The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-05-24

| menu IL naSneo upon MIN tDaC ne must nave
slept 50 hours and that it was Friday night.
But anxious inquiries at the hotel office re-
vealed the fact that it was still Thursday
evening, and that the Senate was yet in session
| waiting for quorum.
"What is the Populst Congressional Com
mittee doing?" said Representative Hudson,
of Kansas, the other day, repeating an inquiry.
ave are hard at work, as the other commit
tees are. We are sending out literature of all
kinds that will tend TO educate the people.
The census reports make admirable Populistic
| documents. They show how our Western
! farms are plastered with mortgages; that the
Government expends $1,000 100000 in every
| Congress, and what it is spent for. Everything
which will enlighten the masses and those who
! think as we do is being sent cut from our
| Headquarters"
shall you make many gains in the next
Housc?"
ave expect to hold the balance of power in
the 54th Congress"
'At what do you estimate your membership
in that C0pgress?"
Anywhere from 35 to 70 think it safe
next House"
Representative Henderson, of Iowa, who re-
Gently submitted 10 another operation of his
stump leg, has not yet been able TO return to
his duties in The House, and his present con-
dition is calculated to increase the alarm felt
for his early recovery. 1t is said that instead
of gaining strength since the operation, he has
grown considerably weaker, and is not show
ing encouraging signs of rallying from the
shock. Still, his friends express no appre-
hension of immediate danger, but hope that
he will soon be able to leave the care of the
Surgeons and resume his seat in the House.
4
The General Assembly of Louisiana last week
elected Hon. Donelson Caffrey to succeed him
self as United States Senator for the long term
beginning March 5. 1895. Senator Caffrey was
born in the parish OF ST. Mary, La, Sept. 10,
1885. and was educated at ST. Mary's College,
Md. He served in the Confederate army first
in the 18th Ia, and subsequently on the staff of
Gen. w. w. Walker. After the war he practiced
law and engaged in sugar planting. He was
member of the Constitutional Convention of
1879, and was elected to the State Senate in
1892. He was appointed United States Senator
to succeed Randall Lee Gibson, deceased. and
took his seat Jan. z, 1893
att is singular thing" said the Virginia
lawyer, Judge P. w. StTo;her, of Giles County,
THAT the Confederate Congress did not have
single printed copy of the rules which gov
erned that body, so far az | have been able to
ascertain. Or course the Representatives of the
Southern States at Richmond were bound by
rules Just as much as the Federal Congress to-
day, but for some reason they were not put in
type.
81 remember very well in 1865 when mem
Der Of the State Senate that Hon. John B.
Baldwin, who was Speaker of the House of
Delegates, fashioned the rules of the House
exactly after those used in the Confederate Con-
gress. in which he had been Representative.
These rules provided for counting quorum by
counting those present who refused to vote aud
recording them in the negative.
lam almost sure that it was an imitation
of the Confederate plan that the Hon. Ran
dolph Tucker proposed when member of
Congress in 1880. lie then offered a quorum
counting system exactly like that muse in Rich
mond during the days of the rebellion"
X
There are certain permanent characteristics
of the Congressional Record which di fferentiate
il from any other publication in the world. 1t
records verbatim the proceedings of Congress.
1t begins when Congress begins and suspends
close upon adjournment It's circulation is
more or less forced in character AT present being
placed at 10000 day. Each member and
Senator has a certain number for distribution.
II you are not Oh the favored list you can buy it
at three cents a copy if there are only "a pages.
One cent is charged for each additional eight
pages. or you can get il for $3.50 month, pay
able in advance. 1t can be said that the Record
is not financial success. That is frequently
the case with individuals who discuss finance
as much as the Record does. It's paid subscrip-
tons are like that of country weekly, few
aud far between. 1t has no advertising. 1t
lacks the modern features Of illustration and
special write-ups. Like the breastbone of
country-bred goose on the subject of a hard
Winter, when the Record is big and meaty
there either panic is has been, or is going 10
be. At present the Record is big and bulky.
There has been panic. 1t has over 400 editors
and only 10 reporters.
Il
There were disappointing results attendant
upon tests of the armor-Elate for the batteship
| Indiana at Indian Head last week. The best
ordnance made, the best projectile and powder,
and presumably the best armor were used in
/ this trial. The plate was knocked out in one
round and with one blow. Ono of the condi-
tions imposed upon the sample plate put up for
! target that il should not be cracked
upon the first discharge; and. secondly, that
with the increased velocity tho l2-nch pro-
jectile should not penetrate the Is inches oil
armor. Upon this trial depended the accept
ance Of the entire lot of armor and great saw.
! ing in money to the Bethlehem people, It's
failure to pass meant at once the loss of $l5, 600
the valne Of the single plate. Tho whole loss
probably will be the 100000 involved by the
rejection of the entire group Of armor which
the plate represented.
Il
There is likely to be hard fight in the Sen.
ate against Mr.. Dockery's bill abolishing the
Customs bureau and the Second Controllers
office of the Treasury Department. The bill
is claimed by its advocates to possess the merit
of great economy, but those who oppose it dc
so because they believe that the plan of reor
ganization is liable to cost the Governmen,
1 IL. - -