Middletown transcript., 1894-05-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The presence of 500 men camped for a
week within the limits Of the National
Capitol, banded together under the
name ef an "army," and threatening
openly to remain until joined by suffi-
cient numbr Of men to intimidate
Congress into granting the ridiculous
demands of its self-appointed leader,
and the circumstances attendant upon
their coming and their staying Lere
presents quite as impressive an "object
lesson" as the financial "object lesson"
inaugurated by the Cleveland Admin
stration about this time last year, and
unless the difference between liberty
and license is more sharply defined, may
lead to quite as much misery. That a
majority of the men that this man
Coxey 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 mala-
ria laden atmosphere, are lazy, good
natured tramps, only intent upon
avoiding work and being fed, is appar-
ent by their refusal of 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
Representatives are doing all they can
to encourage it. When this man Coxey
and two of his followers were arrested
for violating the law in their absurd
attempt to speak from the steps of the
Capitol, every Populist In Congress
who could make any claim to being q
lawyer appeared in the police court,
nominally as their volunteer defenders,
but in reality 10 intimidate the court.
The manner in which the old law,
docking the pay of members of the
House absent without leave, except on
account ofisickness, is being enforced is
extremely farcical. The members are
allowed to certify their own absence
and the highest number of days that
any member 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 certifi-
cate of absence and drew their full
months pay. The speaker of the House
who under this law is required to o. K.
the certificates of the members before
they are paid by the Sargeant-at-arma,
declines to 60 behind the returns made
by the members, even if he has actual
knowledge of their incorrectness, thus
ltaving the matter entirely with the
consciences o f the members. Exper-
ience has proven that men s consciences
are very much like rubber when ques-
tions arise affecting their pocketbooks.
Sugar has certainly played star part
In the tariff tinkering farce comedy
that has been going on in the Senate
for five weeks, and unless information
that has been received from Louisiana
is incorrect. sugar is either going to get
all OF the aowers 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 repudi-
ate the forty per cent. ad valorem duty
put OF sugar by the present bill and
demand straight duty of two cents a
pound-forty per cent. is a fraotion 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 sup
port 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 gubernatoral appointments, and
the Legislature that will meet on the
10th Inst, will elect Senators to fill
both of the unexpired terms. as well as
one for a full term. To fully under
stand the situation it must be remem.
bered that the Louisiana Legislature is
said to be overwhelmingly in favor of |
! two cent duty on sugar, and that It |