The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-02-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
A Batch of Interesting Items from
Our Special Correspondent.

weather is making preparation foi
the coming event, the 4Ll of March.
The Democrats are preparing for a
great demonstration and the Repub-
licans are preparing to grin and
bear it. Hotel and boarding house
keepers are preparing 10 pack their
guests like, sardines in q box, and
various military and. civil organiza-
tons are preparing to entertain
their brethren from abroad. Presi-
dent Arthur is preparing to vacate
the White House to the political
successor of James Buchanan and
while Messers Blaine, Reed, Hoar,
Sherman et al may be prepared for
death, they are not prepared to ad-
nit that the war which their malice
and ambition has prolonged for
twenty years beyond its heroic
term is now a thing OF the past. So
ciety also, is preparing to recon
struct itself on different lines and
different women. The Frelinghuy
sens, Blaine's, Brewster's, Chand-
ler's, with their satellites and parasites
will go. The new society, imagine,
will be composed in part of the an
cien regime, the old residents who
have lived in seclusion during the
long fingered vandals of the Grant
era and psalm singing hypocrites of
the Hayes usurpation. The social
tone will depend much on the Cabi
net of Mr.. Cleveland, for society
here takes its cue and hue. to a great
extent, from those high in office.
1t is the general impression that the
next will be working administra-
lion, it certainly has task before
it, and it would not be suggestive Of
work to see the houses of the Thur
mans, Bayard's, and Garland's of
the next administration given over
to mid night revrls, as has been the
case of late years in Washington.
Congress for the past week has
been the foot ball of obstructive dill
atory and mi>chevous cranks. Ap-
preparation bills and other import
ant if not indispcnsalfl. legislation
have been DELAYED and an extra ses-
sion seems very propable. We'll,
who cares? Let an extra session be
called. A member of Congress is
paid $4,000 year and whether he
legislates in Washington or vege-
tates in his rural home, he draws
his pay all the same. We pay Con-
gress to make laws. 1t is desper-
ately difficult to keep them down to
their work. They are wretched
sllrinks they seldom pull together
except on a motion to adjourn, but
since they are paid so much per
year let their alleged work be con
iinuous throughout the year. 1t
would be better to pay them by
the day and only when they are in
their seats. When a member fails
to answer to his name on roll call
dock his wages. If he is tsrdy, re-
quire him to bring written ex-
cuse from his wife. If these
wholesome rules were enforced
there whuld be less absentecism,
less skipping around the corner, less
solitary and informal adjournment
to the restaurants in the basement
of the Capitol. The fact is, that
the people are too easy and lenient
with those who, with Wanting n.y.
pocrisy, call themselves public SER
wants. These deputized Legislative
employees, to speek it mildly, are
many of them bummers and loafers,
interested chiefly in their private
ambitions and pleasures, and utterly
Indifferent To, or ignorant OF, the
needs of the great interests which
they are sent to represent. Con
gress is not up with the times. II
is not oil progressive. So far as
know parliamentary methods and
procedure are not much better now
than when Rome was a Republic
2000 years ago. A plan has been
devised TO call the roll BY electricity
and thus register instantaneocsly tbs
vote OF every member, but the old
and tedious plan Of calling the ayes
aud nays is still followed, consum
ing great portion of the session
An extra session will probably bs
called early in April. 1t is said
that the Democrats desire to avoid
an extra session on political grounds
but apprehensions are perhaps ex
aggerated, and'it is time Legislators
should rise above mere marty expe