Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-04-15
Telegraphed Letter.


in the Southwest, massacre and incend-
larry fires in the East St Louis, free
silver coinage and the proposition to
suspend silver coinage knocked higher
than kite, and the Mexican pension
bill passed, created considerable excite
ment. and non-exciting things are
forced. The House Judiciary Com
mittee will report in favor of repeating
the law prohibiting disloyal men from
receiving pensions This is the first
step to make loyalty odious and trea-
son respectable. The Confederacy is
in the saddle sure enough Look out
for breeze in the Senate.
The proposition for open executive
sessions Of the Senate is growing in
favor every day, and it is confidently
asserted that if Senator Edmunds,
with his influence, would agree to this
step, it would be adopted.
The Northwest Trading Co., who
have been trying to engineer bill
through Congress, so that they can get
possession of good slice of Alaska,
have been beautifully sat down on by
the committee.
The defeat of Logan's bill fer the
increase and efficiency of the army, is
much to be regretted, not only on
account of the bill's merits, but
! because of the bitterness manifested
by the ex-rebels in the Senate in trying
to tack on an amendment to repeal
section 1,21S of the Revised Statutes,
prohibiting the appointment of men
who served in the confederate army to
place in the army of the United
States. Not only this but, the great
est injustice was done to Gen. Logan
by Republican opponents in impugning
his motives in urging the measure. 1t
would have any true patriot good to
have heard Logan's speech last week
In which occurs the following:
''Sir," said Mr.. Logan, eff I had
the power, which l have not. and do
not ever expect to have or exercise,
but it is in the American people and
there it rests-if I should WELD it
to-day no American citizen would ever
lie rotting in the dungeons of any for
eign power without having his case
examined and fairly treated. loud
applause in the gallery. Sir I would
use the power of the American people
against Spain OF England, OF any other
power, to protect the American citi-
Zen."
The event of the week, however,
was the reversal of Commissioner
Sparks order of April Sd, 1885. and
it is said that this action will result in
his resignation, or his removal if he
disobeys the mandate of Secretary
Lamar. To understand how unjust
this order was, and how important to
the Northwestern states, it is only
necessary to give the words of the
order rescined. They read:
"Final action in this office upon all
entries of the public lands, except
private cash entries and such scrip
locations as are not dependent upon
acts of settlement and cultivation, is
suspended in the following localities,
viz: All west of the first guide
meridian west in Kansas all west of
Range II west in Nebraska; the whole
of Colorado, except land in the late
Ute Reservation all of Dakota,
Idaho, Utah, Washington, New Mexi-
co, Montana, Wyoming and Neveda
and that portion of Minnesota north
of the indemnity limits of the st.
Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba R. R.
In addition, final action in this office
will be suspended upon the timber
entries under the act Of June 8, 1876,
also upon cases of desert land entries"
Sherman has been made chairman
of the Senate Committee on Federal
Relations, instead of Senator Miller,
deceased.
The Mexican war pension bill passed
the House with "whoop" 1t pro-
vides that all surviving officers,
soldiers and sailors, who enlisted and
served in the Mexican war for any
period, and who were honestly dis
charged, and their surviving widows,
shall be pensioned at eight dollars per
month, the pension beginning on the
passage of this act and continue dur
ing their lives. All persons now
under political disabilities are excluded
from the benefits Of this act. It is esti-
mated that the cost to the treasury
will be from 81, 100000 to 81, 500, 900
annually. The bill also passed in the
Senate.
The House Committee on Territories
reported adversely to the bill creating
Oklahoma territory, on the ground
that the Government has no legal
right to the lands.
The discussion of labor troubles
occupied considerable time in the
House. and the adoption of the arbi-
tration scheme may meet with like
success in the Senate, but old heads
and thoughtful minds doubt the Wis