The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-03-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

w aSHlNGION, ~. ", MdTCu y, III.
1t is plainly apparent fact that the
prominent Democrats are looking
forward to the assembling of Congress
next December with full apprecia-
tiOn of the responsibilities which now
rests upon them. The unprecedented
majority of their party may be more
of trouble than blessing, while the
expected Deficit will certainly prove a
problem for the best financial minds
on the Democratic side. The next
Congress, too, will have more to do
with the making or marring of Presi-
Dental candidates than any other
Congress in history. The course of
the majority, must, therefore, be
steered with unusual care in order to
avoid wreck and ruin.
Gov. Hill, of New York, will, it is
given out, in all probability deliver
the grafton at the unwilling of the
Grady monument in Atlanta next
AgTre4 eW h aaSf been inHited dPd thf
pass so rare an opportunity to prop
agate the Hill Presidential boom. In
making announcement of the fact
that indefatigable Hill clacquor, the
atlanta Constitution, makes much ado
ONS1 UllC WhiO11 CAlSUCd w
tween Grady and Hill, and adds: "AS
Mr.. Grady admired the governor, so
the governor was warm admirer OF
the great Georgian; and it is known
that he will highly appreciate this op-
pOrtunity to pay tribute to the men,
CRY of Mr.. Grady. The political signi-
ficance attaching to the event is not
to be mistaken. Hill is professedly
quite as much tariff refOrmer as
Cleveland. Unlike the latter, he is
not so pronounced an antagonist of
free coinage. In many sections of the
South free coinage is fetch, and it
is through this fact that the New
York governor-Senator hopes to sup
plant Cleveland in that section. 1t is
a bold move, worthy of Hills elastic
abilities as statesman. The out
come will be noted with interest.
Hon. Jerry Simpson is still in the
city, and is beginning to realize what
it is to be Congressman in the sense
of being hack for thousand OF his
constituents, who think that he
should attend to their individual
claims. He is being flooded with let
tiers from his people out in Kansas
asking him to attend to pension, pat
ent, post-office and every other kind OF
claim for them. Yesterday after
noon the leading light of the Farm
er'S Alliance was found in his room at
the Kenmore busily engaged in an
swering the more important OF his
letters. eff | attended to all the bust
ness that is asked of me-" he said, 81
would have time for nothing else"
This thing of making a claim agent
out of a Congressman should be stop
ped, and that is one of the reforms we
will try to bring about in Congress. A
man cannot give the necessary atten-
tion to public questions and at the
same time devote himself to the in
vestigation of every private matter
that is thrust upon him, not only by
his constituents, but by people from
all over the country" Mr.. Simpson
will remain East for some time, and
will attend Alliance meetings within
easy reach of Washington.
There is bill pending in the Penn
sylvania legislature to create a COM
mission for the promotion of unIforml-
ty of State legislation-a subject
which is also receiving consideration
in Massachusetts,, and in regard to
which, so far as uniformity in divorce
laws is concerned, legislative action
has already been had in New York. 1t
is a subject, moreover, which is at
tracing more and more general at
tention every year, as with the rapid
growth of the country in population
and the increasing number of States
the disadvantages of the present in
harmonious system become more
manifest. There are many matters
besides divorce upon which it would
be to the public interest to have stat
utory uniformity proceedings in in
solvency in the probate of wills, in the
settlement of estates, in the regula-
tion of marriage, would be greatly ia
cilitated in instances of almost every
day occurrence, were the same laws ap-
plicable in all States. The more the
States can be brought to agree among