The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-03-02

was elected for tho remembrance OF plat
forms and pledges.
Apropos of this it was Mr.. Grain, OF
Texas, who presented the bill to have Con-
gress get together and TO work in three
months after the election instead of thir-
teen as it now is. Anything to cure the
evils of the s.slort session Of Congress,
1t is argued " it'll reason that under the
proposed plan Congress viii be freshcr
from the people and less likely TO forget
the promises made in the platform and on
the stump.
Oh those stumps, those stumps; what
frustf.ms of broken pledges of iron
iawcd demagogues! It's nothing to laugh
about, but deadly serious thing. This
country has grown big and unwieldly it
is true. Quite too large for the small
clothes of 1888, and the anwieldincs, of
the legislature has far ont grown that of
the country, Congress positively will not
work. IT devotes itself to society, poker,
intrigue, Irritation, verbal ilaiulencc ard
adjournment.
Every two years the districts send here
lot of fresh statesmen, open mouthed with
wonder like n rustic at u circus. BY the
time their two years novitiate is over and
when they are half prepared to do some
thing, they are relegated to private life
and Il lot Of other utterly unseasoncd men
are elected. The dreary rate is repeated
every two years. The country is young
and vigorous and has so far survived it.
But it must be reformed altogether ant
delenda crit yepa6liea.
Then when the Congressional sessions
ale reconstructed, or before, for that mat
ter, we want another Constitutional
amendment fixing Inauguration Day upon
the anniversary Of the first Inauguration,
tbs Goth Of April pleasant season Of the
year Washinctonians are not the only
holiday makers on that day. The thon-
sands of visitors from the States who
flock here to shiycr andicatch pneumonia
as they did on the occasion of Grants
second Inauguration, for instance, will all
be delighted ut the change, while the
steadily increasing multitude which comes
to Washington on these occasions to revive
patriotism and give the new President an
enthusiastic send off will also be interested
in the matter.
Since Mr.. Villas has taken charge Of the
Interior Department it feels the impulse
of an energetic and strong hand. A shak-
ing up was badly needed. The Patent OF
flee and the Public Land office are deplora-
bly, behind with their work, and the
former is in a state bordering on demon
alizAtion. The present Commissioner of
Patents, an exemplary man, and good
real estate lawyer, came TO the Office with
little or DO knowledge of the intricate and
responsible work before him But few
people are aware OF the immensely and
Importance OF the National Patent Office.
The Commissioner OF Patents found
himself at the head of n corps of principal
Examiners. a Board of Appeals, Il coult
of interference. drafismans division,
the Patent Office Gazette, and a large
corps of clerks. Ii is no cxaggeration to
say that there was not an examiner III the
corps but knew more about the intricate
and perpexing rontinc of the Office than
his Chief.
Had Mr.. Hall addressed himself to the
actual work of the Office, which, on
account Of the idleness and Sinking of
employees, was far in arrears he might in
spite of his freshness have done we'll But
like many neophyes. he signalized his adj
vent by series of ruling that have thrown
thefpractice into confusion worse confound-
ed, and set back for months the pressing
and engorged business of the Patent Office.
The situation is truly deplorable and the
only remedy would seem to be to have Mr..
Hall join Mr.. Sparks, tie late Commits
sioner Of the Land Office.
To-day were held the obseqnies of
Washington's noted philanthropist, Mr..
W. W. Corcoran. According to the ex-
pressed wish of the grand old man his
funeral was transformations. He had him
self named his pail bearers, and he was
laid away in the beautiful marble mauso-
eum beside his ifc and children, in Oak
Hill cemetery, which he many years ago,
presented to his native town, (Georgetown).
His death excited as much comment at the
Capitol as if he had been in public life. A
Congressman who had known him said,
''ile was one of the finest opponents Of
practical Christianity have ever Known
WESTON.