Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1886-07-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON. july IL, 1856.
It loo6s now as if congress will not
finish work and go home before August. |
AT least the contest over the vetoed
pension bills and the situation of the
bills in the senate have
caused our lawmakers in both ends of
the Capitol to settle down to the idea
of such fate. The prospect of sitting
three weeks yet, and possibly longer,
has rather depressing effect upon
most of them. The obvious improprie-
ty of rcsorting to their shirt slecvec or
of taking off their collars and cuffs
when they find it necessary to make 4
speech, makes a 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 melting beginning with the
collar. The speaker sees collars drop
ping down one after another, and
knows that the members will soon dis
appear. Two or three weeks of hot
weather, and more than half the house
has dissolved so that there is not 4
quorum present. The torty-fourth
congress remained in session, rcmem-
Der. until the 18th of August. The
democrats had gotten the ascendencv
for the first time after the war, and the
impeachment of Belknap 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 power. He has not respected par
ties, and both sides and both branches
of congress have suffered. Nice-presi-
dent Hendricks and Senator Miller, of
California, have passed away from the
senate chamber, while from the house
were called Representative Evens.
Rankin, Elwood, Duncan, Hahn, and
Cole. This is probably as long a death
roll as any previous session can show.
There has been much exciting discus
sion in congress over the vetoed pen
sion bills. During one of the stormiest
sessions of the house. after one republic
can member after another and arraign-
ed the president in language more pos
tive than parliamentary, Gov. Curtin,
of Pennsylvania, poured oil upon the
troubled waters by quoting an ancient
rhyme. He first bespoke for the presi-
dent decent speech, said he did not
know what the pending bill was about,
but the house had resolved itself into
political meeting. "Supposc that
members quit quarreling, and turn
their attention to public business. Let
them remember that their mothers
taught them:
Let dogs delight to bark and bite
For God has made them So
Let hears md lions growl and fight
For It's their mature too.
But little chillrpn's littl han we've
never made t. scratch eco uiitar'n Yes
out, ETC." When the laughter had sub
sided Mr.. Allen, Of Mississippi, spoke.
He said he thought he ought to apollo
gize for discussing pension matters, us
he had been a confederate private. 1t
was said that confederates ought to
have thought of this matter of pensions
twenty-five years ago. He acknowl-
edged that, at the beginning OF the war,
he had not given the matter that due
consideration to which it had probably
been entitled. naughter) He had
been quite young boy then, but along
about the third year of the war he be-
gan to think seriously of it, and so
much had he been impressed with the
| fact that the course he was pursuing
would bankrupt the United States
government in pensioning the widows
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 rather than slay a whole army.
The summer social seeson has closed
with Mrs. Cleveland's last midday re-
ception, which was held on Friday.
She held six of these in all, ard some
regret was expressed that they were o
be discontinued. During her brief So
| journ at the white house the new lady
has seen fair evidence of real social
life here, and a 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 accustomed to carrying visit.
ing cards, and when the door keeper
reached his hand for that diplomatic
piece of cardboard they could not have
been more astonished than if he had
asked them to pay an admission fee
A few of the wise ones went out to the
nearest stationer's and provided them
selves with blank cards, usiug the
white house pen and ink for the in
scription. Two men who came togeth
er had one card, and one Of then
thought he had solved the riddle by
writing on it "Nfr. Blank and friend.
A young lady came with two half growr
girls, and they picked up three pieces o
white paper. On one they wrote thei
names and handed it and the two plair
scraps to the usher This motley col
lection of cards was kept for Mrs. Cleve
land to look over.
A full line of Hosiery, Gloves, Hand
II - =
goods, etc, at Pier & Ferguson's.
Territorial Fair.
The Territorial Board of Agricultur
offers liberal premiums for county eS
hibits at the Second Annual Fair to b.
held at Huron September 9th to l0tl
1856.
!. Turner county can make a splendi
E showing. Shall we? We hope to ST