The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1897-02-16

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 10,
1697.-Everybody has seen the
clowns In the circus who make a
great pretense of working with
out doing much of anything that
is useful With due apologies
to the dignity of that august
body, the Senate is as whole
doing just what those clowns do.
Circumstances rather than indi-
viduals are to blame for this
The division of parties In the
Senate makes it impossible to
put through Legislation that is
opposed by either of the three
parties, and about every impor-
tant measure on the Senate cal
endar, aside from the appropria-
ton bills, comes In this category.
A mild sort of a sensation was
created by the announcement
that Representative Murray, the
colored republican from South
Carolina, proposed to enter a
protest against counting the
votes of that state, when the
Senate and House this week
assembled in joint session To
count the electoral votes and
officially declare the vote of the
presidential election, but as the
protest will not apparently be
backed by the republican lead
ers there is no expectation that
it will amount to more than a
passing incident. The basis of
the protest is the new constitu-
ton OF South Carolina which dis
franchises illiterates.
Representative Corliss has in
troduced a joint resolution pro-
viding for a constitutional amend
ment extending the term of rep
resentatives tofour years There
are plenty of men in Congress
who would favor the proposed
amendment, but it is not prob
able that the people will give UP
the privilege of expressing their
opinion of congressional legisla-
tion every two years by their
votes
| The Nicaragua Canal Bill,
which has really been dead ever
since Minister Rodriguez pre-
sented the protest of the govern
ment of Nicaragua against its
passage. has now been abaudon-
ed Sd far as the present session
of Congress is concerned, by all
of its advocates The attempt
of its friends to keep the bill be-
fore the Senate last week caused
a number of wrangles and made
ii clear that it would require a
continued and bitter fight to
force the bill to vote. Although
several senators have recently
changed. there is no doubt that
lit would pass the Senate if
brought TO 6 vote, but it was be-
cause of the impossibility of get
ting the bill through the House
that it was abandoned. This
limpossibility was plainly shown
to senatorial friends of the bill at
a conference with Speaker Reed
and other leaders of the House
majority.
K Whether it was the rumor that
President Cleveland would veto
the Immigration bill, because of
the clause which would have
separated husband and wife. if
one could read and the other
could not, or the strong opposi-
tion to that clause in the Senate.
| that caused the conference re-
port to be rejected and the bill
further amended by the Senate
so as to meet the objections TO
that clause, is not material.
Il Congress has been asked to do
some queer things. but few of
them have been queerer than the
bill which has been introduced
by Senator Mcmillan, at the re-
Quest of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, declaring
that the Star Spangled Ban
ner" shall be the National song
of the United States. AS well
might Congress be asked TO de-
clare that any one of the numer-
Gus histories of the United States
that have been published, shall
be our National history.
Sir Richard ]. Cartwright, the
Canadian Minister of Trade and
Commerce, and Mr.. L FL. Dav-
les. Minister of Marine and Fish
cries are in Washington for the
purpose of trying to get some
concessions in behalf of Cana
dian products in the new tariff
bill. But their prospects are not
bright, as the Committee has al.
ready decided upon an increase
IN the duty upon a number of
agricultural products and upon
1.-Two StnQE Sfsn xkc o<3s,x~-