Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-05-22
Washington Letter.

congressman express themselves
differently as to the results of the fall
elections. Many of the old members
have announced their intention to re-
tire, and many Of the new ones talk
indifferently about coming back. A
few of them say they would not
make an effort to return. They claim
that the position of a Representative
is not profitable, and that, for mere
experience, single term is sufficient.
A Western member, who will not be
returned by his constituents, said he
fully appreciated the honor Of being
in Congress, but his business at home
had suffered so much by this honor,
that with all the fascination of the
beautiful city of Washington, he did
not enjoy living in his trunk.
On the other hand there are many
members of the Forty-Ninth who de-
sire above everything else to be
members of the Fiftieth Congress.
These are now on the anxious bench,
nervously hoping to secure the re-
Endorsement of their constituents.
Several members have been made
happy in this way during the past
few days.
A Congressman who was discussing
the labor troubles said: 81 make it a
business to vote for every labor bill
or resolution that comes up. 1t
makes no difference to me what its
merits are. / cannot afford to do any
thing else" He added that large
numbers of his constituents are mem
bers Of labor organizations, and if he
took any other course he would have
to spend all of his time in eXplana.
tons that would not be satisfactory
He thinks the most eXasperating
thing in our polotics is the tendency
to misrepresent motives and actions
and that the only self-protection is tC
be in opposition to popular sentiment
as littleas possible. He acknowledged
that it was not self-respecting con
fession, "but," continued he, "you
can only protect yourself from dema.
'gogues by being a modified dema
gogue yourself"
Nothing resurrects like a pension
bill. If Congress were to pass to pay
an additional pension to thesurvivor
Of the Revolutionary war there il
very little doubt but that more "sur
vivors" would turn up in a couple o
months than there were men in tn,
Continental army. If the bill SHOULD
be enlarged so as to include those lief
over from the French and Indian
war, it is not entirely unfair to sup
suppose that goodlynumber of thes
: veterans of the last century woulC
come out of the past loaded dow
with papers and petitions.
1t would perhaps be going too ia
: to say that one-third of the immens
draft which is being annually mad
, upon the public treasury for this pun
pose is paid out to claims fraudulent
5 ly based, but that a great deal {
| money goes in this way is beyon
question.
Senator Vest, of Missouri, has bee
expressing himself to the Senate i
: : regard to pensions. He thinks tn
=. anxiety of both political parties an
D the cupidity of pension claim agent
are responsible for so much pensio
e legislation. He does not believe it
0 demanded by the volunteer soldier
a of the country. The astute and pu
o chased intellect of claim agents, co
t morants and curbstone lawyers j
/, Washington was constantly contriN
e ing new devices for increasing pei
i sions by which to fill their ow
r pockets.
e He animadverted with severity O
: the "nebulosity" of the estimat,
r made by different persons as to tt
J. amount that the general Pension hi
r would take from the Treasury. H
asserted that the amount was beyon
the ken of mortal man.
# Tennessee Crops.