Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-04-30
AT WASHINGTON.
Events Of Great Interest Follow in
Rapid Succession.
Congress Rushing Business-HopefuI Demo
iIa1Ia cratic Leaders.

WASHINGTON, April 29.-(Special. y.
Events of much interest have recently ioa-
lowed in rapid succession-the death OF
Billy McGarrahan, the prostration OF
Frank Hatton with paralysis, the whole
tale dismissals Of employees in the war de-
partment, the arrival Of the first invaders
and the rather sudden panic in some OF
the foreign legations caused by that fact.
Ell the same, congress, and especially the
house, has been rushing business with I'M
usual rapidity. All the appropriations
bills are as good as finished, a majority Of
them have passed the house, and with pos
sibly one exception the remainder are not
expected to take up much time in debate.
Mr.. Hatch has all his fayorite bills ready
and is eager for the fray, and the commit
tee ON public lands has pretty nearly com
plcted its preliminary work. 1t is a fact of
some interest that there is still consider
able public land in many Of the states now
considered old and populous, and, most
singular Of all, the latest report shows that
the last piece Of public land in this District
was taken up only few weeks ago. 1t
was a small corner portion cut off by the
accident that while on three sides of it
the boundaries Of adjacent land were de-
termined by official lines the holding On
the other side had been described by nat
ural boundaries, and thus the title Of this
little piece had never passed to a private
owner A woman discovered that fact by
the merest accident, filed on it and will
get title.
Hopes of Democratic Leaders.
The Democratic leaders have also taken
on new stock of hope and now declare
without reservation that the Wilson bill
as amended is certain to pass the senate.
One by one the doubtful Democrats have
been smoked out or have quietly assured
their friends they will vote for it until it
is now announced as by authority that at
the worst the bill cannot lose more than
three votes and will probably lose but one.
AS at least three Populists are now com
mitted to it with the income tax retained,
its sponsors see the way clear and are only
impatient as to the time 1t has been del
icately suggested that way will be found
to let those who oppose the income tax
down easy, ana the plan most spoken of Is
an amendment providing that whenever
the schedule for any fiscal year shows a
surplus revenue about equal to that col
lected under the income tax said tax shall
expire by limitation. Nobody can name
any authoritative source for such propo-
sition, and mention of it is received with
a quiet smile or statement that it is only
one of n hundred evancscent rumors float
ing through the Hobbies and corridors.
Senator Voorhees, feels so easy on the
subject that he has decided upon about
three weeks recreation among the noun
tains of Virginia, where he has so many
warm personal friends as well as political
admirers. After visiting the springs he
will probably take another look at tho
place where he first won national fame as
orator and criminal lawyer-that is, when
he defended Cook, the companion of Osa-
watomie Brown. When the senator gets u
little heated in temper over the querulols
complaints poured upon him by western
Democrats who want immediate action OH
the tariff bill and their dolcful predictions
of eternal failure If something is not done,
he often refers to tho John Brown episode
and public opinion then as an illustration
OF how little mankind really know what Is
Just before them and how foolish it is to
prophcsy success or failure of anything
HIS trouble is rheumatism, chiefly of tho
pcctoial muscles, with which he was pros
trated SO long three years ago.
Sickness and ID, ath.
Our genial Jerry Simpson has also had
an experience of misery quito prolonged.
He says that he Dragged too soon about
his fine health and strength consequent on
sailors life and returned to his scat in
the house when 1t would have been to his
profit to stay in bed The result was u re-
lapse and terrible suffering from n compli-
cation OF disorders to which the doctors
lind it difficult tn give n comprehonsiSe
name IL is n singular fact that the changes
by death sickness and promotion have
been already more numerous in the Fifty
third congress than in any previous one
during its entire existence, and in the house
the party majority has very rarely been
the same for three weeks together. Sena-
tor Stanford died in June, Senator Col
quit in March and Senator Vance but "a
few days ago. Senator Walthall resigned
in January.
Six members of the house have died, and
their SUCCESSORS have all taken their places
except the man who is to follow Hon.
George W. iIouk OF the Dayton co. dis
trict, and the counting of the tickets to-
night will show who he is to be- Five have
resigned, and their SUCCESSORS are in their
seats John a. Caldwell of the First Ohio
has been elected mayor of Cincinnati, and
e no successor chosen, while Barnes Comp
ton of the Fifth Maryland has been APP
pointed collector at Baltimore, but has
been held back by the slowncss of senate
confirmation Charles =. JOY of the
Eleventh Missouri and Samuel G. Hill
born of the Third California have been
contested out, and Democrats are in their
places. lf, however contests and eject
mcnts aro tn bo counted, other congresses
have had more changes than this.
Pension For Tired Clerks.
The suprcme court is closing up its final
work on the session. and the justices will
soon be ON their summer tours In their
place it is expected that we shall soon have
some kind of "A gathering of ardent civil
service Ctormers, as the suit of Mr.. Cad
dis against Secretary Carlisle and the re
movals in the war department have set all
the local reformers TO buzsing. They have
rallied a meeting for an early day to organ
lie all the friends of civil service reform in
the District to one efficient body, which is
to be followed, il all goes well, by a call to
their coworkers elsewhere to reopen the
a