Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-05-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MONITOR
Washington, May 18th.


ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MoNlroR.1
Washington, May I7h.
Although the week at the Capital
has been a quiet one, both houses of
congress have made fair progress in
business. The senate invariably takes
holiday on Saturday, but the house of
representatives as invariably works
six days in the week, and frequently
holds a Saturday night session that
is protracted to so late an hour as to
trench close upon Sunday morning.
Appropriation bills are taking pre-
cedence of everything else as the
session is drawing towards its close.
One after another the house is dis
posing OF them. The army has been
provided for, also our consuls and
diplomats, and now the general pen
sion bill is under discussion. The
number of persons added to the pen
sion roll under it is about $3.50, 900,
and the amount of money involved
will be about $25, 200, 900.
And then they have been trying to
to make new cabinet office. Rep
resentative McCreary of Kentucky
came to the hearty support of the
measure for enlarging the powers and
duties of the department of agricul-
ture. He argued that the United
States, the grand agricultural empire
of the world, should elevate the de-
partmeut of agriculture to the digni-
ty of the executive departments of
the government. 1t is time there
was secretary of agriculture to look
after the great questions that might
arise for the benefit of the farmers of
the country.
MI. Breckenridge CT Kentucky OPP
posed the bill. Coming from an ag-
ricultural state, he would do anything
he could 10 aid the agricultural inter
est, but the more he examined the
bill, the more it appeared to him that
it would do no good. He protested
against any legislation that would
place the farmers in class by them
selves. When the secretary of agri
culture came to sit at the cabinet ia
BILE he would cease to be an agricul
turist and would become politician
The secretary of war was not sol
dier, the secretary of the navy was
not a sailor, the secretary of the in
terror was not an inventor or pen
sioner, nor homesteader. Thes
gentlemen were politicians. The,
represented influence, and when tn
secretary of agriculture sat at til
cabinet table he would be a gentle
man who represented a certain sec
ton, and who had certain politics
influence and weight. 1t was tn
heavy burden of taxation which KEEP
the agricultural industry from movin
on. This was the clog which kept
from advancing. Agriculture di
not need to be crowned with cab
net office. Take off this burden, re
move this clog and agriculture woul
be crowned by her own exertions
without asking favors from president
or cabinet officers. All agricultur
wanted was free, unrestricted, ur
burdened chance In the great battI
of life.
Mr. breckenridge remarks wei
received with applause, aud then rel
resentative Weaver of Iowa aros
to favor the bill holding that it woul
give labor status it had not yet Ell
joyed. Labor, he said, was organ
izlng for a great civic contest wit
monopoly, and it had right to |
heard in every council that might PAL
upon It's condition, land upon the nee
of power and respect that must
given to it.
During the week while large dc
: egation of New York editors we
visiting Washington, they called upt
L the president in body, as is Il
custom of almost every party al
4 body that comes to the city. lnclu
: ing the ladies there were about ty
: hundred in the delegation, some
s whom were the presidents old neig
Z. bors and knew him we'll. One
them tried to venture upon the ms
rimonial event in which Mr.. Cley
;, land is supposed TO be intereste
u The only answer elected from |
big, reserved bachelor was that