Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1885-02-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.
Washington, Feb. 20. 1885.

portant, IT not Indispensable legls
lation, have been delayed and an ex-
ira session seems probable. Well
who cares? Let an extra session be
called. A member of congress IS
paid $1,000 year and whether he
legislates in Wasninton or vegetables
in his rural home, he draws his pay
all the same. We pay congressman
to make laws. 1t is desperately diff
cult to keep them down to their
work. They are wretched shirks !:
they seldom pull together except on
a motion to adjourn, but since they
are paid so much per year let their al
legged work be continuous throughout
the year. 1t would be better to pay
them by the day and only when they
are in their seats. When a mem
ber fails to answer to his name on
roll call dock his wages. If he is
tardY, require him to bring written
excuse from his wife. If these
wholesome rules were enforced there
would be less absenteeism, less skip
ping 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 lenient with those who, with
yauuting hypocsisy, call themselves
public servants" These depntiz-
ed legislative employees, to speak 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 interest they
are sent to represent. Congress is
not with the times. 1t IS not at all
progressive. So far as know par
liamentary methods and procedure
are not much better now than when
Rome was republic 1900 years
ago. A plan has been devised to call
the roll by electricity. and thus reg
lister instantaneously the vote of ev-
cry member, but the old and tedious
plan of calling the ayes and nays is
still followed, consuming a great
portion of the session.
An extra session will probably be
called early in April. 1t is said
that the Democrats desire to avoid
an extra session on political grounds,
but apprehensions are perhaps exag-
Grated, and it is time legislators
should rise above mere party expe-
diency and do their duty without
fear. In the end this would prove
to be the broadest and highest expe-
diency.
twill berememberedth thateightyears
ago the petty Michigan accident who
occupied the vice presidents seat in
the senate, assumed that he was the
proper person to declare who was
the president of the United States.
Worked by Zach Chandler, John
Sherman, Morton aud other desper-
ate conspirators, this puppet had
much to do in making the deplorable
makeshift Of the electoral commits
sion possible. 1 will mention that
his name was Ferry, for perhaps the
reader has forgotten his name, as
has the world his existence. Senator
EdmuDds, the present vice presi-
dents recent much discussed an
nouncement of the appearance of
the returns is a political denial of
the authority claimed by all Repub-
licans, Mr.. Edmunds with them.
Then Mr.. Edmunds was ready, by
any means, as he afterwards showed,
when member of the court which
made Hayes president, to perpetuate
the rule of his party. This man is
a profound lawyer, but he is as con-
scienceless and as cunning as James
G.. Blaine.
1t looks now as if Mr.. Thurman
will be member of the cabinet of
President Cleveland. He is earnest
ly urged throuhout the country by
influential Democrats. Senator PEN
dleton does rot want cabinet.porfo-
lilo, but asks that Mr.. Thurman may
be appointed. The objection has been
made that he is too old, but he is
younger than Gladstone, Bismark
or Moltke. He is the ablest among
the able. No man is better equipped
for the portfolios of state, finance;
justice or the interior. 1t is no dis
paragement of others to say that ne
is the most profound lawyer that has
been in public life since the war; he
is thoroughly posted in home and
foreign questions. While member
of the senate he exercised without ar
rogauce, and through voluntary
recognition of his superiority, the
functions of leader and counsel to
the Democratic side. There were
able Democratic senator's around him,
there were Lamar. Beck, Vest, Me-
Donald, Pendleton, Vorhees, Hill.
Morgan and Others who might have
led, had they not with one accord
trusted to the learning, the wisdom,
the eloquence and the prtriotism of
the grand old man.
The city of Charleston, in its cor
porate capacity, is about to under-