The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-01-26
"Capital" Letter from Harris.
Washington, Jan. %,

= | -ftAA oCAiAN OChSiANChb SoNAN
and would impress upon Congress
the propriety of so reckoning their
days that they might apply their
hearts unto wisdom it would be many
hard dollars in the pockets of the
people. But have no hope of it.
With Congress, time and money are
the least valuable of all temporal
possessions. There is no limit to the
abundance of each at their COM
mands, and so the morrow is COM
fortably allowed to take thought for
the things of itself. Very little if
any real progress was made by either
branch last week in the disposition
of matters of consequence. The
Senate is yet calmly masticating the
cud of the administration S financial
bill, although it is hoped that it be
ended this coming week. Senator
Allen of Nebraska will close the de-
bate for the opposition, which means
fresh breeze from the west for
about two days.
Although the financial bill has
been the measure before the Senate,
very much of its time has been abb
solutely wasted. by the insurgent
Senator'S resolutions of sympathy
for the Philippines, Beers and other
disturbers of the public peace. Every
| day some one of the rebels will raise a
wrangle and long rambling discus
sion over some Anarchistic resolu-
tion of coincidence or calling on the
president or some department. for in
formation which shows on the face
of it traitrous, sentiments and a
plain intention to make trouble for
the government. Something of this
Kind is up every day, speeches of
sympathy for the rebels are made
and the regular and Legitimate busi-
ness suffers continually. The Senate
aajourned over from Friday till to-
49, aud as-- a1l Illustration iof the
above / may say that Friday was alb
so1utely wasted by long harangues
from Allen of Nebraska and Hale of
Maine favoring the ignorant and
brutal Dutchmen of South Africa.
And so it goes. Hale made a most
disgracefu1 record by championing
the cause of Spain in the Senate at
the beginning of the Spanish war, a
record which was a shame to New
England and which SO disgusted his
own state Legislature that it only re-
elected him after a reprimand and |
apology to the rest of the country. |
Since then he has been little heard |
of in the Senate, although known to |
be in hearty accord with Spain and
opposed to the policies of his own |
country, until he again arises as the !
enemy of the English speaking race.
The entertainment in the House
last week was of the vaudeville char
acter, mixture of everything, good,
bad and half-and-half. The ;rppro-
priation bills were supposed to be
under consideration, but they were
with every variety of
guerilla warfare. Friday the appro-
priation for pension bill passed the
House, after red-hot running fire
of discussion regarding the admins
tration of the pension bureau by
Commissioner Evans. 1t is very
apparant that there is very strong
of Mr.. Evans methods
IN Congress, and an outbreak which
will make trouble for Br'er Evans is
certain to result if he pursues his
present course and remains in office I
ong enough. Many members are in
he condition of mind known as
roaring mad and trouble is bound j
20 come. The charge is freely made
hat the commissioner exercises the ;
most arbitrary and njudicial au '
hority in his treatment of claims,
1ut many deserving cases are wrong {
;ully turned down or chung up'' and
hat generally the bureau is not
conducted fairly and honorably to- I
ward the old soldiers. Much of this {
sentiment cropped out in the debate
Triday, and it was a noticeable fact !
hat whatever defence was made for {
DR.. Evans came mainly from the 1
Democratic side. The appropria- i
ions for pensions this year amounts /
o S145, 245, 230, an increase of only ]
III, 500 over the last appropriation. s
I'm amendment to the bill was |
dopted, after a long and bitter ar
.ument, which passed with the bill. '
+ it becomes law by the concur /
ence of the Senate, which is very !
likely, it will be of large interest
the country. AS it will
lit many Vermonters l give it in /
ubstance: 5
THE commissioner of pensions l
hall furnish all necessary blanks !
o claimants and may, in his dis {
retion, refuse to pay the fee to the |
Lttorney of record when he is satisfied {
N