The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-05-29

WASHINGTON, May II, 1886.

1
have made fair progress in business.
The Senate invariably takes holi-
day on Saturday, but the House of
Representatives as invariably works
six days in the week, and frequent
ly holds n Saturday night session
that is protracted to so late an
hour as to trench close upon Sun
day morning.
Appropriation bills arc taking
procedure cfeverything 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 gener-
al Pension bill is under discussion.
The number of persons added to
the pension roll under it is about
259, 900, and the amount of money
involved will be about $25,OO0,OO0.
And then they have been trying
to make new Cabinet office. Rep
resentativc McCreary, of Kentucky,
came to the hearty support of the
measure for enlarging the powers
and duties of the department of
Agriculture. He argued that the
United States, the grand agricultur-
al empire of the world, should ele-
vate the department of Agriculture
to the dignity of the other execu-
tive departments of the Govern
ment. 1t was time there was a Sec
retary Of Agriculture to look after
the great questions that might
arise for the benefit of the farmers
of the country.
Mr. Breckenridge. of Kentucky,
opposed the bill. Coming from an
agricultural State, he would do
anything he ecould to aid the agri-
cultural interest. but the more he
examined the bill, the more it APP
pearcd to him that it would do no
good. He protested against any
legislation that would place the
farmers in a class by themselves.
When the Secretary of Agriculture
came to sit at the Cabinet table he
would cease to be an agriculturist
and would he politician. The
Secretary Of War was not 4 soldier,
the Secretary of the Navy was not a
sailor, the Secretary Of the Interior
was not an inventor or a pensioner,
nor a homcsteader. These gentle
men were politicians. They repre-
sented States, they represented in
huence, and when the Secretary of
Agriculture sat at the Cabinet table
he would be a gentleman who rep
resented certain section, and who
had certain political influence and
weight. 1t was the heavy burden
of taxation that kept the agricultur-
al industry from moving on. This !
was the clog which kept it from adj
vancing. Agriculture did not need |
to be crowned with Cabinet Office
Take off this burden, remove this |
clog, and agriculture would be |
crowned by her own eXertions,
asking favors from Presi-
icnts or Cabinet officers. All az
riculturc wanted was n free, unrc-
strictcd, unburdcncd chance in the
great battle of life.
Mr.. Breckenridgc's remarks were
received with applause, and then
Weaver, of Ohio,
lrose to favor the bill, holding that
t would give labor a status it had
lot yet enjoyed. Labor, he said,
vas organizing for great civic
contest with monopoly, and it had
right to be heard in every coun-
Ill that might pass upon its condi-
ion, and upon the need Of power
nd respect that must be given to
t.
During the week while a large
delegation of New York editors
rcre visiting Washington, they
allied upon the President in a
,odv, rs is the custom Of almost
very party and body that comes to {
he city. Including III: ladies'
here were about two hundred in
he delegation, some of whom were ,
he Presidents old neighbors and I
new him we'll. One of them tried {
0 venture upon the matrimonial
vent in which Mr.. Cleveland is
to be interested. The ,