The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-16

Inc conccrts nt she residence ~ senator
and Mrs Halo for the houcilt 81 the Homo
For Incumhlcs. the rendition of King Ar
thur" hy the Mash and Wig cluhof Phil
adclnhla for she benefit Of tho Childrn's
hospital. the charity ball and other enter
tainmOnts and Mrs. jarlgy's waxworhs
FOR the So john orphana-e, and the olio
entertainment for tho benefit Of the Her
mitagc. the honc of Andrew Jacskon.
The first named the convert 10y Mrs
Ri-scll is the first entertainment 10y the
wifi, OF % cabinet officer Ia the present nd
ministration, ana the singing OF --Alllds
BY Mrs liisseu and Mr Olcott the English
ballad singer, excited gr1t interest in soci
ETY.. The benefit Tor the Homo For lncura-
hles is cousidcrrd aa truly "a high toned m
fair the patrouesscs being Mrs. Adlai F.
Stevenson. Mrs. M3son ). Bisscn, Mime
Romero and the wives and daughters Of va
rious senators and mcnhcrs. These arc
but q Few and tho most noted Of the enter
tainmcuts IN aid Of various charities and
other institutions but among the vast
mass of undistinguis people there Is an
unusually attractive series OF vocal and in
strumcntal concerts private thoatricals
and charitable and semicharitablc enter
tainmcnts of every kind.
A Peculiar situation.
Despite their ACKNOWLEDGMENT as aforc-
said. the citizens discuss local politics with
intense earncstncss. and questions as to
whether gas shall be furnished at 81 per
] 200. whether new roads shall be built to
tho boundary and where the right of way
shall be granted and how and in what
manner excite as much anger locally as
the tariff question and the money question
do financially The government is not out
lined in any constitution, 10 Is not the
growth Of long experience, and it Is not
very strnuously defended by anybody, and
yet nobody has any substitute TO offer for
il which is satisfactory even To himself
Tho situation is peculiar The population
consists chiefly Of those brought here by
politics, and one would expect the schools
70 bo jealousy scrutinized because 80
many OF the children Of statesmen are edu-
Gated herr. Yet IL seems TO be the case
that the schools excite less discussion than
any other branch of local Affairs
As is known TO most readers, three com
mlssioners are appointed by the president
and controlled by congress, and they are
the government, and yet no other region
probably has so many political organ
izations. Every state has both a political
and a social body, except the very small
and distant ones. This body is composed
chiefly Of government employees from that
state, but patronizcd by the senators and
members thereof Another odd feature is
the alternating character Of local politics.
When q now congress comes in, IL is usu-
ally Jealous for economy, rctrcnchment and
reform. ana the District is snubbcd. When
the members have been here a year, they
realize tho needs of the District and grow
more liberal. and so IL is part of the UNI
written law that the local lobbyists are TO
get in their work in the second year Of
/ each congress.
Some Recent Issues.
One illustration will show the queer
ideas distant people entertain about Dis
trict affairs When tho Grand Army Of
the Republic was 20 have its cncampmont
here, tho city wanted to appropriate S75,
600 for entertaining the veterans and fran
tie protests against it came in from all
over tie country. AS a matter Of fact, the
District only wanted the privilege Of spend
ing its own money, and the public treasury
was not out a cent, but it took % great
deal OF very hard work To make congress
men take tho risk. just at present the cx-
citing question is as to the land which has
boen reclaimed from tho Potomac mud
Cats. OF course the railroads want il, and
equally OF course the citizens want IL made
into a park with promeuadcs and other
finishing Incidentally also thcre j. a
growing feeling among tho citizens that
the depot Of the Baltimore and Ohio road
should be pmoyed 20 the suburbs, and
snecring remarks are frequent about "a
great government which allows locomo-
tivcs % snort and whistle right under the
caves Of tho capitol" II Coxcy's army
should ever gct hero, some now issues VIII
arise as TO tho proper method If dealing
with IT, But Chief Of Police Moore suys
that nobody need worry lie viii see that
said army docs not hold meeting on the
steps OF the capitol OF annoy anybody.
4 Popuiist on Coxey'- Army.
BY tho way, tho interest in said army
IS great enough To- cause many inquiri s
70 be made of those western members
who are supposed tn haNe % Httlc SYM
pathy with It, But without exception they
20 no further than 10 soy that they ART
sorry for the soldiers of tho army and re
prct that they haven't adopted some prac-
tical methods of helping themselves. Tho
Populists an speak Of tho Coxey business
as ueraly ono symptom of "a deep seated
disease. 1T IS, - says Mr.. Davis of Kan
5as, Just the samo as one 81 those short
spells Of deliriuh which are frequent in a
long and wasting lcver We may look f0r
q great many such things not only this
year but next year and right along until
the wnstin2 fever is curd. for I can't
think that the patient is going todic. This
slow and mcrcile-- contraction 81 prices
q 81 o