Fergus County argus., 1890-02-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
fFrom Our Regular Correspondeni.l
WASHINGTON Feb. IL, 1890.

WASHINGTON, Feb. Ia, 1880.
The immense power given to the ma jority
this session of congress will he very short,
perhaps even reaching adjournment by
June. This object is to be attained by
pushing regular legislation through as fast
as possible aud when that is done To force
an adjournment. despite the pressure of
special legislation. on the ground that the
essential work of congress has received at
tsntion. Thccommitteeo os n appropriations
has been hard ut work, and it is believed
hat the final reports will he presented in
May. The subcommittee on the pensisn
bill has practically finished the considera-
tion of that measure, which carries with it
q proposed expenditure Of about one hun
slrcd million dollars.
The friends Of every one Of the six thou
sand bills that have been introduced this
session hspe Tor n favorable consideration
but il is likely that an unusually small pro
portion will he passed. The party inpower
feels the added responsibility granted by
the new rules. and knows that the people
viii he pleased To see small appropriation
The Republican leaders recognize that an
early adjournment, leaving the regular bus
iness of legislation cleared, would give them
n big argument in the next rational cam
paign. They see also the danger of pos
sessing all branches Of the government
should special legislation and the host oi
private bills once get AN opportunity tede-
lay the house. The only possible scheme
seems to be to close up shop and shut oiI
unnecessary legislation.
A vote .n the rules. under the Springer
motion. will he reached Friday night. After
that the contested election eases will be dis
posed Of as rapidly as convenient. The
new rules will stl'ikingly expedite the neees
sarily partisan action taken ia such cases.
filibustering will he impossible.
Apart from the question of political ex-
pediency. adjournment should not take
place until some of the ever-increasing
claims against the government are settled.
However great the amount ia come out oi
the public treasury. the United States
-iifuii l'dN IT'S W private tltlLttS.
is it has bcep for years. the man with a
private hill for reimbursement might rs
well have a suit in the English chancery
court. Many of this sort oi bills la We been
pending for twenty five years. Every one
has known many of them to be just, and
yet the claimants have been allowed to die
of worry and hope deferred. Money has
uniustly been withheld from political mo
tIves. and it is likely that it will le with
held. II is easy enough to get sympathy
and influence for a measure that may lie of
advantage in elections, hard enough to get
justice done where only one man will be ben
efted.
Two significant instances of race trouble
as far north As the capital have occurred
in the past week. Representative Grimes
the other day walked Ia to dinner at the
Riggs hotel and discovered a negro ex-nin-
i-ter to san Domingo eating at the same
table. Mr.. Grimes is from Georgia, and
the effect can be lima aned. lie walked out
to the cashiers desk. paid his bill and
moved his quarters To a more congeDial
atmosphcrr. lie has been followed by sew
eral other prominent guests. There is n
strong prejudice against his action among
th. l.cal friends al the colore,l race. Mr..
Grimes simply states that the time has not
yet come when he will stop at mixed hotels.
The second Instance occurred over the
appoint tmcnt 10y the influence nj senator
ili~c"ck of u bright young colored girl ~ u
q. 4.
ins aud engraving. The relations between
II printer aud his assistant are very close.
They work all day side by side. aud the
same printer may have the same assistant
year after year. The appointment Of a
colnred girl has never been thought Of he
fore aud the printers 50 far have refused
to work with this one. She is now tempo
rarly employed as a messenger. while the
printers are determining what final action
T." take and mentally swearing AT senator
liiscock.
These instances Illustrate as well as any
thing can the growing complications in the
intercourse betwecn the two races. Colored
clerks ia the departments have long been
accepted, aud have been appointed 10y both
parties. Their political influence is often
very strong. and, being nearly all profes-
sional politicians ia IA small way. manage
to retain their positions in the public
ice, illy-niIly. In the city hotels the ban IL
still supposed to he :nsurmountable. ans
the fact that So prominent and fashionable
hotel as the Riggs consented to allow q
colored man in its dining room is rather
surprising. The bar-rooms. with II very
few exceptions, have long since given up the
fight. ana some iirst-class places find nc
small revenue from the better-oif colore,
people. You can number on youI fingers
nearly all the bars that refuse to sell liquoi
10y the drink to colored people and at reg
ular prices. Ten years ago you could have
| numbered ON your fingers all that would
have sold to them.