The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-06-18
JACK HARRIS LETTER.

The First of May it looked as if
the traiff bill might be completed
in about a month. 1t looks so yet,
but, if anything, the prospect is a
little more remote. This isn't quite
so encouraging as the story told
OF a stranger who was driving
through a section of Maine. He
supposed himself to be about twenty
miles from his destination. and soon
came to a guideboard which stated
Jonesville, % miles. The travel
Ter drove on for a few miles, and
finally asked a farmer whom he met
the distance to Jonesville. "Wall,
it's about twenty-three miles, |
guess; not more'n that!" This was
not very cheerful, as it was getting
late in the day, but two or three
miles further he came to another
guideboard bearing this legend !:
" Jonesille, % miles. " He stopped
short and thought deeply. Wall, +"
he finally concluded, " | might as
well drive along There's one en-
comaging thing about it, anyway.
The cussed place amt gainin' on
me any!"
By the time this is in print condi-
tons may have entirely changed,
and the end may be distinctly in
sight, but Just now, as from the
beginning, the entire situation is
shrouded in the deepest gloom. 1t
is darker than the inside of a COW.
Something is liable to happen any
day to shorten matters up and clear
the air, but Just now hope Of any
thing like an immediate emergence
into the clearing is about as hope
less as to climb on the roof and
wait for. the world to come to an
end. There is nothing but talk,
and that is as round as a barrel
hoop. No more end than a rainbowS
A fellow over in the District Jail
who is under sentence of death
'or killing his mother-in-law wants
a reprieve until the tariff bill is
passed, but he can't work it. He
las got to hang next year, anyway.
The House officials have notified
Ill members that they must here
after remain in the city until the
dill is finally passed. With this
staring them in the face, many have |
their families here. Their |
parting with old neighbors and sew
ring of all the old home ties was
aid to be most affecting. Others /
Who could not well bring tier
antilles here because they hadn't
my and other reasons have been
ZONE to finally settle up their
lffairs. One member said he shot
he family dog, as he would be
Helpless from old age before he saw
i'm again. Another member gave
is an affecting account of his fare
veil interview with his middle aged
mother. She made him promise
always to be good, and to
meet her on the other shore. These
re pretty stiff promises for any
ody to make and live up to who
YES in Washington the year round,
ut he says he means business. The
erms of all the members will eX-
ire a year from next March
ourth, and this will let them out.
nevertheless, it is possible that
lany of them won't dare go home
ven then.
As for the senators, they are
laying in much harder luck. The
,rms of some of them will not ex-
ire for nearly six years, and many :
these will undoubtedly be re- J
ected seeing that they can't get !
ONE to muss things up. Beyond !;
lat, they must do all the talking .
II the present. But this is no ,
to them. Only those who =
e compelled to hear them will ).
lffer. To be able to talk, to have :
lat privilege and not exercise it, :
to them suffering only equalled by i
woman with both hands in a pan =
dough and mosquito on the end =
her nose. The most deplorable :
allure of the enter tragedy is !
e fact that many of the senators 6,
e aged men, who, in the natural q
'urse of events, have not many :,
,ars more left to them in this vale u
tears. They have a laudable :,
sire to pass the remainder of their Il
lys in the bosom of their families .,
home. While that bright and i
lppy home so far away is awaiting
EN-, they must remain chained to IN
e stake and with incessant and 7,
erlasting tariff speeches eternally HI
lging in their deafeninG ears. in
egardless of peaceful last days 20
rned by years of faithful labor, II
ey must remain here until the 70
riff bill is passed. Can human n
gratitude go further? 81
One senator has a little grand nj
lid whom he has never seen, and in
is adds to the torture of remain =,
z here. She may grow to woman in
cd and remain a stranger to her w
;tinguished ancestor. This Is -
ldening thought. There are e.,
lers. But amid the> darkling ~.
,om there is one cheering ray of c w.
smatic beauty. The senator -;
,red a jug of prime new whiskey M
a spot unknown to any other AZ
,rtal when he left home last fall, -,