South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-07-01
THE WORK or CONGRESS-

/ IL Congress does not adjourn
reasonably early this year the fault
will not be, it is clear. with the
popular branch Of that body.
Every appropriation bin has been
passed by the House with tho single
exception Of the general deficiency
bill, and that was reported TO the
House Saturday. Cp to the pres-
ent time % 985. 273 has been APP
propriated this session for deficien-
ciss, Of which sum o., 65S, $50 was
for pensions. The bill now before
thu House aud soon to BIO passed
carries $i.S70,5S5 additional Tor
deficiencies. making a grand total
under this head Of nearly el5, oo0,-
600. There is SUN of t9i0, 900
in this total for the census bure~ u.
The original appropriation FOR the
census of 1890 limited its cost to
e6, 400 600, exclusive of printing
There has already been spent on it
"a, S2s, 900, exclusive Of printing,
and the country Is very little tho
wae for it.
While the House has its work SO
far advanced that it can take q
holiday till Wednesday. tn, Senate,
with less to do, 10 very much be-
hindhand. Six of the general APP
preparation bills sent by the House
to the Senate are still Enacted up
on IN the latter house. This dila-
toriness of the upper house is ex-
planned in part by recent events.
President-making has been engag-
ing the attention Of Senator'S. Min
neapolis was not long since the
centre of attraction, and now Chi
cago absorbs their thoughts. This
is but natural. 1t is at any rate
inevitable, and the result is that
Legislative business is appreciably
neglected 1t is to be hoped that
by the close of the present week
the President-making having at
length been concludcd-Senato
will again get down to business and
Try to earn their ample salaries. 1t
has been suggested that "politIcs"
may cause the Senate to protract
the session needlessly beyond the
Fourth of July--tho date named
by leaders of the House for ad journ-
ment. In the past "politics" has
at times dictated this course in
presidential years. 1t is not appa-
rent, however, that the repub lican
party will profit greatly by making
the session a long one. There is
no bill before the Senate tho dis
cnRsion or passage OF which will
profit the party In the pivotal
States. 1t has been said that the
free-coinage bill will be taken mp
and passed, now that the Minneap-
OTIS convention is in the past.
There is a majority for it, and it
will be passed, perhaps, If Senator
Teller and Stewart are not satisfied
with the insertion Of their fee
coinage plank in tho Minneapolis
platform. But it 10 to be presum-
ed that the free-silver republicans
of the Senate are for the present
content and will not further en- bar
rass Mr.. Harrison's candidacy. It
would not be good politics to call
public attention TO the fact that the
Minneapolis convention has placed
its hard-money can lidates upon q
soft-money platform.
In reviewing the work Of the ses-
sion as whole, Il is but fair to say
that it is much more creditable to
the members of the House than was
the work of the first session of the
Reed Congress. 1t has passed no
tax law-like the Mckinley law
vastly increasing the burdens OF the
people. GA the contrary, it has
asserted in practical and instruc-
tive way the necessity and good poll
ICY OF removing the Mckinley bur-
dens. 1t has discreetly postponed
the settlement OF the silver uues-
ton till the tariff question has been
disposed OF 1t has practiced econ
omy to the greatest possible extent,
the river and harbor bill being the
only one that cou d hare been made
appreciably smaller. The sum to-
tai of appropriations is Isrge-a
consequence Of the legislation Of the
preceding Congress-buti it has been
kept very far within the estimates
and far within the figures proposed
by the republican Senate. III the
House has not done all that was ex-
pected OF it, still it has done fairly
we'll, and merits the thanks Of the
country.-Balt. Sun. June %.
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