The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-01-14
Wa sliingtOn Notes.

Our Washington correspondent says
Democrats here take no stock in the
stories which Republican and mugwump
newspapers have been circulating about
the intentions of Senator Hill. The
Senator himself has long ago given up
the attempt to put Il stop to the silly
stories by dignifying them with de-
nial, but Il gentleman who enjoys con-
tidential relations with him, and who is
probably as well acquainted with his
intentions as anyone, except himself,
sad TO me: Senator Hill is first of all
Democrat, and YOU will make no mis-
take by asserting in the most positive
terms that he will do nothing in the
Senate that will be inconsistent with
Simon pure Democracy. He will sup
port Mr.. Cleveland's S administration as
Loyalty as any man in the Senate, ex-
cept in the matter of appointing mug
wumps or newly converted Democrats,
of the Wayne MacNeigh stripe, to office.
If Mr.. Cleveland nominates any of
those men to important offices | predict
that Senator Hill will cndeayor TO pre-
vent their confirmation by the Senate,
but he will cast no vote against the con-
iirmatiOn of any man whose Democracy
is unquestiOncd. Remember this pre-
diction, and see if time does not prove
its truthfulness.n
Here is specimen of eXtrayagant
and useless legislation. brought to light
by members of the House committee
on Appropriations In the estimates
submitted for appropriations for the
next fiscal year by the War Department
was one item of $3.50, 600 for artificial
limbs for soldiers. The large account
for this purpose suggested an investi-
CATION which brought out the fact that
up to the Fifty-tirst billion dollar Con-
gress, soldiers entitled to artificial limbs
were authorized every five years to re-
ceiye new legs or arms, or to take in
commutation $50 for leg and so for
an arm. During that Congress without
any recommendation or request from
the War Department bill was lobbied
through by the claim agents ring which
at that time collected about nine-tenths
of the commutation money, upon Il big
percentage of course, reducing the pc
riod to three years tsince then rule of
the department shuts the claim agents
out of this money! 1t was also discov-
cred that the original law was more
than liberal, as an artificial arm will
nnder usage last alife time and that a
leg lasts from six to eight years; also
that 9s per cent of those entitled to ar
tifcial arms and rs per cent of those
who were entitled to artificial legs
regularly take the money instead of the
limb. Further investigation showed
that If this claim agents law had not
been enacted the item would have been
S75,0 900 in stead of S6jO,O0O. Quite a
difference, Ell? This is only one in
stance-there are hundreds of them
showing how this Congress is compelled
by the viscious legislation of the last
Republican Congress to increase appro-
priations. 1t will take several years of
Democratic rule and vigiIant investi-
cations to get the expenditures of this
government down to an economical,
business basis, but it is going to be done.
Senator Morgan says that it was En-
glish influence, which is always for the
single gold standard. that prevented
the accomplishment of anything by the
monetary conference, and he thinks
the same influences will have the same
effect when it meets again in the spring.
Senator Chandler is developing ten
dency to throw oratorical bricks around
with all the carelessness which charac-
terized the sensational Congressional
career cf Benjamin +. Butler. While
speaking in favor of the National Quar-
antine bill Mr.. Chandler made few
remarks about the relations existing
between Secretary Foster and other
treasury officials and the North German
Lloyd Steamship Co., the agents of
which have been in Washington since
the session began for the purpose of
preventing legislation tor the suspension
of immigration. lie also had some
thing spicy to say to the prominent