The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-02-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent J

!. (From our Regular Correspondent)
# WASHINGTON, Jan. 80, 1885.
i With dynamite debates and resolutions
o in both ends of the Capitol; with some at
t tention to appropriation bills, and to a mass
r of rather unimportant miscellaneous matter
;. with the secret sessions of the Senate ovel
e the treaties. and tilibustering in the House,
: the Representatives of nearly sixty millions
Y of people have written another page in his
e tory this week The work cannot be called
creditable to themselves, or profitable to
: the people. ~ It is the old habit of Demo
cratic dilator&ess But more of this anon.
f The Edmudns anti-dynamite bill, which
7 passed the Senate with but one opposing
vote, will provoke opposition in the House
from other members besides the eternal
twisters of the British lions tail. Those
whose constituencies are largely Irish will
marked to yesterday that the laws
against crime were ample, and the bill was
superfuous. He thought if the Secretary
of the treasury required his subordinates to
do their duty, i'll the matter of inspection of
). shipments, dynamiters could not export ex-
plosives to England In other words large
part of his constituents hated England to
such a degree, that he was fearful they
would remember to leave him out at the
next nominating convention, if he voted for
a bill that savored of sympathy for that ma
tion.
There are daily contests in the lower
House now over the precedence of business.
One member after another brings his favor
tie measure forward for consideration The
long roll call is taken, sand usually the
House refuses by vote, to consider the bill.
1he other day Mr. Hewitt, of New York.
proposed the bill to carry into effect the
Mexican treaty, but the house declined to
discuss it. 1t will not be passed this ses-
sion Congressman Singleton, of Mississippi,
pressed forward the Congressional Library
bill; Mr., Townsend, of Illinois, presented
the claims of the Mexican pension bill; Mr..
| Stockslager, of Indiana, thought the public
building measures were entitled to consid-
Grafton; Representative Hunt, of Louisiana.
!
the bill for the encouragement of the Amer
lean merchant marine; and Mr.. Heuley, of
California wanted to take up Northern Pa
cihc land forfeiture bills, which was agreed
to. The first bill on the calendar, however,
| forfeited certain land in Michigan, and
the House refused to discuss it. Likewise
the next land grant bill was rejectel. MIR.
| Van. Eaton of Mississippi, then submitted
/ various tilisbnstering motions,-to adjourn,
to adjourn over, to take recesses. Several
more roll calls were taken, and finally wear
led with roll calls, the House adjourned.
If Republican President had been elect
ed, policy of administration would have
been outlined for the next four years. dur
ing the present winter. which would have
assumed form in legislation. The Republi-
can leaders in Congress would have pressed
the legislation to a vote, and 1t would have
passed, or else an issue would have been
made upon it against the Democratic House
to be decided by the people in the coming
elections. With such laws and methods as
it might command, the fourth of March
would have seen the new administration Al
work to accomplish its purposes, mindful
that four years are, after all. but short
reriod in Nations life. Look at the
Cleveland leaders in Congress. They are
incompetent, and have no policy, no meas
ures, no IDEAS. Since the death of the hor- 4!
izontal tariff bill, the Ways and Means
Committee has been utterly expressionless.
Its head. Mr. Morrison, is thinking only
about the Illinois Senatorship. The appro-
priation Committee devutes itself to stinting
every necessity OF the Government, while its
Chairman, Mr.. Randall, Is maneuvering for
the next Speakership. The Banking and
Currency Committee do nothing. The .lu-
dietary, under Mr.. Tucker, and the Foreign
affairs Committee under 5. S. Cox, is wait
ing for Mr.. Cleveland to say whether by
and by, it may not be good administration
measure to build gun5oat. And so one
might 60 through all the committees.
Nothing has heen done, and nothing is like
ly to be done. The Southern men have
been out of power so long that they are
awkward, and do not know how to lead.
Their unexpected victory overcame them.
and they are still in convivial, muddle in
state. Besides most of them would rather
assert that secession was right, and that
jeff Davis was a patriot, than bring for
ward and advocate any wise measure of leg
islation. While they go to dinners and
parties, drink, smoke, tell stories, and ig-I
more their duties as the leaders of party,
corning into national power, democracy is
becoming laughing stock. Their ambit-
ions the offices, in those they expect to
hold high revel, and the looting will soon
begin. R.
The REsULTs,-Al persons feeling duh
and depressed. OF perhaps feverish, with no
IL II