Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-04-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent

WAsHISGToN, April 81, 1892.
The senate committee on foreign rela-
tiens administered a slap in the face to the
house for its having passed the Chinese ex-
clnsion bill as an independent measure. in
pill which had already passed the senate
for ten years the present anti
Chinese laws, which will expire by limita-
tion early next month, by reporting the
house bill back to the senate. with the
original senate bill as a substitute. 1t has
been charged that certain parties in the
house favored making the exclusion bill an
enough time would he consumed before il
was acted upon to enable certain interested
parties to land thousands of the Chinese
Isborers in this country, between the time
OF the expiration of the old law and the
enactmen of new one. Appearances
make the charge plausible. Had the house
exclusion bill been passed an amend
ment to the senate bill. the amended bill
could have at once been sent to a confer
tnce committee. and before now n COM
pleted hill of some sort cnGId have been in
the hands of the president. Senator Fcl-
ton asked that the report ofthe committee
lie not taken up for action by the sens G
until he could present the views of the peo-
pile "f The Pacific coast and his own there
on.
The first official act of Secretary EIkins
after his return from business trip to
New York was to direct the depot army
quartermaster at st. Louis to send imne-
dintely 800 tents to the mayor Of Coluni-
bus, Mississippi, for the use of people rem
dered homeless by the recent floods. Quite
n contrast with the action of Representa-
tive Eilgore, Of Texas, who objected to the
immediate consideration Of a resolution ir-
troduced in the house appropriating 500
600 for the sufferers.
Why is it that men who in the ordinary
course "f business would scorn TO do "a dis
honorable act will scheme to take advant-
age of the government, not to call it by a
worse name? is the question that occurs
very often to those who keep their eyes
open in Washington. For instance the
avenue, which has for years been drug on
the market because of its disreputable
location and its periodical overflows from
the Potomac river, have not hesitated to
organize lobby for the purpose OF work
ing bills through congress for the purchase
ol this real estate, which no one else will
buy, by the government.
Now this is perpetrating double wrong
on the government, and hence on every eli
izen of the country. First. the price ex-
pected is eXtortionate next, the locality is
unfit for the erection OF public buildings.
which is fully proven by the experience oi
the engineers in finding solid foundation
for the new city post office, which is to he
built on the south side OF Pennsylvania
avenue, upon site sold to the government
by this same lobby-it was necessary to 60
forty feet below the surface to find any
thing solid enough to build upon. But this
does not deter the lobby, which is now at
work backed by the two Washington daily
papers trying to secure the passage OF u
bill recently introduced in congress, appro-
priatins S3,500,0Oo for the erection of n
new patent office on the south side OF
Pennsylvania avenue. If congress passes
this bill it will certainly be open to the
charge of having been improperly in
iueuced.
Democratic representatives who have
visited their districts lately make no bones
OF saying that if the house continues the
6ve-cent policy inaugurated by Holman,
in relation TO appropriations, that the
next house will certainly be Republican, ar
they say such peanut methods are not en-.
dorsed by sensible people Of any party.
They are irving q get Holman to ''let up, -
but there are no Indications that he will.
Representative Cooper's attempt tu
wriggle ont of the unpleasant predicament
in which he found himself when il was
proven that his signature had been used la
obtain pension information, which was
afterwards sold, by abusing Commissioner
Ramm was II failure, il deserved to be.
Ii called To mind the old lawyers advice tu
Il young man-"when you have no ease
abuse the other side
Senator Quay introduced "a hill in the
seuate appropriating 81, 600 to purchase a
marble bust OF the late Gen. Phil Sheridan
The resolution inst ructing the house com
Htlll''e tfl lilt Eleventh census To inquire
into the eNpediency Of establishing n perm
anent census bureau has been IA vorably re-.
ported to the house.
Chilli has changed her mird about not
taking any part in the Worlds Fair, and
has sent Mr.. Thompson-Rea here as a
commissioner to make arrangements foI
The Gillian exhibit at the fair.