Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-28
READY FOR BUSINESS.
The Rules Finally Adopted.-A Gerry
Wandering Schema. - Money
Loaning Plan.-Strike Avert
ed, Etc., Etc.
Chapter of Capital Chat.

The ifty-f first congress is at last ready
for business. All winter the house has
been drifting along without rules. They
have been adopted after the most remark
able parliamentary contest in our history,
by strictly p rtisan vote. With the ex-
ception OF contested election cases, there
has been no marked dr. wing OF party lines
in either branch of congress-, except on the
rules IL twas a stubborn fight. but the re-
public ms won. 1t is to be hoped now
that some attention will be given to the
many important matters which have for so
long been "hung up in the house.
Bills have been introduced in both houses
of congress providing that representatives
of the tiftv- first congress shall be elected
from the districts as they are now arranged
in the various states, and that there snail
be no re distrcting OF congressional dis
tricts until a e-apportionment is made
upon the reports OF the census OF 1870. IL
is said that The real animus of this measure
is TO defeat the purpose of the legislature of
Ohio to re district that state in such way
as to give the dominant party majority in
the next congressional delegation. The
ground of Justification for this proposed
action. is that when the opposition was in
power several years ago, the state was re-
districted i'm its interest. There is some
doubt as TO the authority of congress To
pass such measure. The constitution
confers upon congress the power to alter
by the state legislatures as to the times,
places and manner Of holding elections for
representatives, but it is not plain how
this law gives congress the power To say
how the congressional districts shall be di-
vided. That ii would seem, Is distinct
which congress cannot interfere,
and tie remedy for the abuses
of which can only be applied by the people
of the states Gerrymandering should be
done away with, but its removal must be
effected by the people. The matter raises
a new question regarding the powers of
congress, the discussion OF which will be
watched with great interest.
A bill is pending before the house COM
mittee on labor which, IL passed, will re-
duce the surplus by many million dollars.
The bill provides that whoever has been
employed as n laborer or mechanic, by the
government since June %, 1861 the date of
the passage of the eight-hOur law, shall be
paid for all the time he has worked in ex-
cess of eight hours day, and that said la
borer is authorized to bring his claim be-
fore the court of claims to- be adjusted, on
the basis that eight hours constitutes
days work, and said court is authorized to
give judgment against the government for
the amount due each claimant. Every man
who his been employed as a laborer or
workman for the government can claim the
benefits Of this law, and 1t Is estimated
that at least S5,000,000 will be required to
adjust these claims. The bill will be re-
ported to the house in a few days, ind il is
said that so many members are pledged TO
its support that its passage there is assur-
ed. The friends of the bill are not 80 GER
tain of success in the senate, although the
senators are "buttou-holedn at every cor
ner, and urged to give 1t their support.
Tho threatened strike of printers in the
bureau of engraving, because colored girl
had been assigned as an assistant TO one OF
the printers, has been averted. The ludg-
ment of the cool he ded members of the
union convinced that organi lation of the
uselessness of making any resistance TO the
order of the secretary OF the treasury, as
that official can only carry out the laws of
congress, and has no discretionary power
in the matter. An appeal, however. will
be sent to congress that the law be so
changed as TO allow the printers TO have n
voice in the selection of their assistants.
The printers protest that they do not oh, ect
to the girl because Of her color, but il re-
mains to be seen whether any one of them
will receive her as an assistant. Here is
an excellent opportunity for some young
man to show that he possesses that uncom
mon thing-common sense.
Senator Edmun6s, is as firm as the gran
jte of his native state and when he thinks
o thing needs TO be remedied, he proposes
70 work with might and main TO see that ii
Is done. So with his Observation-Disclosures
itivenessn he is pressing his bill providing
for the inspection of meats for expectation,
and prohibiting the Importation OF adulter-
ated articles of food or drink, and author
izing the President 10 suspend importation
by proclamation. The real Hnimus of this
measure is retaliatory, and is intended to
exclude cert lin articles imported from
France and Germany, which are shown to
be adulterated, in case those countries adj.
here to their determination TO exclude
American meats from their markets, after
inspection here, on the spurious plea that
they may be diseased. The state depart
ment has made several futile attempts to
bring this matter TO the attention of the
foreign governments, and unless these gov
ernments manifest disposition TO be Just
to US in the matter, the public sentiment in
this country will demand such law AS
Senator Edmunds proposes The claim
that we send the germs Of disease with our
meats is simply nonsense, but while France
and Germany keep them out, we have an
equal right to exclude articles from those
countries, which are known to be impure
A retaliatory measure between the United
States and France and Germany will not
be conducive to the maintenance of friendly
feelings, but we are not bound to tolerate
injustice and imposition in order to main.
tain national comfy The refusal of
France and Germany TO admit American
meals has worked injury to our trade not nj
all commensurate with the loss of the mar
kets of those countries, and American in
dependence resents such treatment when
every reasonable effort TO secure less I'M
fair consideration has failed. So give us
the Edmunds bill, or some measure equally
as effective to convince Bismarck and the
Frenchman that "there Is God in Israel
yet"
Comptroller of the Currency Mr.. Lacey of
Michigan, was before the house committee
on banking and currency the other day and
gave his views upon the financial situation.
He favors the passage of bill TO allow
national banks 10 issue circulating notes TO
the full amount OF the United States bonds
deposited with the treasurer. He said that
national banks mako no profit on circula-
ton, which under existing conditions, Is a
burden, from they could be relieved by the
passage OF bill to allow circulation TO the
full amount of the deposited bonds, yield
ing no profit entailing no loss, but an even
thing Mr. Lacey was armed to the teeth
with statistics which he presented in such
a manner as TO convince the committee Of
the force OF his arguments. There Is but
little doubt OF the bill passing.
Mrs, Harrison is an artist of no mean