The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07

I At not far distant day the question OF an
| alteration in the rules of the Senate of the
| United States must come up before that body.
| The advocates of this have been sharply stirred
| by the recent poor showing the Senate made IN
| enaciipg necessary legislation. Action must he
! kept within the reasonable control of the re-
! sponsbe majority. OF course, all efforts to
| this end failed at the extraordinary session,
! because they could not he properly pushed to
| elimination, but the sentiment in its favor is
| growing, and the close of the session will I'M
| doubtedly see a change. OF course, when it
| comes to the tariff question, the many who
| were in the majority the silver repeal bill
will have changed sides, yet it nevertheless re-
mains fact that the rules of the Senate re-
garding debate are poor ones. and should be
amended to regulations consistent with the
much vaunted dignity of the body of toga-
| weaTers.
| InvoIuntarily Justice Brown. of the Supreme
Court, has acquired an additional dignity of
mien of late. During one of the several West
India hurricanes that struck WashiH gton last
! Summer the Justice vas severely cut by a
piece of broken window glass as lie was about
| TO close the shutters of his house. An artery
in the temple. and the muscles controlling
his right brow were severed. Now the learned
Justice cannot move that part of his counten-
ance Not only cannot the light of it shine upon
his friends but he cannot even help the plod-
ding lawyer endeavoring to clucidate point by
the elevation of his eyebrows in token Of COM
prehension. To lie sure, lie might elevate one
eyebrow, but that would not be consistent with
judicial dignity. So among the lawyers who
appear before the court-those who do not
know of the Justices mishap-he is rapidly
ma ing reputation for official stoicsm which
is not IN keeping with bis former urbane ex-
preston.
They say that Justice Brown is brave man.
There is a story told Of him in connection with
gentleman of burgiarious propeusties. The
burglar stood beside Browns bed when he
awoEe in the night. aud covered him with a
pistol. 81 want your watch aud keys. Give
them to me aud will make no noise, and your
life is safe" "All right" said ths future
Justice. and putting his hand under the pillow.
he pulled out revolver. got the drop on the
burglar. aud killed him before he had time to
say Jack Robinson. This is the outline Of the
story and i; may not be exactly correct. There
! is no doubt, however, that Judge Brown dis
posed OF the burglar, and in something like this
way.
Justice Field is man whose life has been
! full OF interesting episodes. He is a nervy
man. too While in tie California Legislature
he sent a challenge to a man named Moore,
who had insulted him. The man who carried
the challenge was David c. Broderick, who was
afterward shot by Terry. and Terry was, as
will be remembered, shot some time ago by
I one of Fields friends. Broderick saved Fields
| life early in the ifties. The two men were
standing in hotel in San Francisco, when
Broderick saw a Spaniard throw back his cloak
and level his revolver at Field. As quick as
thought no flung himself between the two
men and pushed Field ont Of the room Such
stories told by Justice Field would be full of
| interest. doubt not the other Judges could
give something almost romantic.
20
We ought to have had a new Government
Printing Office long ere this. Some day
I
Thester will shock and grieve the community.
Chairmaa Ssyers, Of the House Appropriation
COMMITTEES, in q conversation the other day,
rouudly denounced the people who have been
rstarding the construction Of q new building by
wraugling over the site to be chosen. "Thers
is 20 reason why considerable work not ye:
commenced should not be in progress" declared
he "If this Printing Office site had been set.
tied the work might be commenced this
Winter snd thousands of dollars that will lie
idle in tho Treasury wonid be put into circu.
laton. AIN surprised that the people of this
city do not get after the real estate agents, who
are really retardipg its progress. The COM
naittes proposes to exercise no false economy o.
this subject of appropriations. Money for the
new Postofice, for the reclamation of the fats
and all other work under way, here aud
throughout the country, will be promptly pro
vided."
One noticeable thing about the new tariff
bin, aside from the radical reductions proposed
therein, is that the reciprocity feature seems
10 have been entirely left out Soma people
have said that that matter is still hanging il
the air. but Chairman Wilson declared yester.
day that if there is anything in the bill al il
| now stands that savors of reciprocity it viii
not be there when the bill becomes a law By
reciprocity / mean" he continued, "thai
power vested in the President under the Nc
Kipley act to regulate tariffs by proclaim on
Such policy will he cast oct by the House
root and branch" Every mail that nov
reaches Washington brings with it numerous
letters and petitions addressed to the Ways and
Means Committee. urging it to Incrsase th,
tax on whisky TO Si.50 gallon. 1t appear
that the religious and temperance bodie,
throughout the country have taken up th,
snbject, the activity being especially noticeable
smOng the Presbyterians. What the result
Of these will be cannot be foretolf.
sss
While it is not by any means true that q,
Irishman is necessarily Democrat, yet tina
impression is amusngly prevalent, as may b
instsnced by the following story going TIN
rounds. The Appointing Board of the Treasur.
the other day notified the Commission that
q ! vacancy had occurred there in the Department