The herald., 1896-12-26
GOSSIP FROM WASHINGTON
Brigham Disconrses OF Interesting Mat.
ters at the Capital
Appropriation Bills to Be Considered
After the Recess--A Delegate
From Indian Territory.

WASHINGTON, December 10, 1885,
As usual before the holidays, very IT.
tie is going on under the big dome of
the capitol. Congress will take a long
recess this year, the senate having
adopted the house resolution to adjourn
from December 22d to January 5th. BY
common consent all matters OF import
ance are being postponed until after
the play spell. and the chances are that
then most of them will be sidetracked to
make way for the appropriation bills
Whatever else goes by the board, it is
pretty certain that the bill introduced
this week by Hon. Charles J. Boatner of
Louisiana to increase the pay of con-
gressmen to $1,000 year is pretty likely
TO be considered. 1t should be unders-
stood that the father of this little
william will not himself profit by it, for
| IL the bill is passed it cannot go into ef-
| feet until next congress. It fixes the
| salaries as follows: Speaker, 100000 a
| year; senators, representatives and del
| egates, each $1,000 a year. Mr.. Boatner's
| stock is just now high among his col
! leagues. who insist that he has more good
| sense and independence Of charac cter
| than vox populi has hitherto credited him
with. BY the way, it was he who en-
countered Secretary Morton few days
| after the present administration came
| in and gave that most d!gnified and
| punctiliouS man in Washington a reg
ular old-fashioned southern ''cuasin'' FOR
! alleged unkindness in dismissing IN en-
! ploye.
y, FROM INDIAN TERRITORY
| A delegate from the Indian Territory
| tried to break into the house the other
day but was repulsed by the doorkeep-
| ers, who could not see that he was even
entitled to admission to the floor as a
contestant. The wouldbe delegate, Mr..
| George e. Nelson, bears q certificate of
| election in due FORM signed by an Indian
agent in that territory. According to
| Mr.. Nelson, an election was held in In
dian Territory November Sd at the post
| offices in several villages in which he
| secured 200 votes, clear plurality OF 100
| over his opponent, who was free silver
Democrat, Mr.. Nelson being gold DEM
| ocrat. His claim is based upon the
broad ground that each territory is en-
titled under the constitution to be rep
resented in congress by delegate. The
| committee on Indian affairs promptly
| sat down upon it by declining to ask the
| house to consider Mr.. Nelson's claim,
and when the would-be delegate impor-
| tuned Speaker Reed and exhibited his
| certificate OF election from the highest
| Federal officer among the five civilized
! tribes the good man from Maine told
| him kindly that it was Of no more ac-
| count than a certificate of character
from his grocer.
| THE HOUSE BILL
| So far the most exciting bit of legis-
latlon has been the passage of the house
| bin to Danish intoxicants from the cap
| itol The name or something akin has
! popped up many times before and, like
| Banquo'S ghost. refuses to be laid"
| OF course the bill was passed No mem.
| ber dared oppose it, with the eagle eyes
and ready pens of the w. G. T. u. fra
ternity upon them. 1t was looked upon
| as something of a Joke when the solid
south stood up as one man to be counted
on the side of prohibition. and the only
| objections, came from men who are
known to be total abstainers. Mr.. Row
land Blennerhassett Mahany of Buff
falo. who never INDUCES in so much as
Christmas 'nog." was one of the SOL
itary seven who urged objections to the
! bill on the ground of personal liberty
| in the great and glorious republic and
every mans inalienablei right to the
| pursuit of happiness" as guaranteed
by the constitution. Representative
| Foote. whose strongest tipple Is a glass
of beer on a hot summers day. explained
that he was opposed to the bill not for
his own convenience, but because he
| knew there were many men in congress
who were accustomed to taking some
! thirg with their meals wEo took ct
least one meal a day in the capitol res
taurant. and who ought not to be re
stricted to tea or ice water If wine agre ed
| with them better.
COPIOUS CORRESPONDENCE
A senator from far western state
said today that he had been in Wash
ington Just two weeks aud had spent all
that time debating replies to letters
from Office seekers. Hundreds of letters
/ pouring in upon him by every mail
| are. from men who want places under
the next administration. Says he: al
most every letter begins with Thank
God! the country Is saved. and then the
| writer gets down to business. have
already had ff.y-seven, applications for
district attorney. and the first one that
came was from d man who when / was
running for the senate, wrote me that
he guessed / was honest, but he couldn't
conscientiously support me.
A New England seratcr whose appli-
| cations are so numerous that he has to
record them in porderous ledger says
| his correspondents invariably begin
| with: II congratulate you upon your no.
Bile work in the late glorious campaign. y
That shows which side of the political
fence he is on, for the voice Of congratu-
lation is painfully silent on the other.
Hints are afloat that the presidential
ducking trip which foiowedl SO fast
on the announcement of eX-Queen Liliu-
! okalanis proposed visit to Washington
was not made for ducks alone. How
| ever he cannot remain long in seclu-
sion, and II Mrs. Dominis has made up
her mind to stop with her great and
good friend in, the White House there
Is little doubt that she will do It. We may
take it for granted that ner coming has
| no political significance. 1t is not with
in the power of the administration to
give her aid, and If she were, congress
| would look out for that She Is in no
sense the raton's guest, and unless the
president chooses to regard her as his.
she Will be like any other traveller and
sojourner in Washington. 1t Is to be
hoped that she will be entertained in
the White House as becomes her sta
l tioa and r,aada 70 fenl though l,ar