Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-05
ThE DYING CONGRESS.
Its Hand Goes Deep Into the Treasury of
Uncle Sam.


Its Hand Goes Deep Into the Treasury of
Uncle Sam.
The closing of the Fifty-first congress
is something like the closing of the
charge of soldiers against the entrench-
ments of the enemy. First, there is a
great dead of noise, cannon and musket-
ry firing, and cheering. Then comes a
silence. There is little execution done
during the noisy part of the episode, but
the silence means the deadly work of the
bayonet,
Congress went on in a steady grind,
and the passage of bills appropriating
money was easy beyond the experience of
the Oldest legislator
AS between the men who have been
relegated to private life and those who
are Just entering upon a public career
the public funds stood poor show,
The disposition of the late gathering
of the legislative brains of the country
seemed to be in the line of expending
the moneys of the country as rapidly as
possible
This congress will show a record of
about 1000 bills introduced, Upon the
floor Of the house it is openly claimed by
some members that the total appropria-
ton will amount to over $525, zoo, 900 at
least, and that the deficit will sum up to
somewhere from $25, 900, 900 to $60, ,O00,-
900.
In connection with the vast increase
of governmental expenditures and CON
seqent appropriations should be kept in
mind the wonderful increase in the pop
ulation and requirements of the country.
The facts of the enormous and uuprec-
edented growth of the nation and its
consequent monetary requirements are
lost sight of by the plain people i'll view
of the vast amounts of money demanded
in legislation. The people of the far
rural regions demand that we get back
to the simple and economical days of
our forefathers when we might as well
try to put our few soldiers back to the
style of Leatherstockings with a
smooth-bOre gun, flint lock and cOonskin
cap.
in illustration of the increased de
mands of the country take the state
ment that the agricultural bill since it
was taken from the appropriation com
mittee has grown from about 5000, 600
per year to So, 600, 600; the military acad-
emy bill has grown from $3OO,0O0 to
800 GEO, and gone a7 high as $500 coo
klllt' llt lIdilNltIs i ilt tllNllttt dftlO-
priation bill has grown from $1,000. 600
to Sl5, 900. .000 the consular and diplo-
matte from s! 600, 600 about to 81 $780,
900. The postofFice bill has grown from
S53. 900, COS TO 81 900, 600. The army APP
preparation bill has grown $500 600, The
naval appropriation bill was about f14.-
OO0 coo the last year it was with the ap-
propriation committee Since then it
grown to more than $50, 900, 900. About
every prop, sition looking TO money ex-
penditures is promptly approved.
The two especial characteristics of the
present outgoing congress are a wonder
full amount of business transacted and
an extraordinary quietude The men,
bers are full of business" and no
speech-malzing is tolerated. One or
two members persisted in making
speeches in advocacy of measures
that the house was ready to pass up
on favorahly, and in consequence
killed the measures they advocated, at
least temporarily. Some congressman
have no use for measure which does
not admit of chance to strike an atti-
tude and make a speech especially
when it comes up in the closing days If
A congress. and the galleries are full of
spectators. The average congressman
on the floor of the house is never un-
mindful of the galleries.
View of an Independent Newspaper.
OF the closing scenes The Washington
Star. an independent paper. said:
This congress IS having quite a re-
narkable closing. There is an air of
extraordinary calmness about the pro
ceedings which consume the closing
twenty-four hours of tire -coTgress, and
they are almost devoid of interest.
Spectators throng the galleries, as they
always 90 At the close of the session.