The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-07-16
Ou1" Washington Letter

AZ lOOks nOW do IL NOnSACoo villa A0t AAu~
ish work and 60 home before August. At
least the contest over the vetoed pension
bills in the Senate have caused our lawmak-
ers in both ends of the Capitol to settle
down to the idea Of such fate. The pros
pect of sitting three weeks yet, and possibly
longer, has rather depressing effect upon
most of them. The Obvious improperly of
resorting 10 their shirt sleeves or of taking
off their collars and cuffs when they find it
necessary to make sreeoh, makes long
summer session very trying to many who
are in the habit of taking their ease in
their own way when at home.
A summer session generally melts away,
the meeting beginning with the collar. The
Speaker sees collars dropping down one af-
ter another, and knows that the members
will soon disappear. Two or three weeks
of hot weather, and more than half of the
House has dissolved so that there is not
quorum present. The Forty-Fourth Con-
gress remained in session, | remember, nm
til the 18th of August The Democrats had
gotten the ascendency for the first time aft
er the war, and the Impeachment of Belk-
nap and other matters kept them here, but
they had hard time getting a quorum.
The members had to be sent for and COM
PEELED to attend the sessions.
Death has been busy in Congress since
the present Administration came into pow
er. He has not respected parties, and both
sides and both branches of Congress have
suffered. Vice President Hendricks and
Senator Miller, of California, have passed
away from the Senate Chamber, while
from the House were called Representatives
Evans, Rankin, Ewood, Duncan, Hahn,
Cole. This is probably long as death roll
as any previous session can show
There has been much excited discussion
IN Congress over the vetoed pension bills
During one of the stormiest sessions of the
House after one Republican Member
had arraigned the President in Ian.
guage more positive than parliamentary,
ex.Gov. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, poured
oil upon the troubled waters by quoting an
ancient rhyme. He first bespoke for the
President decent respect and decent speech :,
said he did not know what the pending bill
was about, but the House had resolved it's
self into political meeting. Suppose that
Members quit quarreling, and turn their
attention to public business. Let them re-
member that their mothers taught them
Let dogs delight to bark and bite
For God has made them so.
Let bears and lions growl and fight
For It's their nature too;
But little children's little hands were
never made to scratch each others eyes out,
etc. When the laughter had subsidized Mr..
Allen of Mississippi, spoke. He said he
thought he ought to apologize for discuss
ing pension matters, as he had been a Con-
federate privtae. 1t was said that Confed.
crates ought to have thought of this mat
ter of pensions twenty five years ago. He
acknowledged that, at the beginning of the
war, he had not given the matter that due
consideration to which it had probably
been entitled, (Laughter.) He had been
quite a young boy then, but along about
the third year of the war he began to think
seriously CT it, and so much had he leen
impl e'sed with the fact that the course he
was pursuing would bankrupt the United
States Government in pensioning the Wild
DDS of the soldiers he was killing, that FINAL
ly, gun in hand, he retreated across five or
six States with the enemy in his front rath-
er than Stay whole army.
The summer social season has closed with
Mrs. Cleveand's last midday reception,
which was held on Friday. She held six of
these in all, and some regret was expressed
that they were TO be d. continued. During
her brief sojourn at the White House the
new lady has seen fair evidence of real
social life, and great deal of its hollow
glitter. Some of the experiences of those
who attended her last reception were very
amusing. Many of them were not accust.
omed to carrying visiting cards, and when
the door keeper reached his hand for that
diplomatic piece of card board they could
not have been more astonshed than if he
had asked them to pay an admission fee. A
few Of the wise ones went out to the nearest
stationer, and provided themselves with
blank cards, using the White House pen
and ink for the inscription. Two men who
came together had one card and one of