National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-12
A DULL DAY IN CONGRESS.
THE SESSIONS OF BOTH HOUSES con-
SUMED IN SPEECH MAKING.
Regulating tho Promotion of West
Point Graduates Senator Morgan OPP
poses the Education Bill-FItz-John
Porter Discussed.

AoAANA DAHNtHbthH
In the Senate yesterday, after tho dis
Iosal OF routine morning business, Mr.. Ed
munds said that as one important commit
Tee OF the Senate had TO go TO New York,
and other important committees had con-
siderable work to do he believed the pub
lie business would be best subserved by an
adjournment OF the Senate till Monday.
, lie therefore moved that when the Senate
adjourn to-day II be TIL Monday. Agreed
TO.
Proceeding 10 the calendar, the Senate
took up bills in their order. Some bills for
private relief having been disposed Of, the
bill TO regulate the promotion OF West
Point gradutes was reached. On this some
discussion arose.
Mr., sewell, In reply to an inquiry of Mr..
Plumb, said this was the first year for
long time when there would be more lieu
tenants graduated from the West Point
academy than there would be vacancies for
the army.
There would be about twenty-eight more
graduates than could now be appointed to
the army.
Mr.. Plumb did not think VIC had any
too many West Point graduates but sug-
gested whether II would not be better to have
these young men 60 into civil life after be-
ing graduated, so as to have interspersed
throughout the country a number OF edu-
Gated military men who would be qualified
to take responsible places in the manage
ment OF volunteer forces when necessary.
We should not carry a lot Of supernumeraries
on the army rolls, however merltorious they
might be. fHf-
Mr.. sewell said the necessary twenty
eight vacancies would probably offer them
selves in the regular course of army ex-
perience In the course Of probably three or
four months.
Mr.. Plumb believed we had now $500
officers In our army-about one to every
eight private soldiers. He thought that
number, to say the least of IT, enough
Mr., Logan said for about eighty years the
auditing officers Of the treasury had so con-
strued the laws relating to West Point that
Mt the graduation OF the cadets they were
allowed the pay Of second lieutenants up to
the time OF their appointment to the army.
A short time ago the auditing officers OF the
treasury decided that those young men
were not entitled to pay, but were merely
candidates for office. The present bill
simply provided that the graduates referred
to should become part Of the army so as
to receive pay and SO that there could be
no misconstruction Of the law.
Mr.Plumb moved an amendment, pro-
vidiDg that the appointments indicated
should not be made to the engineer corps.
Men at the lower end OF the class might
otherwise get appointed to the corps con-
trary to custom. s -ft "a. -,
Mr.. Hale favored the amendment. The
engineer corps, Mr.. Hale said ought not
to be increased by men graduating at the
lower end OF the class. That was the
"crackn corps OF the army. He did not
mean that our great war had shown that
that corps furnished the greatest COM
manders, but, all the same, It was the corps
for which the cadets struggled, and to which
they were reaching out.
Mr.. Logan hoped the bill, II passed at
all. would pass without amendment. He
had not the slightest reflection to make on
the engineer corps, whose officers were
competent and accomplished body of gen.
tlemen. But some members Of Congress
had an idea that some one branch OF the
army had to be petted, and thought that the
young man who got the largest number of
marks at school. had moro ability than his
classmates. tsThe man, said Mr.. Logan,
"who gets the largest number Of spots on
his pants during the term Of service In the
field is generally the man who graduated
lowest In his cIass.n No army had ever
been seen, he continued, whose great leaders
had come FROM the engineer corps. Gen.
Grant had graduated near the foot of his
class, and Gen. Sheridan had TO be s,is-
pended year, and so put back. for not
graduating At all. But Grant aud Sheridan
had shown the country what great leaders
they WERE. The best stidents did not al
ways make the best sOldiers.
Mr.. Edmunds believed the bill provided
merely that graduates should not be retired
to private life after receiving military
education. He therefore favored 1t.
Mr.. Hawley hoped that II any criticism
was TO be made on the army Il would be
made on some other bill than the one under
consideration. He eulogized the West Point
class OF 1886 as unusually well qualified,
and hoped the bill would pass.
After further debate the bill was passed
as reported from committee
At 2 O'Clock the education bill was laid
before the Senate, and Mr.. Morgan took the
floor on 1t.
The bill, Mr.. Morgan said, was a bill to
create offices and elaborate the machinery
of government. IL from the 10000, 900
people In the United States were to be de-
Quoted all the dead-heads, dead-beats and
non1prodncers there would be about 20, 000,-
GOO people left who would have to pay the
taxes TO carry out the provisions OF this
bill. The bill itself would be equivalent to
tax OF IS per capita on those taxpayers;
and by the time all the officers were APP.
pointed forthe administration OF the scheme
of beneyolence, and the clerks appointed
tbatwould DO necessary to Investigate the
accounts of the thirty-eight states and ten
tNihs1AtDo uhoNtto W babiif ~ WOuiQ w
found that the tax per capita would be $40
instead OF 50. IL United States senators
were men who plowed fields or worked
smithies, and paid taxes out Of the sweat
Of their; brow, Mr., Morgan could have
more respect for them when voting away
the money OF one man to educate the
children OF another. The constitutional
ground for tho bill, Mr.. Morgan CON
tinuedi was said to-be found In the "gen-
eral welfaren clause OF the preamble to the
constitution. Such an application of that
clause simply meant that you could pull
down theman that got up by his own ex-
ertions IN order to putup drunken loafer
argued at considerable length the constitu-
tiopalian legal phases OF the question.
He cited decisions Of the Supreme Court
in support Of his eonteniion.
He knew that many would reproach him
for opposing measure that seemed to be
beneftto the people Of Alabama, but he
prayed God that he might not falter In CIV
ing Obedience to the constitution he had
sworn TO support and his answer TO the en-
nghtenCd and magnanimous people OF Ala
bama would be that he preferred the spirit
OF truth, which dieth not, TO the body of
error, even though crowned with jewels for
it's bridal with death.
At 4:40 p. M, Mr.. Morgan retaining the
noor, the Senate, on motion Of Mr.. Harris
went into executive session, and when ff-
teen minutes later the doors were reopened,
the Senate adjourned till Monday next.
THE HOUSE.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, offered, a resolution