Smyrna times., 1888-01-18
For the Smyrna Times.
Washington Letter.


Both branches of Congress now being
organized for work, the business of
the session will be proceeded with in a
regular and systematic manner. Owing
to the large number of young men in
the House, it is thought the greatest
activity aud interest will center in that
body. Thirty are under forty-five
while sixteen are not over thirty.five
years of age. Benjamin Shively, of
Indiana, is the most youthful, as he
will not be thirty-one till March next.
Next above him is James Phelan, of
Tennessee, the young newspaper pro-
prietOr, whose age is but thirty-three.
OF the new bills presented in the
Senate, which, on Occount of its being
a continuous body and at any time
ready for the transaction of bushes,
generally gets the start of the House,
mention may well be made of that of
Senator HOar, of Massachusetts, for
the Worlds Exposition, in 1892, which
was referred for consideration to the
select committee on tie Centennial of
the Constitution and the Discovery of
America. Among other things this
bill provides that space be assigned on
some vacant reservation in Washington
for permanent State and Territorial
building, a permanent exhibit of the
representative history, resources, arts
and industries of our fOrty-six States
and Territories; also for permanent
three Americas building, to give an
exhibit of the history, antiquities, re-
sources, arts and industries of North,
Central and South America; fora tenn
porary building or buildings for an ex-
hibit between May 1st and October
31st, 1892, by all nations other than
those of the American continent, and
for suitable site for a statue Of Column
bus. 1t IS further proposed that the
President shall invite the several
States and Territories of the United
States and the several sister nations of
the three Americas TO participate in
the projected exposition. If this great
international enterprise should be car
ried TO successful issue, it will be the
grandest art, industrial and historical
exposition of the world, eclpsing even
the glory and the grandeur of the
great Centennial Exposition, which
has been enshrincd in history as the
prOudest peaceful achievement of the
greatest of republics. Its greatest adj
vantage over the centennial would be
its permanency and another advan-
tage would be the joint undertaking
not of one nation, hut OF several This
is a capital plan of dispo~in- of most
of the troublesome surplus.
OF other important measures before
the Senate, it might be well to. name
the tariff agitation and the Blair edu-
Catlonal bill. Several speeches have
been made on the former subject-Sen-
atOrs Sherman, Voorhees,, Teller and
Allison participating in the discussion
the Presidents message being the
prOvOcatiOn of the debate. Tariff talk
sounds pertinent enough now, but be-
fore the end of the session it will be
an old story and the habitues of the
galleries and readers of newspapers
will be heartily tired of it.
Mr.. Blair declares that he will push
his bill until it is finally disposed of,
and he processes himself confident of
its success; but, there are many who
do not share this opinion, one of whom
may be that strict constructionist ofthe
Constitution, President Cleveland.
This is a mere conjecture, for which
there seems at least the probability of
a reason, if one may judge by the
Chief Executive actions and express
siOns upon kindred subjects. That
Congress will pass the Blair bill there
can be but little doubt. Still, the
House Committee on Education in the
fiftieth, as in the forty ninth Congress,
is believed to be hostile to the measure.