The Daily clarion., 1886-02-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.

-
EDITOR CLARION; Eulogies Of Vice
Presidcnt Hendricks, debates over the
commlng commonwealth, Dakota. and
! Executive Sessions have consumed most Of
the time in the Senate this week
An opportunity 10 do some muoh
needed scolding was also taken ad-
vantage OF by several aggrieved $, ,nators.
One Of them lectured the Senate for ad.
journing over from Thnrsday to Monday,
us has beea its habit Of late, when there
was 30 much important business on hand
lie supplemented his remarks with res.
olution providing that hereafter The yeas
and Maya shall be called on motions to
| adjourn over n legislative day, thus put
ting the peoples representatives, equarely
on record when they vote to waste time.
Another Senator scolded the engraving
clerks Of the House of Representatives for
sending over to the Senate, bills made up
OF bad spelling. II was nm Oncn-e, an
insult 10 the latter august body that could
not be forgiven. lie congratulated the
Senate upon the good spelling Of its em.
ployees, and the affair was kind OF love.
feast at the expense Of the House.
The debate,that has been inaugurated
in the Senate over the admission Of Dakota,
promises TO bc long aud interesting. The
question has become party one, and the
blll will pass the Senate by the RepubI.
can vote. The Democrats count upon
beating the bill in the House. They claim
not TO base their opposition upon u denial
OF the right of Dakota to Statehood, They
admit that IN population, wealth, etc, the
Territory is entitled to become State but
they assert that the people OF Dakota have
| not complied with the legal prelminaries
Il Ia probable II compromise will be pro
poscd in the Senate looking TO the admis-
sion OF Montana, which is Democratic
territory, along with OAK, Ia. One plan
suggested isto admit Dakota, Montana and
Washington Territories Dakota is Re.
publican, Montana Democratic, and Wash
ington is doubtful politically.
The proceedings Of the lower House Of
Congress SO far, this week, have not been
marked by any legislation OF Importance
nor by any important debates. Routine
business aud petty wrangles have filled it'
record.
The demands upon the time of Congress
men, made lay their constituents, are such
that most Of them ARE under the necessity
of employing clerks. The duties OF lhts,
clerks are, mainly, to look after pension
and other claims. 1t is now proposed tC
employ 325 ezra pension clerks, there ar,
lust go members in the House) one TO b,
assigned to the business OF each Congress
sional district, under the direction of III,
Representative of that district. Man,
members do not favor this plan, however
and prefer to deal with the matter in III,
old way.
Congressmau's lot is not perfect,
easy one, ms will be seen by some samples
Of information they are expected to furnish
their constituents. A Western member re-
marked, holding some freshly opened let
ters in his hand, "lt here is anything il
the world that my people do not write tC
congressman about, would like to know
what it is Here is letter from either
in my district, who requests me to write tC
the American Minister at Rome To senC
him an Italian queen bee, Here is another
from woman whose husband left hel
seven years ago, and she has not heart
from him since. She aaks that | find on
his present address at the census office anC
send it to her.
The question OF abolishing secret session
has again been up in the Senate, and agaiI
met with opposition. fhe opinion outsid,
of the Senate is that very little business i
transacted there in secret that might ne
as well be considered and acted upon in tn,
presence of full galleries A minor, bu
not trivial consideration, is the convent
; euce that open executive sessions would af
ford to the thousands Of people from al
parts Of the United States who come I,
Washington to see Congress. Hundred
OF them at time, aggregating hundred
, of thousands in the cour,e of wear, ar
hustled out of the Senate galleries ever,
day because Senator desires to stop legis
lalive business, in order that HIS frien,
Jones, perhaps, may be confirmed as post
master at Jonesvile. The people feel dis
= appointed, of course, and Senators them
selves acknowledge that there is gres
c deal of unnecessary interference with tn
- comfort and convenience of visitors, fo
very inadequate reasons. Business seldor
comes mp that could not be attended to b,
fore all the world, without injury to publ
or private interests. CAS-.