The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-03-15
W ashingt0n Letter.

From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 8, 1895
There's deaths st hand,
But stead of the funeral bell,
There's joyful shout all over the
land:
'Tis well, 'tis WELL
II the adage "only speak we'll of the
dead" were literally followed it would
be impossible to speak at all of the
Fifty-third Congress, which drew its
last gasp at noon to-day. About the
best that can be said of the defunct
Congress is that it did not do all the
harm it might have done, and the
democratic majority should receive
no credit for that, AS their intentions
were to do all the harm possible and it
was only bv the alertness of the repub-
Iicans that they were prevented from
carrying them all out.
About the only mourners in tine
Congressional house OF death are the
ex-memhers who know t',Gt their pub
lie careers are ended for good and all
and the capitol employees. who only
receive pay while Congress is in ses-
sion.
Ex-speaker Reed uttered Il few words
while the House was discussing under
a suspension OF the rules Il bill apprOp-
rating SIT 500 the reimburse Wash
ington and Lee University, OF Virginia
for injuries sustained during the war,
which were as sound in principle as
the foundation of common law. After
protesting against the bill being con-
sidered on sentimental grounds instead
of the grounds of reason and wisdom,
Mr.. Reed said: "Whoever provokes
must take the consequences, even of
lawlessness, which destroys institu-
tions of learning. No nations can
afford to adopt the doctrine that all
injuries to such institutions shall be
paid after the war is over"
Ex-senator Manderson-the "ex"
was attached at noon today-tried to
accomplish what would have been q
real reform just before completing his
Senatorial career He failed, but that
hould not prevent his receiving due
credit for having made the attempt
Senetor Manderson offered an amend
ment to the general deficiency approp-
ration bill, providing that the wives
and daughters of Senators and Repre-
sentatives should not he borne on the
rolls as clerks, but the Senate prompt
| ly laid it on the table, and the wives
and daughters of certain Senators and
Representative will continue to draw
800 month for which, with rare ex-
ceptions, they DO not perform, and
people elsewhere will continue to won
der why it is SO difficult to get a
| Washington jury to convict those who
rob the government. Senator Man
derson's amendment should have be-
come law, and its provisions should
have extend to cover the sons AS we'll
as the wives and daughters, also news
paper correspondents, and to embrace
all government employment.
Senator Morgan wasn't mealy-
mouthed about the reported intention
of the British government to pay the
dana ges allowed by Secretary Gres-
| ham to Canadian sealers in Bering
Sea. He said in a speech in the Sen
ate: "Sir George Baden-Powell says
that they want to pay the Canadians
and the recalcitrant and rascally
Americans who hired themselves out
under the British flag to rob the gov
ernmen of the U. S., violate its laws.
and dishonor the country-and to pay
them ii advance, so as to have moral
claim against the u. S. for this $425,-
900 not one shilling of which is due
not a shilling. | propose that the
committee on Foreign Relations shall
Investigate that matter. There has
been enough of falsehood and misre-
presentation about this in official
documents and in newspapers to re-
1uire, Or the vindication OF the honor
IF the country, that this investigation
shall be made" Mr.. Morgan was one
If the Bering Sea arbitrators, and
knows this subject thoroughly.
The silver programme, which was to
commit the democratic party to free
coinage at ratio of Is to l sizzled
out withoat making as much blaze as
parlor match would have done. The
scheme had its origin III the fertile
| brain of Mr.. Bland, Of Mo-, who today
4 retired to private life, inyoluntarily,
after long career as member of the
House. Mr.. Bland very shrewdly al
owed Mr.. Bryan of Nebraska, another
gentleman who was dropped from
], Uncle Sans pay roll today, to take
the management of the affair and to