The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-15

The Indiana Man Discusses Number of Con-
gressional Topics.

The Indiana Man Discusses q Number of Con-
gressional Topics.
New York Special to Chicago Tribune.
Senator Ben Harrison. of Indiana has been
here for couple of days on private business
connected with his sons investments in the cat
tie business in Montana. Senator Harrison is
one of the big Drained, small sized men of the
Senate but he has girth enough to comfortably
fill up one of the big Senatorial chairs. and is
taller than Spooner of Wisconsin, that his
size excites no remark. 1t is a curious fact that
in the public mind and imagination Spooner has
crown at least six inches since his eulogy of the
late Vice president Hendricks. Senator Harri-
sons friends consider him tall enough for a
promising presidential candidate, but he does
not seem 80 to regard himself At the recent
banquet of the Ohio Society of New York, of
which he is a member by reason of his birth
place being located in the Buckeye State, he
forcibly stated that he was not in the race until
OHIO had been fully satisfied. While the Trib-
une correspondent was talking to the Senator. to-
dav, big Capt. Sam Brown. whose famous hore
Troubadour won the Suburban race, Thursday,
and at least 100000 with it, passed by. He
eyed the Senator closely. and even turned around
to look at him after passing. The Senator was
told who the big man was with the suggestion
that Brown might be wondering why he couldn't
exchange his winnings for senatorship
''Bring him around right off" whispered the
Senator. laughingly, IF you think he wants a
trade of that kind. have only got year moro
TO serve anu u 0aIQ uSuL Oh my MINUS 10 RSb
back, and would take his 100000 and step
down and out with pleasure
One of the annoyances to which Senator Har-
rison is subjected is the constant reference peo
pie make, in conversation with him, to his dis
tinguished ancestor. William Henry Harrison.
He has an opinion secretly stored away in the
inner reeesses of his heart that he is just as big
man any of his ancestors ever were and
that, in view of the fact that he is alive and
they dead, he is bigger than all of them put to-
fc sv,%~ nn1 t.
him some one tries to play agreeable to his
presence this belief is rudely jostled by
the dragging in Of his grandfathers name. It is
said that he dslikes it above all things, and yet
submits as patiently as a blind OK. because he
cannot help matters by letting his mind be
known. The Senator talked q little about pub
lie matters engaging the attention Of the Senate.
He does not think there will be any tariff or
financial legislation because the session Is now
too late for that kind OF work, Concerning the
oleomargarine bill he said:
1.-THE reference of the bill to the agricultural
committee had no significance. IL they should
report it back favorable it might still be referred
to the finance committee for an examination
into the revenue features Of the measure What
the ultimate result of the agitation of the bill
will be cannot predict. The Senate is flooded
with petitions and printed arguments with refer
ence to the matter, principally from large
dairymem and dairymen's associations"
The Senator is chairman of the committee on
Territories, and discussed at some length various
territorial questions, saying, among other things:
''The growth of the Terrtoies has been so rapid
that legislation has not kept pace with their
needs and actual necessities. They have all the
property interests of States, but obliged to
come to Congress for legislation of various kinds
that might well be relegated to the Territorial
Legislatures leaving to Congress the right to
peal their enactments which it possesses under
its present control For instance. the Territories
cannot at present charter private bank au-
thOriZe the formation of iNcOrDOratiO0S. They
cannot permit county to create a
debt for public improvements. though
l am not so certain but this is a
good prohibition. Yet it brings great
deal Of petty legislation before Congress We
have before now bill to permit county in
Washington Territory to borrow money to build
a court house. They want $40, 900 for that pur-
pose. They must come all the way to Washing
ton for authority, where we can know little
about the county. it's resources, the wishes Of its
inhabitants, and other matters which ought to
be considered which their Legislature could ex-
anime and determine with more ease and greater
certainty of being right There are great
many similar questions constantly arising. One
OF them is the creation of debt for the Terri
tories themselves. Their taxation is now linn
tied to a certain percentage They are prevented
from subscribing for any railroad and have other
restrictions which their citizens generally ap-
prove, but which are frequently sought to be
removed by persons interested in schemes that
are in conflict with such provisions
The Senator was asked about the admission Of
new States from the Northwest, and replied
I'VE have passed the Washington Territory bill
and sent it over to the House. We annexed the
Panhandle of Idaho to Washington. The House
has passed bill admitting Washington as IT
stands. Unless the Senate bill is passed in the
House I do not think there will be any new State
admitted. When they come to me about it
tell them that the whole thing is in the hands of
the House. Montana was talked about a good
deal. The Delegate in Congress wanted
to tack it onto the Washington bill
and admit both together, but he did not
succeed. Dakota is divided against itself.
The troEbie about Dakota is that the Territory
is divided by mountain range so that the up
per portion has nothing in common with the
lower portion, and scarcely any connection Dy
business or otherwise The Panhandle is a
mining region, in which the Ceur d'Alene gold
mines are located. Nature intended it should
be part of Montana, but Montana already has
as much territory as ,he ought to have. The in.
terests Of the Panhandle are with the Northern
Pacific railroad while those OF Southern Idaho
are with the Utah Northern. Altogether it is
probable that we shall have new States at
this session"
Ex-President Arthur's Condition.
New York Tribune, Sunday.
The condition of ex President Arthur was not
encouraging yesterday. The venture out on