The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-12-28
From our Regular Correspondent.


stronger 1t will be, both in and out of
Congress, and he used his influence
with the House committee on Rules
to prevent the original plan, of voting
OF the bill before adjournment for the
Christmas recess, being carried out.
He never did thing that displayed
better judgment. The bill is now be-
fore the country and the debate in
the House this week will furnish an
intelligent basis for argument both
for and against the measure, and the
time bftween the Christmas adjourn.
ment-next Saturday-and the re-
assembling of Congress "Wednesday,
January 5-will be well put in by
members Of the House in studying
how the bill may be improved; also,
In learning what their constituents
thirk of it, The information thus ac-
CURED may be put to good use in the
democratic caucus which it is pro.
posed to hold on the bill as soon as
Congress returns to Washington.
The California Association, of this
city, this week held reception and
gave banquet in honor of Represen.
tative James G. Mcguire, of California,
one of the few reelected democratic
Congressmen residing west of the
Mississippi River. The Single Tax
Society, of which Judge Mcguire is an
honored member, assisted in making
things pleasant for the large number
of guests present.
Gov. Renfrow, of Oklahoma, is
doing his level best to fill Congress
ional ears with the idea that Oklahoma
ought to be State. He points out
the existence of a population of 2so,-
900, growing cities, tip top public
school system, good newspapers, and,
in fact everything found in the most
progressive of the old States, and de.
mands any good reason for denying
statehood to the territory.
Senator Hills speech in favor of
cloture in the Senate was good one,
filled with excellent arguments in
in favor of cloture, but it did not
change the views of any Senator, and
there Is no great probability of ary
change in the Senate rules at this
session that will even squlnt towards
cloture, although lit is generally be-
lieved that the republicans will adopt
cloture should they regain control of
the Senate.
The question of whether "Little
Billy" Malone is more powerful than
Congress was revived this week by
the attempt that is being made by the
committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds of the House and Senate to
agree upon a site for new Govern
mept Printing Office. For four years
Malone has been powerful enough to
prevent any steps being taken towards
the erection of a G. P. O., because
the House would not agree to buy at
$I,5o foot some ground he bought
Tor about IS cents foot, and upon
which he has not for years paid one
cent of taxes. His hold upon republi.
can Senators is doubtless largely
political, but 1t is suspected that his
hold upon democratic Senators who
belong, as Malone himself does, to
what is locally known as "John
Chamberlain's poker playing crowd"
is based upon something very differ
ent. AT any rate his influence has
proven more powerful in this matter
than 1t was in anything when he held
the balance of power in the Senate
and made the notorious bargain that
landed him in the republican party.
His control of this matter has been
very calling to democrats generally,
and strong effort is being made to
end il.
The Dockery Congressional Com.
mission, which has already done so
much to reform departmental business
and to cut off needless expenditures,
never made better recommendation
than that to abolish the separate
bureaux of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey and the Geological Survey,
turning as much Of the work they
have been engaged in as it may be
considered desirable to continue over
to the survey division of the General
Land Office. The so called "scient.
lists " who have for years drawn big
salaries for very small amount Of
work are, of course, very indignant at
the proposed abolition of SO many
sine cures all neatly covered by the
cloak of science. But it is apparent
that these two bureaux have cost a
great deal of money and that there is
next to nothing to show for it. Con,
gress clipped the wings of the Geo
logical Survey a year ago by cutting
its appropriation in half, and thereby
spoiled number of previously ar
ranged summer excursions, upon
which it had been common for the
scientists" to take members of
their families, not only having their
expenses paid, but in many cases get.