The Washington critic., 1886-05-12
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


the Memphis Agalanche says: River
and harbor appropriations seem to
have been especially the subject of
Presidential vetoes. AS early as Madl-
sons time a bill for internal improve
ments was vetoed by that President as
unconstitutional jackson vetoed
river and harbor appropriation bill in
1882 on the ground that 1t was an at
tempt by the Government to con-
troll internal Improvements. He also
vetoed bill for aid in making the
Wabash River navigable, another for
the Louisville and Portland canal an
other for number of harbors. Tyler
vetoed harbor bill in 1914 and river
and harbor appropriation bill In 1915.
Polk, year later, vetoed another
river and harbor appropriation
bill, and Pierce, in 1864, took similar
course with reference to bill of this
character In 1856 he also vetoed
bill removing distractions In the Mis-
sissippi River, q couple of others for
river improvements in the northwest,
another for the Des Moines, and an
other for the Patapsco River. From
Buchanan down TO Arthur, river and
harbor bills seem to have had pretty
easy time of 1t, nor there Is no record
of any vetoes until that by President
Arthur in 1889. Whether President
Cleveland will make one In 1886 Is uu-
certain, though 1t Is believed by many
that he will.
~r@
Beach of New York is still laughing
at Weaver of Nebraska, says "Mac" of
the Cleveland Plaindealor. The New
Yorker is the man who enacts the
subsidiary role of objector. Mr.. Hol-
man, who is the objector from way
back, attends only to objections on the
score Of economy. Mr.. Beach objects to
consideration Of bills out of their regu-
lar order. His theory, and it is good
one, Is that there is no occasion for
rules unless they be obeyed. Some
time ago Weaver of Nebraska, an un-
deniable crank, introduced a resolution
aimed at Beach, and prescribing that
! the objection of more than one crank
should be necessary to prevent the
present consideration Of any measure.
The little thrust at Beach did not dis
may him. The resolution received the
treatment usually accorded the facetious
prcambles that Hon. S. A. Drummer
used to propcl against the Ohio Legis-
lature. One day Beach was absent
from his sentinel post. His familiar
note Of objection, unlike the voice of
the turtle was not heard in the land
Weaver got passed his bill making
Omaha port of entry. 1t also passed
the Senate rapids safely and got to
the President There it struck veto
and sank. This is why Beach laughs.
Nv
The town of Somerset, which lies on
the back borders of Windham County,
VT, and teens with population of
sixty-sevcn souls, seventeen of whom
are voters, is trying to make trouble for
the spunky' new postmistress, Mrs.
Sutton, who has planted the postoflice
in box by the kitchen stove, and in
sists on locking the house and going
visiting just when she pleases-in
short, who has made proclamation that
the postotlice will be open only on two
days of the week. Postofllce Inspector
l.. B. Lamson has Just been over there,
according to the Brattleboro Ph@ntp, to
persuade the woman that nothing
but ten hours day would do for
the service, but she simply told him
that two days in the week was enough,
and that she didn't propose to tie her.
self up to that post Office or stay a,
home If she wanted to go q visiting
not for Mr.. Chase, nor for Mr.. Lamson,
nor for the United States Postollice De.
partment. Mrs. Sutton thus deties the
United States Government and all its
agents in Windham County; and moi
only that, but she bids defiance to all
classes of society in Somerset, the rich
as well as the poor, the seventeen
voters as well as the fifty other people
about her. But she has little to fear
as Somerset is in wild, mountainous
region, about thirty miles from good
road, and not likely again to be visited
for some time by Government in
spector. The siXty-scven souls of tina
town have got to fight 1t out alon,
with the Dlucky postmistress
~
Eugene Field of the Chicago Ne,D
disposes of the Permanent Exposition
business in the following characteristic,
paragraph: "Washington's piggisl
little attempt to get Congressional ap
preparation for national quadro- cen
tennial in 1892 appears to have petereC
out. We are not sure that it didn'
die a-bornin', as it should have done
There will be one Columbus exposition
in 1892 in this country, and 1t will b
held in Chicago the pride of American
civilization. BY that time the Henne
pin Canal will be finished, and ships o
all nations will be enabled to float righ
up into the heart of Chicago to unloat
their contributions to the grandest cX
hibition ever witnessed on this nun
dane sphere. Al address of welcom
will be delivered by the Hon. Lon
John Wentworth, who will narrat
how Christopher Columbus landed a
the foot of Van Buren, street in the fal
of 1402 and shot jacksnipe ior suppe
with an old Queen Anne musket tina
is now in the possession of the lllinoi
Historical Society.
~
Says Carp" of the Cleveland Loade,
Stanley Matthews first wife was tn
daughter of James Black, wealth
planter of Middle Tennessee, and
grand daughter of General William NJ
Morrison of Kentucky, Her sstC
married Harvey Wattorson, Cor
gresham from Tennessee, and Ienr
Watterson of the Courior.Joulnal WI
Mrs, Matthews nephew. Both 81
and Stanley Matthews were ninetee
years of age when they were marie
away back now forty three years agt