Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-02-06

Letters to Congressman.
Special Correspondents Of the INrrR-OcrAS.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-Eulogies Of
vice-President Hendricks, debates over
the coming commonwealth, Dakota,
and executive sessions have consumed
most ofthe time in the senate this week.
An opportunity to do some much need
ed scolding wa also taken advantage Of
by several aggrieved senators. One Of
them lectured the senate for adjourning
over from Thursday to Monday, as has
been its habit Of late, when there was so
much important business on hand. He
supplemented his remarks with a reso-
luton providing that hereafter the yeas
and nays shall be called on motions to
adjourn over a legislative day, thus put
ting the peoples representatives square
ly on record when they vote to waste a
!. day.
Another senator scolded the engrav.
ing clerks Of the house Of representatives
for sending over to the senate bills made
up Of bad spelling. 1t Was an %offense,
an insult to the latter august body that
could not be forgiven. He congratulate.
ed the senate upon the good spelling o.
its employees, and the affair was q Kind
of 1--we feast at the expense Of tho house.
The debate that has been inaugurated
in the senate v the admission of Da-
kota promises to be long and interesting.
The question has become a party one,
and the bill will pass the senate by the
Republican vote. The Democrats count
upon beating the bill in the house.
They claim not to base their opposition
upon a denial of the right of Dakota to
statehood. They admit that in popula-
ton, wealth, ETC., the territory is enti-
tied to become a state; bnt they assert
that the people of Dakota have not COM
piled with the legal preliminaries. Tits
probable q compromise will be proposed
in the senate looking to the admission
Of Montana, which is a Democratic ter
ritory, along with Dakota. One plan
suggested i. to admit Dakota, Montana
and Washington territories. Dakota Is
Republican, Montana is Democratic,
and Washington 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 and petty wrangles have filled
Its record.
The demands upon the time Of con-
gressmen made by their constituents are
such that most of them are under the
necessity Of employing clerks. The du-
ties of these clerks are, mainly, to look
after pension and other claims. 1t is
nov proposed to employ 1926 extra pen.
sion clerks, (there are lust 1876 members
in the house) one to be assigned to the
business Of each congressional district
under the direction of the representative
Of that district. Many members do no,
favor this plan, however; and prefer 20
=. deal with the matterin the old way.
/. A cong, essman's lot is not a perfectly
easy one, as will be seen by some sam
Piles Of information they are expcctedto
furnish their constituents. A western
member remarked, holding some freshly
opened letters in his hand, III there il
anything in the world that my people
do not write to congressman about, ]
would like to know what it is. Here is &
letter from a citizen in my district, who
requests me to write to the American
minister at Rome to send him IN Italian
queen bee. Here is another from
woman whose husband left her seve,
years ago, and she has not heard from
him since. She asks that l find out hi
present address at the census office an,
send it to her.
The question Of a%bolishing secret sea
Sons has again been up in the senate
and again met with opposition. Tn
opinion outside Of the senate is that yer.
little business is transacted there in &c
cret that might not as well be considers
and acted upon in the presence of ful
galleries. A minor, but not trivial CO,
sideratfbn il the convenience that ope1
executive sessions would afford to tn
thousands Of people from all parts 9th
United States who come to Washington
to see congress. Hundreds Of them a
time, a%ggregating hundreds of thou
sands IN the course of a year, are hut
tied out of the senate galleries every da;
because a senator desires to stop legi.ls
tive business in order that his friend
Jones, perhaps, may be confirmed a
postmaster at Jonesville. The peopl
are disappointed Of course, and senator
themselves acknowledge that there is
great deal Of unnecessary interference
with the comfort and convenience of vii
itors for very inadequate reasons. Bus
mess seldom comes up that could not b
attended to before all the world withou
injury to public o. private interests.
An End to Bone scraping.
Edward Shepard, of Harrisburg, III
says: "Having received so much bene