Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-04-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, April l3, lsss.

tives has grown to he not only monot-
onous. hat distressing. This ordering 81
the ayes aud nays on alternate motions I"
adjourn and To take a recess together with
the bringing ia cf delinquent members Ia
the bar of the hoasc 10y the serseant-at-
arms, where they are required to give ex-
cuse for their absence from the sessions OF
that body. has comtiuued now unintrrupt-
edy for ten days.
During this time there has been NO legis-
laiion ia that cud Of the capitol. business
has been utterly stagnant both ia the house
and la the house committeks. And ~henit
j. remembered that congress idle is as ex-
pensivr a. congress busy. and that under
any circumstances il costs the Taxpayers
OF the country at the rate Of from $1,000
To 81 900 IA day, the situation becomes
serious.
All this trouble was over "a bill To refund,
from the federal treasury. the direct tax
levied on the states and territories in | SCI
20 raise money Tor carrying ON the war.
The act OF | SCI pro, ided that tax of
S2o.ooo. 600 lie apportioned among the in
habi;anfs of the several states and terri
tories. OF this amount SIT 800. 900 WAS
collected, leaving a balance due, mostly
from the southern states. 81 about 80 800
900. In some Of the Southern states then
in r,bellion collections were made in some
instances from the property Of individuals.
Now. the theory upon which the proposal
Ia refund is based, is that the uncollected
- fra. l.n, al
debt which must. in justice to all con
rcrncd. he collected or else the collected tax
ehall he refunded to the proper states and
territories. The opponents Of the bill take
the position that as the leves were made
ON individuals in the southern states, the
only fair course would he to find these in
dividual, and reimburse them directly.
They also oppose it because the cotton tax,
which drew nearly S7O.cOO,0OO from the
southern states. the constiiutionality Of
which is still hotly disputed, has never been
repaid.
The senate is working leisurely, as usual.
II has this week discussed the question Of
admitting Dakota as one state. ar dividing
il ia two halves and admitting it as two
states. The Democrats are willing to adj
NIT her as one state, but the Republicans
want to make as much Of her ms possible
for the benefit of the senate. Four Rcpub-
lican senators would vote more than two.
Some of the delegates to the recent Inter
national Council Of Women still linger in
Washington. Among them is Mrs Chant,
oi England, who is going to remain over
here while and assist in temperance work.
Sine has given several temperance talks to
large audiences in different parts 81 the
city. IN one al them she said: There is
no middle course, no second ground in this
fight with alcohol. The saloon must be
closed. its manufacture must be stopped.
1t must be banished from our homes, from
our tables, from the communion itself, he
fore man and woman can grow into the
full statue Of health and purity" Mrs.
Chant is u grand niece Of Edmund Burke.
Col. Don Piatt. who used to say such sar-
castle and bitterly brilliant things in the
capital" and Librarian Spoiford, who
can instantly place his hand on any book
in the congressional library, both appeared
last Monday before the senate committee
on post offices to advocate the passage OF
the bill to prohibit the transmission Of
cheap literature by mail at one cent "a
pound. Col. Piatt said they appeared in
behalf Of three separate interests: FiIst.
the possibilities of the United States, which
complain of being overbur,lened With MGR
camille matter: second, the authors and
honest publishers Of the country, who com
plain of unjust freight discrimination: and
third, the outraged conscience Of the coun-
try.
lie said it was an insult to intelligence to
call the Seaside Library publications. for
instance, periodicals., and yet il was by the
misuse of this word "periodical' that the
mails had become crowded with this mat
ter To such an extent that our postal cars
would have to lie changed to freight cars il
it goes further. All that appealed to the
lowest passions of the lowest CLASSES was
being distributed by the government in
partnership with the publishers. and that
under the plea Of disseminating knowledge.
lie mentioned the novels Of Mrs. Brad
don, Ouids,, the younger Dumas and lola
being especially poisonous to uncultured
minds, from the Tact that these writers pos
ssssed genius.
senator Blackburn Of Kentucky is max
ing AN effort to get passed by the senate.
before the spring races begin at the Wash
ington race course, "a bill passed by the
house to prohibit pool-selline and book
making in the district.