Catoctin clarion., 1892-04-14

Pennsylvania lawyer who called at the
White House to present the claims of a
friend to the vacant seat left on the
bench Of the Supreme Court by the
death of the late Justice Bradley says
Mr.. Harrison told him that owing to
the pressure of other important matters.
principally the Behring Sea negotia-
tions. he had not taken up the question
Of appointing new justice, but would
do at the earliest possible time that he
could give it the attention it's import
ance demands.
IT'S we'll that the house, having pass
ed the free wool and the free cotton tie
and bagglng bills, should "let up on
the tariff, and devote some time to the
appropriation bills and other legislation
the other Legislation is not, however,
likely to include anything Of national
Importance. The members themselves
were getting awfully tired Of the empty
seats and galleries to which tariff
speeches are made. The most notable
features of the debate on the last nam.
ed features of the debate on the last
named bill, was the effort of Represent
atlve Glover, of Kansas, to attach an
amendment providing for the free
coinage Of silver to the bill, which was
ruled out on point Of order Jerry
Simpsons declaration that he was an
out and out free trader, without any
ifs or ands, and the speech Of Represen-
tative English, of New Jersey. who al.
though a democrat and tariff reform.
er opposed the bill.
1t begins to look as If our next for
eign complication will be with China,
which will, 1t is thought be certain to
recall its minister and give our minis.
ter his passport if the Chinese exclusion
Eill passed by the House last week be-
comes law, and the chances are GER
talnly in favor Of its doing that very
thing.
You do not hear as much about Con-
gressional lobbying as in the days Of
Sam Ward, but at no time in the exist
epce OF the government was there more
of it than at this time. There are more
men here who have within few years
grown rich by means Of bills lobbled
through Congress, for the purchase Of
real estate. The lobby secured the en-
actment of the law locating the City
Post Office on the south side of Penn
Avenue, where they are now sinking
forty. foot piles to find a solid founda-
ton, and the outfit Of that building.
when erected, will have to include a
steam pumping apparatus to clear the
cellar of the water certain to enter
whenever the Potomac river gets lit
tie high. 1t is conceded that the price
paid by the government for this ground
was at least three times what it could
haye been sold for to private purchas-
ers.
Having succeeded so well with the
Post Office bill, the lobby is now work
up Congressional sentiment in favor Of
bill which has been introduced to
spend $3,5OO,OOO to erect a new Patent
Office in the same locality. Think Of
spending that much money upon a
building in a swamp, where forty foot
piles haye to be used to get founda-
ton.
1t is perhaps natural that the owners
of property on Pennsylvania Avenue,
who have seen the big business estab
llshments one by one desert that thor
oughfare for the higher ground of F and
G streets, and the two daily papers,
which own buildings on the Avenue,
aud the real estate agents who expect
to get tat commissions when the sales
are made, should advocate the purchase
by the government of land In that Vi
cinity, but how any Senator or Repre-.
sentative can honestly favor such a
method of distributing public funds
among lot of men, MANY of whom have
already become rich through similar
transactions, is more than | can under.
stand. For this or any other bill for
the location of government buildings
on the south side of Penn. Avenue to
become a law would b. little short OF a
national crime.
Quite scandal has been unearthed
by the Pension Office investigation, and
it was entirely unexpected by the gen.
tlemen conducting that investigation,
inasmuch as it transformed Representa-
tive Cooper, Of Indiana, who Is one of
the principal prosecutors, into de-
fendant. II was proven, iu fact admit
ted by the culprit, that man named
Hersey, who has been Mr.. Cooper's
private secretary, but who will hardly
oontinno In fhat nosikinn had m ade nse