The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-05-18
NO. p.
From our regular Correspondent


The presence of 500 men camped
for week within the limits of the
National Capital, banded together
under the name of an "army", and
threatening openly to remain until
joined by sufficient number of men
to intimidate Congress into granting
| the ridiculous demands of its self-ap-
pointed leader, and the circumstances
attendant upon their coming and
their stay here presents quite as i'm
pressive an "object lesson" as the
financial "object lesson" inaugurated
| by the Cleveland administration about
this time last year, and unless the diff
ference between liberty and license is
more sharply defined may lead to
quite as much misery. That a ma
jority of the men that this man Coxy
has enticed into Washington and
quartered in pest hole from which
he has moved his valuable horses for
fear of their dying from the foul and
10 alaria laden atmosphere are lazy,
good-natured tramps, only intent
upon avoiding work when offered them
but it is equally apparent that this
man Coxey means mischief should his
force grow strong enough to make it,
and the populist Senators and Repre-
sentatives are doing all they can do to
encourage it. When this man Coxey
and two of his followers were arrested
for violating law in their absurd at"
tempt to speak from the steps of the
Capitol, every populist in congress
who could make any claim to being a
lawyer appeared in the police court
ominally as their volunteer defend
ers, but in reality to intimidate that
court. This is the third day of their
trial, which ought not to have lasted
more than an hour.
The manner in which the old law
docking the pay OF members of the
House absent without leave, except on
account of sickness, is being enforced
enforced is extremely farcical. The
members are allowed to certify their
own absence and the highest number
has owned up to being absent was six,
while any number of them who were
absent at times during the month of
April returned no certificate of absence
and drew their full months pay. The
Speaker of the House, who under this
law is required to O. X. the certificates
of the members before they are paid
by the Seargent-at-Arms, declines 20
behind the returns made by members
even if he has actual knowledge of
of their incorrectness, thus leaving the
matter entirely with the consciences
of the members. Experience has
proven that mems consciences are very
much like rubber when questions arise
affecting their pocketbooks.
Sugar has certainly played star
part in the tariff-tinkering farce COM
edy that has been going on in the
Senate for five weeks, and unless in
formation that has been received from
Louisiana is incorrect sugar is either
going to get all of the flowers in the
last act or it is going to break up the
show. Demands have been made upon
Senators Caffery and Blanchard, of
La, by the sugar planters of that
state, that they repudiate the forty
per cent ad valorem duty put on
sugar by the present bill and demand
straight duty of two cents a pound
forty per cent is fraction less than
one cent a pound-and vote against
the entire bill if the two cent duty is
not put upon sugar. This is very en-
barrassing to the Senators named,
who have already in caucus agreed to
support the bill as it stands. They
are, it is said, given their choice of
obeying the demand of the sugar
planters or retiring from the Senate.
They both hold gubernatorial appoint
ments, and the legislature that will
meeton the 18th inst, will elect Sena-
tors to fill both of the unexpired
terms, as well as one for full term.
To fully understand the situation it
must be remembered that the Louis
lana legislature is said to be over
whelmingly in favor of two cent
duty on sugar, and that it has the
power should Caffery and Blanchard
decline to fight for it to send, within
forty-eight hours after its meeting. as
their successors men who will. It
must not. be forgotten, either, that
with the votes of the two Louisiana
Senator'S and that of Hill, of N. Y,
cast against the tariff bill, even if
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