Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR.
Washington, Dec. 18th.

Washington, Dec. 18th.
The preliminaries of an interesting
tariff battle, the passage of some
long pending bills, and the national
convention held in this city to pro-
mote great international Exposition
in 1892 at the nations capital, were
among the most important events of
the week here.
While some interesting questions
have been sprung in congress already,
but little was done during the first
week. To the House is due all that
was accomplished. When the senate
met on Thursday, the first thing 1t
did was to agree to do something on
Friday and Saturday. The House
also took holiday on Friday accord
ing to time-honored custom of adj
journing when the death of one of its
members is announced. 1t was Rep
resentatlve Dowdney, who was in his
seat during the first three days of the
session, apparently in perfect health,
and returning TO his home in New
York, was stricken down suddenly.
gress have died during the week, the
other being Mr.. Price of Wisconsin,
which swells the death list of the
forty-ninth congress beginning with
Mr.. Hendricks, the late presiding Of
icer of the senate, to twelve.
Before adjourning out of respect to
it's deceased member, the House had
passed two important bills during the
week and had discussed several 9TH
ers. The first measure adopted was
the bill to extend the free delivery
system to every incorporated city,
village or borough containing pop
ulation of 10000, or to any post-of-
fee which produces a gross revenue
for the preceding fiscal year of not
less than $4,000. There are one
hundred and seventy-nlne towns
which will be benefited by this bill.
While the senate was indulging in
some tariff talk few days since, the
House was debating the bill to create
department of agriculture with a
seat in the cabinet for it's head, and
this subject unexpectedly led to the
tariff. The proposal to dignity ag-
riculture with a position in the cabi-
net, encountered sharp opposition
from Arkansas, Texas, Virginia and
West Virginia congressman, all OF
whom took the ground that the best
thing that could be done for the
farmers was to open the markets
abroad, where they must sell thei
products to American purchasers an(
to take the import duties off the lum
Der, steel, iron and other materials
; needed by the farmers. 1t was ;
notable fact that all the states who's
representatives took this position
: were agricultural states with the par
: tial exception of W. Virginia.
A tariff fight seems imminent AM
5 it may commence this week. Rep
resentative Anderson of Ohio wa
t saying that the time had come whe
r these surplus millions would have t
t be stopped, in some way, from pilin
: in the treasury, and that mutual con
cessions would have to be made. Fo
e his part, he was ready to let ever
: penny of duty be knocked off Obi
e wool. "Would you really favor rt
e duction on an article in which you
II state is so largely interested?'' ws
: asked. EYES," replied Mr.. Ande
G son, 81 will favor anything that wi
: relieve the people at large of tn
J. halter about their necks. | kno
: such sentiments will not make n
lie more popular at home, but 1t is Fl
D the good of the country. 1t mu
W come off somewhere, continued b
e. "and if everybody looks out for e
st cry little interest in his particular i
OF cality, nothing will ever be done
rs Mr.. Anderson says he will vote for
O. bill to reduce the tariff thirty millio
sd now, and more in the future.
he Patriotic speeches may be expee
IL ed to begin soon in behalf of pr
o. petual United States fair, to be ad
lis ed to the already many spectacul
Nv and educational institutions of Was
nd ington. The Exposition convent
&c discussed and adopted resolutlo
m which call for committee of fife
OF that is to urge congress to preps
IN for celebration in 1889 to mark
'e' one hundredth anniversary of |