Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-03-15
SATURDAY. MAR. 18th, 1880.
MEN ANDrHINGs AT WASHINGTON.

MEN AND THINGS AT WASHINGTON.
The habit of absentiDg themselves
from their places 10 the House which
so many congressman have contract
ed has grown to be a public misfor-
tune, and the public press of the
country should call attention to it in
plain and outspoken language. Per
sons who choose to accept seats in
Congress and receive pay for their
services should consider that their
time belongs to the government, but
many of them seem to regard it a
matter of little Importance whether
or not their attendance is regular.
The Democrats were made to feel
the extent of this evil a few days ago
when enough of their members were
absent to cause them the loss of a
seat, one of their members whose
seat was contested being unseated
through the absence of so many
Democratic members.
The Senate has agreed to vote
upon the Blair educational bill in a
few days, and the fate of this
measure which has so long attracted
the attention OF the country will be
settled. Senators Hale and Spooner
have both made vigorous speeches
against the bill, and it is now pretty
we'll assured that its friends will be
unable to secure majority IN its
favor. 1t is remarkable fact that
the protracted discussion OF this
measure by its friends has brought
about this result, as it has steadily
lost supporters during the past year.
Some of the ablest senators on the
Republican side have grave doubts
about its constitutionality and, con.
sequently, will vote against the bill
II is a little unusual to find the
farmers in opposition to any public
measure designed for their benefit
but this seems to be the fact in re
gard to the bill brought forward III
the House to prevent the adultera
ton OF lard. The farmers in the
northwest complain that lard is sc
extensively adulterated by the use
of cotton seed oil that the pure arti
Gle has been lowered in price, and
in some localities, driven from the
market by the adulterated article
Their efforts to secure legislation in
Congress are met by petition from
the farmers in Georgia, who protest
against the passage of any bill which
will prevent the adulteration Of lard
on the ground that such Legislation
would interfere with the sale Of tht
cotton seed of which they are large
producers. 1t is difficult to deter
mine what the outcome will be, bu
it seems that public sentiment vii
demand that food products should b.
kept free from adulteration as far al
possible, aud certainly no one Womb
wish to see a staple al ticle rendered
impure, even if such II condition o
affairs would inure to the advantage
Of the farming community in any
specified locality.
4 Democratic adherence of trusts
does not seem 10 strike more thar
skin deep, as it seems that Daniel 5
Lamont has gone extensively into
the trust business in the city of New
York, and proposes to combine the
street railways for his personal ad
vantage. 1t is probably only an illus
tration of the fact that the fellow
who can get up the trust thinks vel
Of it, regardless of his political >euti
ments. The Democratic party runs
the Standard Oil Company and thu
Sugar Trust, and if it now gather
into its embrace the street railways
it will be the head aud front Of the
trust business.
Mr.. MCKINLEY has not yet report
ed his tariff bill, much to the sur
prise of his party friends. 1t is said
that be experiences great difficulty
in reporting a bill which can receive
the support OF IA majority of the
House, and hence his laborS have
been unusually protracted. IL is
also said that the large appropria
tions required for pensions, river and
harbor improvements and miScellau
eous matters will reduce the surplus
to such an extent that 10 important
reduction of the tariff is likely to be
made. The Republicans should not
make the mistake Of falling to legis
late in behalf of large and Intelli
gent class who believe that the tar
if needs modification in many re
spects. The political campaign in
the last presidential election was
conducted upon the pledge that thf
Republicans would revise the tariff
and tighten the burdens imposed
upon the neceSsaries of life, aud, il
they fail to redeem this pledge, it is
not improbable that they will dis
cover that their mistake has been
a most serious one. The farmers
are suffering great depression, and
they are demanding a reduction OF
the tariff upon raw materials, and il
the Republican party does not heed
their wishes they may give it seri.
Gus trouble in the future. The Re-
publican party is committed to the
policy of protection and it should
stand by this principle. but at the
same time the ia riff should be so
adjusted that the necessarles Of life.
and raw materials which enter into
the manufacture OF household goods,
should be relieved OF all burdens. 1t
is proper and right to impose heavy
duties upon silks ard satins and
broadcloths, but it is impossible and
unwise to tax sugar, aud raw mater
ials needed in so many branches of
public industries. G.. w. Il. BLACK.
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The Wheeling Registey reports the