Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-07-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.

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irrelevant paths in the midst Of any de-
bate. No MISTER bow important the
question under confederation. not a day
passes but that both Legislative halls OF
the Capitol are scenes Of undignlfed as
saults Of members upon each other,
partisan thrusts. and acrimonious per
sonalities.
While looking down at the rePrssen-
tatives Of ffty-fve millions Of people,
your correspondent is often grisVed at
the audacity and effrontsry Of the leg
islatOrs who turn from the mighty re-
sPonsibility and pressure Of public bust
ness to waste time over their own petty
wrangles and personal animOsities.
The present week has been unusually
prolific in quarrels Of this kind, and in
the revival of little feuds. One of the
most ludicrous scenes took place be-
tween Congressman Cabb and Laird.
Hot words passed between them for
several minutes, and fat contradictions
and threats followed, when both jump
ed up threatningly, and each threat
ningiy told the other that be had better
not threaten.
And no matter how great the urgency
Of public business, Congressman take
time for a little pleasantly whenever.
an opportunity is presented. To-day
the fun may be at the expense Of one OF.
the National Capitals monuments. To-
morrow it may be a cabinet officer who
is placed in some ridiculous light. Yes
terday it was the new pension building
that was assaulted with the battery Of
ridicule. Representative Durham put
il mildly by calling it an architectural
monstrosity. Representative Rogers re-
fsrred to it as a cross between q car
stable and a union depot. Mr.. Springer /
thought it was ugly enough to be blown
up with dynamite, while Mr.. Cannon
admired the structure very much and
Mr.. Mcmillan said he rather liked It.
Senator ingalls,, Of Kansas, predicts |
that the Senate Will undo some of the
work recently done by the House when
that grave and august body gets a
chance. He referred to the bill passed |
BY the House, prohibiting pOOl-selIing,
book making, betting on sports. cleo
tons or other events, and gambling Of
all kinds In the District Of Columbia. |
There was a spirited debate in the .
House at the time. Representative
Hemphin, of South Carolina. said that
every State had law OF this kind, and /
as We were a Christian nation, the peo-
pie Of the District Of Columbia should |
receive as much moral help as people |
Representative Adams, Of |
New York, who undertook to point out /
the fatality of such laws. asked if they |
were not uniformly evaded in every
State. The South Carolinian was not
prepared to deny the allegation, but
that the law was good, and
that because people were bad enough
10 break it was no reason why it should
not be made.
Representative Barbour, of Virginia, |
was also opposed to placing legislative .
upon hOrse-racing and 9TH
sr such pastimes. He held that it was
of national Importance. that we wanted
10 cultivate that noble animal-the /
horse. "BEt is this bill against horse
racing, or against bettingp'' asked Mr..
of Iowa. "'Oh, everybody |
Knows" said Mr.. Barbour, ''that you |
can't keep up hOrse-racing without the
interest that betting gives.'' But the
House passed the bill against such |
sports, and that Is the one which Sena- |
tor Ingalls, says the Senate will kill when |
it comes before it. We are inclined to |
be very wicked on the Senate side of
the Capitol, said he, and the Puritani-
cal ideas that seek to take root in Wash |
ington will not be tostered much by our
treatment. He holds that people have
a right to do as they please with their
money, but it is to be hoped that he is
mistaken as to the sentiment Of the
Senate on this subject.
So many interesting and important
events have occurred in Washington, |
and so many distinguished people have
lived and died here, that it is at last
suggested that houses and spots Of his |
tOrical interest be designated in some
way. 1t is rather strange that the City /
Fathers have not attended to this be- /!
fore. 1t would add greatly to the in
terest and pleasure of visitors to Wash /
ingtOn if tablets we're placed upon the |
walls of houses, similar to that marking |
the house into which Abraham Lincoln |
was borne to breath his last. For in |
stance: ''On this spot George Washing
ton built house intended for his win
ter home" asIn this house died Henry |
Clay ''The residence Of Daniel /
''The boarding house Of
Aaron Burr" ''In this house the as
sasaln attempted ths life Of William H
Seward" There are a hundred spets
II interest that might be marked in this
Nay for the pleasure Of visitors
ulftsraev t, the eot5ft,