The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-06-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Since | last wrote you Congress has
been discussing such questions ~ gov
ernment bond buying, the tariff, the
fisheries treaty, silver and matters of
local interest, such as relates TO the
District of Columbia, the latter having
been much neglected of lateon account
of the pending Tariff bill.
The President has been quietlp pur-
suing his daily routine business, has
been enjoying his denomination of
course, and has had his sympathies ex-
cited by the cases of criminals in diff
ferent parts of the country, number
of whom are to be released through his
pardon.
The Democratic Congressman who
attended the St. Louis National Con-
vention had scarcely settled themselves
in their seats again when the Republi-
can members left for their Convention
at Chicago. All is not we'll with Con-
gress during Presidential campaigns,
Legislation suffers because oI the alb
senee of memoers, and those who re-
main cannot debate any question with
out interlarding il with campaign talk
entirely irrelevant to the subject.
On Monday, while the District Po-
lice bill was under consideration, Rep
resentative Struble, of Iowa, arraigned
the majority in Congress for giving no
attention. 70 the demands for temper
ance legislation, declaring that it was
prohibition or substantial restriction
of the sale Of liquor in the District Of
Columbia that was needed more than
increased police or police facilities.
The committee to which the temper
ance bills had been referred was at
tackled by Mr.. Dingley for its remiss-
ness in not having reported back these
measures. He said the arrests for
drunkenness in the State of Meine
were not more than one-tenth the NUM-
of such arrests in the District.
The District Committee was defended
by Mr.. Rowell, one of its members,
who said it had had all the work it
could do, and that it had been deprived
by the Tariff bill of five days to which
il was Justly entitled for the disposal of
! its business. Mr.. Campbell, Chairman
of the Alcoholic Liquor Traffic Com
nittee, said his bills would have been
acted upon but for the failure to get q
quorum of his committee. On the
question of prohibition, he said his
committee was awaiting the action of
! the Senate committee.
Secretary Whitney, of the navy, will
neither affirm nor deny the rumored
report of his retirement from the Cab
iiaet if Mr.. Cleveland ia reelected N
1 November. He does deny, however,
/ that he is in III health, and states that
had he any intention OF leaving the
1 Cabinet he would consider it his duty
/ to inform the President before any one
else.
| That the Secretary has been some
what dissatisfied of late is an open
secret, it having been caused partly by
the quarrel between the line and staff,
which shattered the unity Of the navy
/ to an extent Several other minor
matters. such as the slowness with
which the manufacture of the guns foi
the new naval cruisers has been carried
on, have tended To Increase his annoy
/ ance, and in conversation he has moi
hesitated TO express his opinion on th'
subject with great freedom.
One of the newest sights OF the Cap
ital is the gospel wagon. tits church
on wheels, and is one of the agencies
used by the workers of the Unior
Mission. Every Sunday itpasses from
one point to another where preaching
services are held, and nearly every
evening it carries Christian works OF
their evangeiistic trips. Di1eren
churches in the city are interested II
the work Of the mission, and their rep
Iresentatives take part in the meeting
and assist in the missionary efforts ar
being made. Representative of mum
Der of the churches have some on,
levening in the week when they TAX
charge of the gospel wagon and con
duct the services at the several localitie
in the city where the services are held
The purpose is to reach that class o
people VINO 90 not go 10 church ant
have no church connections. Tn
church is in this way brought to them
This field Of operation for the Wagon
is the outskirts Of the city. 1t il
twenty feet long by seven feet wild
and six and half feet high. Th
wheels are low and of the same size
so that the box can turn on them, an,
all of the running gear is unusual
large and strong, having been made t
order just for the purpose. When OF
its way to a meeting the wagon, draw
by four horses, looks like new kin,
of excursion vehicle. When it stop
for meeting it is quickly transforme
into comfortable little pulpit an
choir platform, with the organis
/. ready to play al the leaders and sing
ers standing in front.