Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1894-05-10
Erie, N. Y. and Plttsburg, Pa, are to
BIZ the terminals of the canal.

1t dOesn take much TO make sen
ator or Representative laugh, particu-
larly when Congress in session. There
fore when DR.. McCandless of Pitts burg,
sent to Senator Quay, by page,
neatly bound book bearing in big gold
letters the title "What Congress Has
Done." no one who saw the transaction
was surprised to see Mr.. Quay laugh.
Later he sent the book to Vice President
Stevenson. who also laughed, and who
IN turn sent the book to Senator PETER.
The book kept on until it had made the
round OF the Senate Chamber and every.
body had laughed at it,yet it contal ned
no printed joke; III fact it contained
nothing, except blank leaves, thus
showing that its title was aptly chosen.
The House committee on Postoffices
and Post roads has heard arguments
in favor of the bills now before that
committee, providing for the govern
ment ownership and control of all tele.
graph lines, by A. L. Randall chairman
of the International Typographical
committee; Samuel Gompers, President
of the American Federation of Labor !;
Gardiner G.. Hubbard, of Washington
s. II. Bell secretary of the International
Typographical Union and Representa-
tive Blair of N. H. The committee
has taken no formal action, but the
impression exists that a majority Of its
members are opposed to the idea en-
bra:ed in these bills.
The first Congressional pay day since
it was decided to enforce the old law
compelling member to certify the
number Of days he Was absent without
leave and not caused by sickness, dem
onstrated several things. First, and
probably most important, that there are
members of the House who deliberately
reported themselves present when they
were not and did not stay away on
account Of sickness, in order to escape
having their pay locked; second, that
the law is very unpopular with members
whose absenteeism has been marked,
and third, that an attempt is to be
made to show that the law is no longer
in force.
The report of the sub committee Of
the House Judiciary committee that
investigated the notorious strike orders
Issued by Judge jenkins Is curious
document, and reflects no great credit
upon those who signed it. After say
ing that the orders were "a gross abuse
of the power of the court; were sup
ported by neither reason nor authority;
were beyond the jurisdiction of the
Judge. and were therefore void" it
naively adds that the judge is correct
the Judge deserves impeachment either
for corruptness or for incompetency.
The report reads like an attempt to
straddle; to please the labor organlza.
tons by dcnouncing the strike orders,
and the friends Of the judge by exoner-
ating him.
These quiet and uneYeutful days IN
the House, while the appropriation bills
are being considered, Mr., Bland spends
a good deal of his time in the Senate
chamber. While the Senate floor is
nearly deserted and Senators disappear
IN the restaurant to AVOID listening to a
speech that smells of midnight oil, he
and Senator Stewart flock by them
selves and cogitate upon the future of
silver. Mr.. Bland seems to WOO the
Sentae silver champion with rhythmic
motion Of his jaws, while Senator
Stewart complacently strokes his hoary
whiskers and drinks In the thoughts OF
his fellow silverite with a countenance
expressing the quiet rapture and sweet
beatitude of blissful state OF mind.
Thus time may wax on the Tariff bill
be no nearer to vote than before, but
neither of the two silver champions
marks the flight of time nor takes note
of what passes around him while the
silver question absorbs their thoughts.
A prominent Senator tersely sums up
the new tariff situation about as fol-
lows: "The Wilson bill, as it came
from the House, would have been bea-
ten in the Senate by fifteen majority
so the Wilson, Voorhees, bill was pre-.
pared. 1t had come to be seen that
that would be beaten. if unamended,
by five majority therefore a new bill,
the German bill. is being prepared.
The German bill is to be substantially
a protection bill. Increased rates of
duty are being prepared all along the
line, and specific duties are being sub
stituted for advalorem duties. No
industries, with two or three exceptions
which need protection, will tail to
receive tiff the interested parties make
their wants known in suitable ways to