The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-01
CHANGES BY DEATH.
Many Members of the House
Have Died.
Large Number of congressman
Now Sick.
DRAGGED TOO SOON.
Simpson Says He Boosted of
Health PrematureIy.
DRAGGED TOO SOON.

WASHINGTON, May l. Especial. ] =
Events of much interest have recently fol
lowed in rapid succession-the death CT
Billy McGarrahan, the prOstration OF
Frank Hatton with paralysis, the whole
sale disInissals of employees in the war de-
partment, the arrival of the first invaders
and the rather sudden panic in some OF
the foreign legations caused by that fact.
All the same, congress, and especially the
house, has been rushing business with I'M
usual rapidity. All the appropriations
bills are as good as finished, a majority OF
them have passed the house, and with pos
sibly one exception the remainder are not
expected to take up much time in debate.
Mr.. Hatch has all his favorite bills ready
and is eager for the fray, and the commit
tee on public lands has pretty nearly com
plcted its preliminary work. 1t is a fact OF
some interest that there is still consider
able public land in many of tho states now
considered old and populous, and, most
singular of all, the latest report shows that
the last piece of public land in this District
was taken up only a few weeks ago. 1t
was a small corner portion cut off by the
accident that while on three sides of it
the boundaries of adjacent land were de-
termined by official lines the holding on
the other side had been described by nat
ural boundaries, and thus the title of this
little piece had never passed to private
owner. A woman discovered that fact by
the merest accident, fled on it and will
get title.
Hopes of Democratic Leaders.
The Democratic leaders have also taken
on new stock of hope and now declare
without reservation that the Wilson bill
as amended is certain to pass the senate.
One by one the doubtful Democrats have
been smoked out or have quietly assured
their friends they viii vote for it until it
is now announced as by authority that at
the worst the bill cannot lose more than
three votes and will probably lose but one.
As at least three PopulistS are now COM
mitted to it with the income tax retained,
its sponsors see the way clear and are only
impatient to the time 1t has been del
icately suggested that way will be found
to let those who oppose the income tax
down easy, ana the plan most spoken of Is
amendment providing that whenever
the schedule for any fiscal year shows
surplus revenue about equal to that col
lected under the income tax said tax shall
expire by limitation. Nobody can name
any authoritative source for such a prOpO-
sition, and mention of it is received with
quiet smile a statement that it is only
one of hundred evanescent rumors float
ing through the Hobbies and corridors.
Senator Voorhees, feels so easy on the
subject that he has decided upon about
three weeks recreation among the noun
tains of Virginia, where he has so many
warm personal friends as well as political
admirers After visiting the springs he
will probably take another look at the
place where he first won national fame as
orator and criminal lawyer-that is, when
he defended Cook, the companion of OSa-
watomie Brown. When the senator gets
little heated in temper over the querulous
complaints poured upon him by western
Democrats who want Immediate action
the tariff bill and their doleful predictions
of eternal failure if something is not done,
he often refers to the John Brown episode
and public opinion then as illustration
of how little mankind really know what is
Just before them and how foolish it is to
prophesy success or failure of anything.
His trouble is rheumatism, chiefly of the
pectoral muscles, with which he was pros
trated so long three years ago
Sickness and Death.
Our genial Jerry Simpson has also had
an experience of misery quite prolonged.
He says that he Dragged too soon about
his fine health and strength consequent on
a sailors life and returned to his seat in
the house when it would have been to his
profit to stay in bed. The result was
lapse and terrible suffering from a cOmpli
cation of disorders to which the doctors
find it difficult to give a comprehensive
name. 1t is a sin gular fact that the changes
by death, sickness and promotion have
been already mora numerous in the Fifty
congress
during its entire existence, and in the house
the party majority has very rarely been
the same for three weeks together. Sena-
tor Stanford died in June, Senator Col
quit in March and Senator Vance but
few days ago. Senator Walthall resigned
in January.
Six members of the house have died, and
their successors have all taken their places
except the man who is to follow Hon.
George W. Houk of the Dayton co. dis
trict, and the counting of the tickets to-
night will show who he is to be. Five have
resigned, and their successors are in their
seats. John A. Caldwell of the First Ohio
has been elected mayor of Cincinnati, and
no successor chosen, while Barnes Comp
ton of the Fifth Maryland has been APP
pointed collector at Baltimore, but has
been held back by the slowness of senate
confirmation Charles f. JOY of the
Eleventh Missouri and Samuel G.. Hill
born of the Third California have been
contested out, and Democrats are in their
places. IT, however, contests and eject
ments are to be counted, other congresses
have had more changes than this.
Pension For Tired Clerks
The supreme court is closing up its final
work on the session, and the justices will
soon be on their summer tours In their
place it is expected that we shall soon have
some kind of a gathering of ardent civil
service reformers, as the suit of Mr.. Cad
dis against Secretary Carlisle and the re-
movals in the war department have set all
the local reformers TO buzzing. They have
called meeting for an early day to organ
ize all the friends of civil service reform in
the District to one efficient body, which is
to be followed, if all goes well, by call to
their cowOrkers elsewhere to reopen the
fight with renewed vigor and get things
in shape to pledge all the candidates as
soon fbp COMING I'm ON 1,<7riF1S