The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-01-01
WAsHIKaToa, D. o, Dec. q, 1888


WAsHIKaTon, d. q, Dec. 81, 1884.
Ediborial Correapondenee DAILY NKWs.
Why congress should adjourn for the
holidays il one Of the things mo Teller
can ind Ont; !" bat IN a country IN which
the administration Of public affairs pur-
porta TO be based upon business prin-
ciples. The practice seems prepOaEerous,
The volume OF business befoFe the
senate and house this session would, if
all attended 70, consume thrice the time
that can be given to 1t before the axpi.
ration Of tina congress by limitation. 1t
is conceded that there are matters 10
pressing that they must be disposed OF
by the 4th of March; that aflsE the holi-
day recess night sessions will be I'M
perative, and yet. in the face OF this,
Congress sdjourns over 70 the 5th of jan
uary with loss, exclusive Of SundaYs,
Christmas and New Years, Of ten days
valuable time.
When il IL considered that the holiday
recess comes at season particularly ia
vorably In the way Of physical comfort
TO legislative labors. that the recess is .
matter of convenlenos to only q small
proportion Of the members in enabling
them to return to their homes, and that
1t iuflicts redoubled labor on the Solons
after Resembling; the advantages of
this holiday recess are entirely beyond
comprehension by the average intellect
No other business could support the
strain of such a waste OF time and the
practice should be wiped ou:. There
are special pleas against such an inno-
Walton. It may be said that the average
Congressman is 80 overwhelmed with
correspondence from his eonstitu-
ents, asking him to 90 q
thousand things, official and
otherwise, that he would be utterly
swamped If he did not have a breathing
place ID which to throw off the mass OF
work thus accumulated on his hands :;
but inasmuch as there is no city in the
United States of equal size and equal
magnitude of interests where the SER
vices OF a photographic amauuensis can
be 80 cheaply obtained as here, the spe-
cisl plea does not held good.
1t is not to be expected, or should not
be, that the law makers for the nation
should provide for this expense out of
their salaries: nor would g movement to
give every member a private secretary
at high salary be popular with the
people. but an appropriation allowing
every member of congress $500 per an
mum for extra clerical services could not
be considered extravagant and would.
in business point of view,
be vastly cheaper than is
the present practice of suspeudinC
legislation during ten OF twelve OF the
very best days of the year.
Christmas came to US this year with
much less blowing of horns and general
jovialty than is usual to this old time
holiday; and the trade in all the stores
fell off immensely as compared with
former years. Notwithstanding the as
surances put forth by noted Democrats
presumed to be in the councils of the
incoming administration, that there will
be very few changes in the department
clerks on and after the 4th of March,
there is a great deal of anxiety among
the eight thousand employees here, and
they are very generally abstaining from
making purchases of anything not sbso-
lutely necessary as articles of living,
and trade has suffered in proportion.
Three quarters of million dollars are
paid out here monthly in sal
aries. The payments are made
on the 18th and Both days OF the month
Heretofore there hsye been but few of
the clerks who had dollar left on the
sen enth day after pay time. A large
proportion of this money goes 10 the
tr&desmeu in payment for debts or in
new purchases; some to distanI.friends
in the way of money orders and some TO
the saloons; but now, in view of the pos
sible impending change, the boarding
process has commenced and trade suf-
fers
If the lesson had not come SO late it
would be very useful. 1t Is lost on the
present roll OF clerks. Let US hope it
may be of use to the roll to come.
A b. N.