Year: 1878

WASHINGTON, IL. u, June IOr 20.


Nearly one full week of the time of
the House has been devoted to listening
to the tales of self confessed liar and
virtual perjurer, as foundation for the
next Democratic Presidential campaign.
The hearing has been conducted at di


rect expense of tens of thousands of dol
lars, to be collected from the tax bur
dened public 1t is hardly possible to
ever r-estimate the indirect expense. And
what have we gained as an Offset to this
enormous bill Of costs, directly and in
directly flowing out of this partisan one
sided investigation? About all the nee
essary work of the session has been neg
lected for months, while private jobs and
grossly partizan legislation has engaged
the attention of the House majority,
many members, evidently. regarding
such work as a shorter cut to re-elec
ton than the dispatch of legitimate bus
iness. The Committee charged with the
work of perfecting the appropriation


bills-the most important of any oftheir
duties-appear to haze regarded it as of
the least consequence; hence many OF


hem have been neglected TO date so
late that members of the corresponding
Senate Committees will not have days
where they should have had weeks to
scrutinize add and omit such items as,
in their judgment, appears most to the
Governments interest. More than half
the really necessary work of the session
has thus been crowded into the two
weeks Immediately preceding final ad-
journment. Under the circumstances It |
would be unreasonable to expect the
Senate Committees to weed out the many
appropriations which have beeninserted
through the influence of the army of
cheap lobbyists and strikers that infest
the Capital like so many rats. The ON
nibus bill is usually loaded down with
obscure provisions that on casual glance
appear very innocent and notimprope-,
but which, in reality, cover in steals that
aggregate hundreds of thousands Of dol
lars for the good and behoof of influen-
tial friends of the Members of Congress
who labor indefatigaDly to divert atten-
ton from them, but if unsuccessful are
always ready with very plausible reasons
why they should be allowed to go
through. The crude condition Of much
Of the legislation of the last days ofabont
every session is as disgraceful as 1t Is
notorious. And the work of the present
session promises to be no exception.
There have rarely existed such oppor-
tunities for members to have distln-
guished themselves as those offered by
the 45th Congress. Every one Of our
great national interests called loudly for
relief BY the adoption ofwise practicable
measures of craftsmanship. What one
Of them has been benefited by the con
vening of Congress? Who can certainly


point it out? Eight full months will


have been consumed, and unless the re-


monetzation Of silver shall demonstrate


its right to a place in the category Of
beneficial legislation, it will puzzle the


most vehement apologist Of this Congress


to designate any of its achievements
rightfully belonging in it Weeks have


been spent by the Democratic majority
in the House in vain endeavor to ind


a justification for Its action In seating


Democratic claimants in seats held by
Republicans and to which they were
entitled by every consideration ofjustice
and equity. 1t would be difficult to find


IN the entire history Of the House,


Speaker who has more frequently or


fagrantly outraged the demands Of JUS
tice in his rulings, than the present one.


His subserviency to party necessities
appear to have blinded him to every


higher consideration Of patriotism and


fair play. The contrast between him


and his immediate predecessor (Blaine)


is most marked. No one has forgotten


the apparently willing testimsnyo Of every


Democrat to the latter when he retired


from his six years occupancy ofthe chair


now filed by Randall. / am reminded
| to say that Mr. Blaine by his eloquent


plea in behalf of our shipping interests


and in favor of extending the>feld Of


demand for our productions, was able to


convince a large majority of the Senate


that We had been carried to an unreason-


able extent against every form ofsubsidy.


by the impetus Of Credit Mobilier, Pa
cific Mail, and similar scandals; end the


vote plainly revealed partial reaction


for the effects of those shameful revela-


tons. Probably no other man in the