Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-03-16
What II Cost the People 20 Bury
Senator Hearst.
PlLNERS PRESIDENTIAL PROMISE
u@ Looms up as deaAee 90 Grover
ths stated Pr0pAsr, bsI ats Age Asd
ftasaetat btsss viii Do~a
niIaa IA ala Probability


ton - good deal OF a triumph TO the
Secretary OF State. Mr.. Blaine has Al.
ways been perfectly willing 10 submit
tie matter Ia arbitration, and sub
mltted 10 Lord Salisbury half dozen
propositions At last his offer has been
accepted, and It now looks as If the
long drawn out and annoying dispute
would be settled. OF course not both
s.des will be satisfied with the verdict
The loser viii DC mad as might
naturally be- expected. but that Is a
great deal better than to leave the
question open sublec. to grave COM
plIcaLons.
French Reform Agitation.
| am glad to hear that there Is talk
OF reform IN connection with the burial
OF congressman who die in Washington
during the Session. As the custom
now stands II : - wretehed scandal. Il
disgrace 10 the living as we'll rs the
dead.
When congressman dies notice OF
that fact IS sent 10 the presiding officer
OF the body to which he belonged
The remains are taken IN charge by the
sergeant-at-arms ot the House or SEN
ate and all the formal arrangements
are N ms hands. \ committee OF both
houses IS appointed 10 represent con-
gress 81 the funeral.
Most members are buried IN their
native states. The remains are accom-
panied To the place of Interment by
thls committee, members of the family
and the attendants, and all the ex-
penses IN connection with the funeral,
transportation, meals en- route. etc,
are pad out OF the contingent fund OF
the house to which the member be-
longec. The committee IN Its own car
and away from the sorrowing members
OF the family, do not SIT with hands
folded and heads bowed down with
weight of woe. They are not in that
kind of business. They manage to find
various ways OF passing the time
pleasantly, and the sergeant-at-arms
has been thoughtful enough To see that
their creature comforts shall not suffer.
There IS plenty 10 eat and drink and
good cigars IN abundance. The fact
that there IS corpse IN the forward
Car ani that a widow and orphans are
IN tears does not interfere with the en-
JOyment OF the hour or leave bitter
taste IN the mouth. The members OF
the committee are no doubt sincerely
sorry that their colleague Is dead. but
they hear up under their loss and take
II phIlosophlcally.
The death of Senator Hearst, of Cali
fOrnla, IS perhaps the last straw to
break the traditional camePs back.
Senator Hearst's death, coming i'm.
medIately after the adjournment, there
Was great desire on the part of scores
of members 10 make trip to the Pa
citic coast under such delightful CIR
cumstanees. and at the expense of the
Government. Members went TO the
Speaker. aud without toe least regard
to decency or delicscy, begged Mr.
Reed 10 put them on the committee
When the committee was made up sew
eSal OF the members determined TO
take their wives and to make regular
lunkct of II. Something of this state OF
affairs came to Mrs. Hearst's cars and
she determined 10 stop II. At her re-
quest the composition OF the committee
was entirely changed; those members
who we're named because they expected
TO have good time" were put oil f.
and those who were selected IN their
place were quietly told that they were
not expected to have their wives ac-
company them.
Exaggerated Estimates of Expenses.
A good deal has been said about the !
cost of this funeral. One paper stated |
that the expenses attendant on the |
funeral of Senator Miller. who also rep. |
California, amounted to $50 |
600, and that the Hearst funeral would /
amount to Slo0. 900. This IS a gross ex. |
The bill, however, will not |
De cent less than sI2 900. and | should |
not be surprised II It was more. This |
Is too mucn for the people TO have to |
paw.
There are other reforms IN this con- |
nect,0n which should be instituted by 1
Congress. After the death OF a mem /
Der A day u set apart for eulogies and IN /
both branches there - a good deal of !
fiattery and huubug indulged IN at /
the expense Of the late lamented. Men
who were scarcely known to the ma
iontv of the House and whose sc-
IN the Senate was very
I mited. are represented as great states 1
men and patrols of the purcst type. |
When n euiogy IS delivered IN the /
House it IS seldom thst there are more /
than dozen members present. The 1
whole thing e a dreary farce. Yet Il /
is custom and one To which Congress /
clngs with great perslstency. speaker /
Reed decrled against it vigorously and 4
sal it ought 10 be abolished. or II i
eulogss had to be delivered it would be
better. rather than to waste the time Of +
the House 10 hold a SPECIAL session on /
Sunday tor tass purpose. but even he,
" th al MS desire % expedite the busi-
ness OF the House. felt powerlsss to /
carry out tbs particular reform.
The sulOgie are printed IN book form.
A steel portrait Of toe subject - the i
from hspiece. The printing OF these
books costs a considerable sum. In the
esse cf the late Samael J Randall ths
h,H wss s2a. 600. a much larger sum 4
than he had ever at any time possessed 4
IN hs lie.
Palmer sss the Presidency.
TIE election Of Gen. John NJ Palmer 4
h ha senator from illlsois has caused 4
. sCo.t deal Of political tals. Faimer's
sfect,ay, cuts the Republican majority
=, ths senate down - ST. 8ssunl ng 4
.has kvlp. 81 South nssots, and Peter,
,f Kaesas ~ili act vith the Democrats.
80 tna. fAev undoubtedly VII on the
81 and ,thef economic Qaestsoas If I
lhe Demo rats IA the House frame the
ss,,.i - = ,sriF bsif Which meets tie az +
,rav.l - ptnnsh. Paddock sd PETIT
,~ax thr.e viii ke sn Interesting sitas
eon. ssti.e Ssnsts vouid thea ~ = &c.
= 4 = pov constituted. Tie wee (