The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-12-18
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. d. c., Dec. IA, 1896.

Of the F%ifty-fourth Congress has come
and gone, and there is doubt IL the
world Is any wiser, better or happier,
1t reminds us of a grist-mill running
with an empty hopper-there is noise
and friction, but no r~esults-which
leads one to think that but for the
constitutional provision the session
might just as well have been dispensed
with entirely, with possible advantage
to the country. II that be true of one
session, why not others? Vice-Presi-
dent Stevenson and Speaker Reed in
dustriOusly pound their little gayels
for order-which is about the only
evidence Of industry around the Capt.
tol. The solons look wise and draw
their salary with a kind of mecllani-
cal regularity which causes them to ac-
tually believe that they are important
and oyer-worked individuals. Some
Of the newly-clected members whose
terms begin with the Fifty-flfth Con-
grcss have come on to Washington to
see how the thing works, but they
think it sounds more dignited and
statesmanlike to say that they are
here on legal business"-so we will
let it 20 that way. The colo water
people have occasion to congratulate
themselves. After 1O8 years Of hard
work they have succeeded in getting u
resolution introduced in the House
which provides -whcn it becomes a
law-that the bar-rOOm at that end Of
the Capitol shall be closed, making it
necessary for visitors to do their drink
ing on the outside Of the building, as
they will not have free access to the
cloak-rooms and the porters. This
gives rise to a very neat little mathe-
NAUTICAL problem: If it required lOS
years to get such a resolution intro
duced in, the House, how long will it
be until the Kentucky Colonel can
not get his mornings morning" in
the Capitol building of the United
States? The Senators do not seem
the least disturbed over the cold water
House resolution, because If passed, it
would have no Jurisdiction over the
Senate julip counter. So Mr.. Editor,
when you get ready to come to Con.
gresS | would advise you to run for the
Senate, unless You prefer to take your
tea" in the cloak-room on a silver
waiter, for the House may pass that
resOlution-they are always doing
something foolish over there.
That reminds us that a few of the
Senators have been firing up and dis
charging considerable steam for the
last few days on account of the adj
ministrati0n's attitude toward the
Cuban war. Who knows but that our
"grand, glorious and peculiar" admin
~iStrati0n may be right after all? For
with a powerful navy and two hun
dred thousand soldiers Gen. Weyler
has been able within the short space
Of two years to kill one inSurgent
leader, cause another to commit sui
eide, rather than die of old age wait
ing for the brave and dashing Weyler
liant sanguinary achievements is add
ed the glorious victory Occasioned by
the unconditional surrender of Gen.
MaccO'S traitOrOus c0rn doctor. Don't
crowd the monkey, gentlemen. Time
is all Weylcr needs to put down the re-
bellion On the little island that can
scarcely be seen with the nude eye on
the map. Has not all Spain just cause
to be proud of their great and only
Wcyler? Is there wonder that she re-
joices, calls out the brass bands and
school children to parade the streets
under great arches of ~fcstOOned bunt-
ing, and fires SaluteS in honor of her
mighty, warrior with the only old
cracked cannon not engaged around
Cuba? "All things come TO those who
wait"
Marcus A-mOgul Hanna has been in
town for Il week arranging for his in
auguratiOn. That is, lie will allow
Mr.. Mckinley to 60 through the mo-
ton, but Marcus will play the lead
1ddle. However, he has run I'D against
trouble in his plans. Marcus wants
to use the new library building for a
dance hall for the inaugural ball, but
the venerable and semi-patriOtic Sena-
tor from Vermont, Mr.. Morrill,, has
introduced a resolution in the Senate
to prevent the use Of the building for
any other purpose than that uf Uncle
Sans library. But as Mark has more
patronage to distribute than the Scna-
tor has, 1t is believed he will down
Uncle Justin" Representative Bart
lett, OF Massachusetts, is whetting his
old razor on the sole Of his shoe pre-.
paratory to a pruning process by which
ne proposes to amputate some of
Marks most robust patronage. He
has introduced a bill in the House
providing that the cabinet officers
shall be selected from the Senate and
House. Mr.. Bartlett is doubtless
thinking OF the rule which entities
the mover of a resolution to first priv
ilege. But Mark is thinking about
something else.
About the only bill of any conse-
quence which has made any progress
is one that passed the House Tuesday,
and is expected to become Il law, pro-
viding that upon the petition of citi-
zens in towns where there is no free
mail delivery, the postmaster may an.
point a carrier to deliver mail to the
petitioners upon its arrival. The
worst feature of the measure will be
that those who have their mail so de.
llvered must pay the salary OF the car
-
rier. That would be class legislation
or the most aggravated form. II I'm
Gle Sam pays the carriers in towns OF
10000 he ought To pay them In towns
OF 1000, because the small towns con-.
tribute to the old mans support as
largely In proportion to their numbers
as the large towns do, and in that pro-
portion are entitled to a like consid-
Grafton.
After the fourth of next March
Mark Hanna will have control OF the
executive, and one horn OF the legisla.
tive branch OF the government, but on
account Of the ''free silver craze" that
still RACES in the Senate, he is not en-
tirely sanguine that he will have that
branch completely under his political
thumb, therefore he is now reaching
out his powerful hand in a desperate
effort to elect Republican Senators
in thn Ntntnc "a Nrrtl. (N,,nI..o H.. !