The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-04-23
WASHINGTON. April 2l. is!


WASHINGTON, April 81, 1890.
Perhaps the death of no statesman has
SO stirred the heart of the " ashinpton
public as the demise of Hon. Samuel J.
Randall, after a continued service il the
House of Representatives for thirty
years. He was the most conspicuous fig
ure on the floors of Congress for more
than twenty years, and was the acknowl-
edged leader of his party upon the floor
III Is said of him that he was n NAL of
most wonderful self-control and iron
will. This was displayed 10 large de-
gree during the last Congress, when al
most his solid party was arrayed against
him on the tariff question, and notwlth-
standing the gigantic eff orts OF the whole
administration to bring him over. Only
future history will tell the almost super
human struggles Mr.. Randall endured
during this period, and of the disappo Mt
ments brought upon him by his own party
administration, unwilling as it was to heap
them upon him. His Judgment upon all
questions was only formed after mature
elaboration, and a position once taken
no power on earth could change. Rep
resentative Roger q. Mills. one of the
strongest opponents in the last Con-
gress of Randall's tariff ideas. thus
feelingly and earnestly speaks of the
utCehNeu stuteSlnans VI unlmpeacnaDle
integrity and a natural born leader He
had more of the elements of leadership
than any man / ever came in contact with.
Nothing but his views on the tariff could
have prevented him from being the leader
OF the Democratic plrty. If it had not
be EN- for that he would have been nomi-
mated for President in 1876, aud, said
Mr.. Mills, with emphas s, he would have
been elected aud seated, for he would
have asserted his rights. But when he
believed his opinions were right lie would
never change them, no matter what might
happen. When our tariff I'LL was mp /
pleaded with him, urged aud begged him
TO make some concessions and COM
promise, but he believed he was right
and could not be moved. When his whole
party, except Sowden and one or two
others, came over he still held out and
would not move. That was the only thing
In which We differed. 4"
Unless the House of Representatives
concludes TO disagree with the actio of
the Senate. the great National Museum
building Will lie doubled in size, bill
appropriating $500, 600 for tn It purpose
having passed the latter body. This
addition gives tif cen more exhibition
halls aud an available floor space of 200,-
present time is a ser Gus drawback TO one
of the Prandest institutions of the kind
In the world. No visitor leaves Wash
ington without seeing the magnificent
collection here. 1t contains object les
sons In natural history dating backward
for thousand years, and once seen is
never forgotten.
There is q dispos ton rapidly growing
in the Senate to change the rules govern
ing debates. There are two reasons why
such proposition will find favor in the
eyes of the Senators them selves and the
country at large. The proposed change
is TO limit the time allowed for debate on
each question. As il now is discussions,
sometimes on trivial questions, run on for
days. Beyond this these discussi ons are
confined TO half dozen Senators on each
side of the chamber. There seems TO be
a recognition or assent 10 the saying that
a Senator is TO SAY nothing, but saw
wood, until he has served two or more
terms. But few men have had the daring
10 break this rule. Indee !, Turpie, of
Indiana, and Spooner, of Wisconsin, are
the only ones i can call TO mind who have
had the audacity TO trample on this pre-
cedent with impunity and afterward main
tain their position. SO that rule limit
ing the time of debate on all questions
will be hailed with delight by the younger
branch of Senators, and they are | y far
in the majority.
prominent man in public life who is
making remarkably little noise this se'-
sion is Allison, of Iowa. Many of his
friends and good many who are not
particularly friendly to him are wonder
ing what is keeping him so quiet. But
this reminds me that there is a saying in
Washington that you can't tell very much
what Allison is doing by what he says
about it. He is one of the closest but
most effective workers in Congress. Some
years ago an important piece of legisla-
iion came up before the Senate which
Ingalls, had determined to oppose The
measure passed and then it came to light
that Allison had engineered the whole
thing through. Frank G.. Carpenter. an
old newspaper correspondent, in II inter-
view with Ingalls, asked him what he
thought of Allison. He's the slickest
man in the Senate, replied ingalls,; you
could put his two hundred pounds into
hob-nailed clogs and drive at ten mile
pace over corduloy road and he
wouldn't make as much noise is tom
cat slipping across a Turkish carpet after
n canary bird.
The proposition of Mr.. Waue m lker to
have the Government take charge of the
telegraph service OF the country is secur-
ing the unqualified in !orsement of hun
dreds OF lator organizations throughout
the country as we'll as an immense num-
Der of country newspapers. The Post
master Generals personal mail is q sight
to look at, being l rger than any of the
other Cabinet Offices, He keeps clerk
for no other purpose than 10 open and
dispose of letters and newspapers con-
tanning matter relating TO the Govern
ment telegraph system. Without at
tempting TO discuss the feasibility of
Mr.. Wsnamaker's plan, it is at all events
seemingly most popular one.
Representative Mudd, the successful
contestant in the case OF Mudd VS.. Comp
ton for a seat in Congress from Mary
land district, is already becoming ini-
tiated intro the trials and fluctuations of
his new position. A coppersmitb from
Mudd's district. recently discharged from
the Navy Department, appealed TO him
for reinstate ment. Receiving a discour-
aging reply he began to abuse the men,
Der most numerically. Mudd hauled
off" as il were, and struck at him. but