Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-05-28

Iney nave NOT ClOSScu ICE ioi"'iOi'
by factlous opposition, as the DEM
ocrats have always done when they
were in the minority. They have
not tried to protract the session
which the Democrats are anxious
to bring to an end, in order that
they may get home and do some
good work for themselves in the
Congressional canvass. The ma
iority in the Forty-Ninth Congress
is Of course blameable for this do
nothing policy of the wasted ses-
sion, but Representative Reed OF
Maine, one of the leaders on the
Republican side, throws the man
tie of charity over its shortcomings
in this way. He says the present
Congress is a fair average repre-
sentation of the people, that Con
gress is always up to the people,
and that when the people grow bet
ter and do better by Congress,
Congress will improve in the same
proportion.
congressman like horse races and
il was impossible for either branch
of Congress 10 vote much during
the past week, because, much OF
the time, their quorums were at the
Washington race track, located
about two miles north OF the city.
Senators. Representatives, Cabinet
officers and many other high Off
Gals were there. Nobody in Wash
ington is too busy to attend and
few are too moral to wager their
money on the result ola race. Some
of the most reckless betting is done
bv Senators; Blackburn and Beck of
Kentucky, for instance, being ex'
ceedingly liberal minded when they
come to back their judgment on a
horse race. The men from the
South and East have the largest
ideas about bets, while the Yves
tern men are more careful. Most
of them are unlucky in betting,
however, aud every May during
these races, enough money is lost
by them to pay a good many of
their salaries.
Under the new Democratic "Re'
form" administration, one of the
most glazing cases of nepotism
that has ever been known to exist
in the Government departments has
inst been discovered, \ family of
six persons, only one Of whom is
performing any adequate service,
is now comfortably established in
Office in the heretofore carefully
conducted Patent Office. Five mem
bers of this private pension list are
recent appointees, and have OBJ
tanned their positions without re-
course to the provisions of the Civil
Service law, and, it is said, by the
connivance of people in high au-
thority. These favored people have
not the barest rudiments of an
English education, are not even
capable of performing the simplest
duties of a skilled labOrer, and sew
eral of them are nearly if not en-
tirely blind. They are doubtless
objects for public charity, bnt the
Executive Departments, here III
Washington, are not asylums, and
that such state Of affairs can be
in the face of existing laws, and
with the war cry of "ReiOrm' ring
ing through the air, seems almost
incredible.
The Senate has been discussing
pensions. Senator Mcpherson, a
Democrat from New Jersey, wanted
the general pension bill rocommit
ted in order to obtain the amount
to be paid out by it. Senator Blair
said the sum would he from twenty
to twenty-five millions a year, but
that it was simply a question OF
paying debts. Debts ought to be
paid whether they are large OF
small.
Senator Voorhees, was willing tC
vote for the bill because he was IL
favor OF distributing money among
the people. The dollar that die
| good vas the active, busy dollar
whether it was silver or otherwise
lie thought the moneys that hat
been paid by the Government II
| pensions for several years had haC
large influence in averting a great
financial panic, because they went
not to the pensioners alone, 0u
circulated through the whole coun
try.
Senator CullOm advocated put
ting on the pension roll all soldiers
who were unable to take care o
themselves, without requiringtheu
to prove that their disability wa
| incurred in the service. If sOm'
such bill as this was not passed, h'
SAID, the old soldiers would be foun'
in the poOr-houses of the country
Oh, ! am a Democrat !"
Well, what of it, Hear what thu
great Webster said Oct. 18th, 1910
before the Wing convention il
Richmond, Va, and see how fact
| and politics come again, like tia
roses
al say, then, that the enemy ha
been driven to his last citadel. H'
takes to himself a popular name