The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-02-27
Iron our Regular rcoHespondsnt-I
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHiNGTON. ID. e., Feb. Is. 1885.


WASHINGTON. ID. T., Feb. Is, 1885.
Congress Tor The past week has beef
The football Of Obstructive dilat0f,
snd mischisvous cranks. A 3propriati0i
bilIs and other important IL not indis
pensable Legislation have been delayed
and nm extra session seems very proba
ble. Well, who cares? Let an extri
session be called. A member Of Con
gress Is paid $500 year, and whether
he leg islstes IN Washington or vsge
taies IN his rural home. he draws his pay
all the same. We "a, Congress 10 make
laws. II Is desperately difficult 10 keeI
them down 10 their work. They arr
wtetchrd sl,irks; they seldom pull 10
geihsr except an q motion tO adjourn
but since they are paid so much per enI
let their alleged work he coniinuou,
thuughou the year. II would be bet
ter To pay them hy the day aud onI,
when they are III their seats. When Z
member fails 10 answer 10 his name O,
lroll-call dock his wages. II he il iardy
require hun 10 bring written excuse
from his wife. III these wholcsons
rules were enforced there would he les.
a absenteeisn. lees skipping around The
lcorner. less solitary aud informal adj.
'jourhnent 10 the restaurants IL the base
nent Of the Cspitol. The fact is. iha.
the people are too easy and lenient will
those who, with vaunling hypocrisy. cal
themselves public servants. These
depuiizrd legislative employees. 10 speak
IN mildly. are many Of them bummers
aud iostere, interested chinv in their
private ambitions aud pleasures. and ut.
t@rly Indifferent 10 or ignorant Of ths
needs oi The great interests which they
are sent 10 represent. Congress is not
up with the tifnrs. II Is not at all pro-
greslive. So lar as | know parliamen.
tsry me,hods and proc. dure are moi
mnch better now than when Rome wef
a Republic 1000 wears ago A plan has
been Devised 'o call the roll by electrici-
~. and thus register insisntsneousiy the
vote OF every member. hut The old aud
tedious plan of calling The ayes aud nay
j. still followed. consuming = great por-
tion Of the vesrion.
An extra session will probably be call
I'd early In April. II II said that the
Democrats desire Ia avoid an extra ses-
sion on political grounds, hut apprehen-
sions are perhaps exaggerated. and II Is
time Legislators shouId rise above mere
party sxpediency and do their dnty
y iihouf tear In the end this wonld
prove 20 be the brosdest and highest ex.
pcdiency.
ago the petty Michigan accident. who
occupied the Vice -Prcsidenis seat IL the
Senate. assumed that he was the proper
person a. declare vi no was the President
OF the United States. Worked by Zarll
Chandler. John Sherman. Morton, aud
other desperate conspirsioss. this puppei
had much 10 do In making the deplora.
bile makeshift 0fthe electoral commission
possible. l will mention thst his name
was Ferry, for perhaps the reader ha.
forgotten his name, ms has the world hi
existence. Senator Edmunds the pres.
ent Vice. Presideut's recent much dis
cnsscd announcement Of the appear
sncc" OF the returns 10 a political dcnisl
~ the authority c,aimed by III Republi.
cans. Mr. EdW,nmds among them. Then
in 1915. Mr. Edmnnds WAS ready, by az,
mems, as he afterwards showed. wLen
Hayes President. TO perpetuatc the rule
Of his party. This man is . profound
and able lawyer. hnt lie j. as conscience.
less and as cunning as James q. Blsine
II looks now as IL Mr.. Thurmsn will
be member Of the Cabinet OF PreSi-
dent Cleveland. He is earnestly urged
bv inHucniial Democrats throughout ihs
couuiry. senator Prndefon does nni
want Cabinet portfolio. but asks thai
Mr. Thurman may be appointed. Til,
objection has been made that he IL toe
old. bur he Il Younger than Gladstone.
Bismarck, or MoIske. lie is ahIesi
among the able. No man is better equip
ped for the portfolios Of sisic, dnanrc.
Justice. or the interior. u is no dis
parage ment Of others TO say that he j.
The most profound lawyer iha, has be-,'
IL public lite since the war. he il thor
oughly posted III hoGie aud toleign que~.
tion-. While a mrMber of the Senate he
exercised without arrogance. aud
through voluntary recugniii ,n of hi
snprsi4sSiiy the functions oi lcaslrr aud
cunuselor "a the Democratic side There
were able Democratic Senators around
him. there we're Lamar. Beck. Vest. Me
Donald. Pendleiot, Voorilees. Hill, Nor
xan aud others who might have led. had
they not with one accord trusted 10 the
learning. The wisdom. the eloqucnce and
the patriotism of the grand old nan
Z A 5.