Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-05-14
Letter from washington.
WASHINGTON, May IL, 1886.


ance to the wild aud willful waste OF
the moneys in the Treasury through
Pension legislation. The world never
saw the like. Lately the Senate passed
between 300 and 400 pension bills in
one afternoon, the greater number with
out the usual formalities. Mr.. Hewitt
has started the President, who Is doing
something new in the Executive De-
partment in the shape Of scrutinizing
private pension and other claim bills
before signing them.
Or this general subject permit me to
give in my own experience. There is a
sore evil under the sun and in these
United States. mean the Shameless
for it surpasses the shameful-negiect
OF Congress to liquidate claims that cry
to heaven for justice and payment. AS
stated in late report from the Judiciary
Committee of the House, Congress has
paid the bonded debt the greater defer
ence; il has left other debts to the mer-
cies of the winds and waves and to Con-
gressional Indifference. But for the
fact that nice blocks Of French Spolia-
ton claims are owned East of the Hud-
son, those claims might have lain dor
mant another eighty years or so. But
there are Older and better claims than
those, which can get no attention. The
people at large suppose that Claims Com
mittees in Congress amount to some
thing. They do, to the very select ard
favored few; otherwise they adopt the
spirit of Talleyrand's maxim that
"speech was given for the purpose OF
concealng thought" in that Claims
Committees are for the purpose of BAT
fling claims. We hear that nothing Is
TO be done this session towards an In
crease of the navy, because Congress
men are in tremOr of doubt whether
il would or would not be acceptable to
the voters, and tn ere is general cleo
ton this fall. This is an unanticipated
development of our system Of short term
service. Not what is best for the coun-
try, but what is supposed to be in unison
with popular prejudice. Is this states
manship or selfish cowardice?
1t is generally accepted that Mr..
Cleveland is to be married this summer,
but a doubt has somehow cIept in
whether it is to be to Miss frankie Fol-
som or Miss Frankie's mother. The af-
fair might fool-some of us yet.
An item worth noting is the capital
rain of Friday and Saturday. 1t was a
wonderful refreshment to the growing
crops and might pave the way to what
has for good while been missing, to
wit, good hay season. Now then, soon
for the fragrant strawberry. On Satur-
day evening we had an auroral display
in the boreal sky.
The confirmation of Matthews for Re-
corder of Deeds, still hangs fire. The
delay is good to Fred Douglas, $50 a
day. Matthews is to be brought here to
testify in his own case.
Representative j. J. O'Neill, of Mis-
souri,, having introduced into the House
of Representatives resolution of con-
graduation and support to Mr.. Glad
stone in his effort to secure Home Rule
for Ireland, the resolution was referred
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
On last Thursday, says the Washington
Post, the Committee "gave the 60 by to
the resolution, showing that the Com
mittee feels that the bill to grant Home
Rule to Ireland is no part of the bust
ness Of the House." This is a hopeful
sign of returning sanity, for as WASH
ington asked in his ever memorable
farewell address, "Why should we quit
our own to stand on foreign ground ?"
An unexpected result appears from
an examination of the last census. In
thirteen cities, to wit, New York, Chi
cago, Brooklyn, st. Louis, Cincinnati,
Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburg, San Fran
cisco, Detroit, Jersey City, Newark and
Milwaukee, there are more male citizens
of foreign than of native birth. In
New York the native males over n
years of age were 12s, 1923; the foreign,
POI, 3l4. In Chicago, to 1921 foreign
adult males there were only 81, 1865 ma
tives. 1t is charged that the socialistic
and disorderly material in several cities
were imported in order to keep down
the wages OF American workpeople.
The prices asked for the property on
the squares east OF the Capitol are so
heavy that jury Of condemnation will
probably be called. Supreme Judge
Fields puts down his house and lot, part
of the old Capitol Prison, at over SOC, 900.
Others proportionally high. But the
Library will be built, nevertheless.
The Canadian government steamer
Lansdowne captured Massachusetts,
fishing schooner some days ago in a
Nova Scotia barbor for infringement of
treaty arrangements. The British Min
lister here blames Congress for the &C.
currence, in that it refused, probably
through the influence of Senator Frye,
of Maine, to appoint an investigation
Commission as advised by the President.
According to the Post the Minister has
1t that Mr.. Frye Greatly doesn't seem
to care what he says" Is Mr.. Blaine IS
finger in this pie?
Notwithstanding the unstinted admit
ration Of Mr.. Gladstone by very many
of our American presses, it is not easy
to see much justice in it. 10 my mind
he looks bewildered, and is at a loss
what to do. II he has policy it is a
policy of desperate odds and ends. He
hoe ,3;eonctat Cha m no rlain anI avan