM
promise was actually made to
Messrs. Morrison and Carlisle, in
which, according to my informant.
Mr.. Randall coDcurred. The
proposition was that If the Morri-
son horizontal reduction were
abandoned they would support
bill reducing duties wherever they
ought to be reduced, and at the
same time taking off the tax on
tobacco and native brandies. But
the tariff reform leaders intimated
that while they might have enter
tanned this proposition had it
come sooner, they felt compelled
to reject it because it came too
late. They said it would take
months to prepare such a bill and
bring it to a vote in the House.
There are, however, those who
think that a compromise might be
arranged pending the debate on
the Morrison bill, which is sure to
last several weeks, and that a COM
paratively simple bill, taking off
the tobacco tax and that on fruit
spirits, enlarging the free list, and
making reductions in a number Of
the tariff schedules could get a
larger vote in the House than Nj
Morrison's bill can.
The senate was active the past
week. Commencing with the
Naval appropriation bill, which it
increased S5,529,960, measures
were passed in quick order. 1t
would seem that the senate has of
late years become the business
member Of the federal legislature,
and that the House, as a law-mak-
ing machine, has completely brok-
en- down. The senate in the
course of a session usually man.
ages to turn off a fair amount of
work, in spite of its besetting sin
of verbosity, but the House seems
less conscientious. It is now only
the latter part Of April, and mem
bers Of the Lower House already
talk wistfully of adjournment,
though scarcely single subject OF
serious importance on which Ie-
gitimate differences of opinion ex-
list, outside of the money bills,
has reached a vote. In fact, not
one piece of affirmative legisla-
ton of importance has been added
to the statutes by this Congress.
The electoral count, the refunding
bills, the coinage, the Mormon
question, the shipping interest,
the bankruptcy bill, the relief OF
the Supreme court, the disputed
land grant, the tariff, the malitia
bill, reform in the diplomatic and
consular system, the admission OF
various territories as states, our
isthmus policy, the postal tele.
graph question, and many other
matters lie in indiscriminate and
hopeless bondage in the prison
houses of the calendars. The sit
uation is, in great measure, ex-
planned in that the House is para
lyzed in its functions by set OF
obsolete and unjust rules, which
render it almost impossible to Sc
cure proper consideration of i'm
| Dnrtont D,aocuroc