Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-09

eoo0o
together.
II must shock the nerves OF some OF the sticklers
for senatorial proprety to see In cold type senator
stewards announcement 70 hrs constituents OF his
Intention TO vote for the confirmation OF Mr..
Iamars nomination for Justice OF the Supreme
Court and the full statement OF his reasons for
that course All the traditions OF the s nate favor
the 90 ictest secrecy In these matters. According
10 them a member loses all authority 70 speak for
himself when a nomination TO ONCE Is In question.
He may have very pronounced convictions as TO
hlsprfvate duty In the case, or public policy, but
outside OF the senate be must keep them 70 him.
self. or merely hint at them to the public IN n
frightened whisper. His constituents, who have
their own notions OF right and wrong, must be
kept entirely In ignorance OF his They must not
know what he has done, what he IL going 10 do or
what reasons govern his action. He Is chosen to
represent them but In one very important par
ticular he Is bound 20 KEEP them In ignorance
whether they are being properly represented or
not.
The whole star-chamber system OF considering
nominations Is humbug II IL could be carried
out as the inventors intended, its effect would be
TO turn the performance OF a great public duty
into process OF log-rolling. There Is nothing to
prevent q senator from throwing out remarks
which would lead his constituents to infer that he
then voting the opposite way In order to bind
bargain with some brother senator whose vote he
might wish to dictate on another occasion. BY all
means let encourage such breaches of discipline
as senator Stewart and some other Senators In less
degree have been guilty Of II the Senate as a
body has little respect for its own true dignity
10 continue the farce OF secret sessions In spite
OF the unanimous popular demand for their abb
ution, let every member whose manhood revots
trar toh fha
can give him that they appreciate his purpose.
Mr.. George w. Cnilds, by his career OF benefl-
cence and the kindly interest he has always shown
In those who have had the good fortune to be In
his employ, has earned the right TO q respectful
hearing when he has anything TO say on the rela-
lions OF capital and labor. His opinion OF the
Reading strike Is that the miners would not 60 out
II they were given the eight per cent advance In
wages they ask for, and that the company wJuid
not hesitate 70 grant the advance it could be as
sured that other cOiery operators would grant
the 10 their men and not be enabled TO Under
bid them In the market. II this were the whole
story there ought 20 be little trouble In
settling the strike. But probably there are
other elements entering into the case which
Mr. CbiIds has not considered. At some OF the col
lieries. whose products are moved by the Reading
road, there was an Over-supply of coal, which it
was not believed possible 10 transport before next
spring. at the earliest because prices obtainable II
tide water would not pay for the cost OF carriage
Prom the beginning OF the strike, and the result
ant talk about a coal famine, there has been a
steady demand for this COAL and the piles OF IL are
dwindling. BY the time the supply has run good
way short OF the demand and prices have gone up
as far as they can safely be crowded, a compro-
mise viii be effected with the miners which will
set the wheels Of Industry in motion again through
out the colliery district now under control of the
knights
Meanwhile senslole people need not be fright
ened into the belief that their coal supply Is going
10 be cut on entirely for there danger OF such
q catastrophe. The Wyoming and Lackawanna
districts are as busy as ever, and their combined
product Is not to be despised, even as compared
with the territory where idleness now reigns. The
cupidity OF SPECTATORS Is doubtless at the bottom
botn OF the alarm and OF the strike ITSELF
Secretary Lamar has at last cut the knot which
bound up two other nominations pending before
the senate with his own The endorsements
which might arise from long delay to act upon
his nomination for justice, and thereby release the
other nominations, was referred to In these
columns some days ago. In the case OF Mr. Villas
there would be least TO regret, because he has
II ade a very acceptable Postmaster General, and
there are no matters OF urgent Importance waiting
now in his department for his own action or that
or his successor. But II would be annoying TO
lave a long interregnum IN the Interior Depart
ment, where so many land, patent and
pension cases are continually coming up
for rnal adjudication by the Secretary.
OF course Mr.. Lamar would hesitate to do any
thing that might place his successor in a false
position, and the acting secretary would not wish
TO commit either his present or his future chief
The situation Is further complicated by the acct
dent OF q vacancy In the general commissionership
OF the Land ONCE. Mr.. Lamars course was judi
cious The nominations OF Messrs- Villas ana Dickin-
son can be quickly disposed Of and the Indications
now all point TO the ultimate confirmation OF Mr.
Iamars also although there Is q fair prospect OF
a protracted debate on the subject first, which
viii give a number OF Senators a chance 70 60
more or less formally upon the record with re-
gard 70 the readmistOn OF southern men and par
takers in secession 10 the fullest privileges of
American citizenship.
The mercantile agency reports show a better