Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1885 — OUR WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. C.,) January 22,1885. f Editor Sentinel: Congress is busy now and every moment is consumed in voting, speaking, preventing obnoxious bills from being considered, as well as bringing forward bills of popular interest for consideration. The foreign court bill, which established a lot of courts in foreign countries to try American citizens under American laws, failed, as it should, because it created a horde of new offices to be filled by appointment, jand new offices now is not in the line of Democratic reform. Another reform is the revenue system, which is resisted by a handfull of Randallites and the solid vote of the Republican members. Randall and his Democratic and Republican supporters insist on the removal of all internal taxes on whiskey and tobacco, if this were done, then the high tariff tax on clothing, the necessaries of lite, and on iron and steel, machinery and a thousand other manufactured articles, would remain where it is, because the Government, as present advised, could not cut down the taxes on these articles, if the tax were removed from whisky and tobacco, as the revenue demanded tor public purposes would not admit of the red uction. But this Congress, and the next, will refuse to remove the tax on whisky and tobacco. These are luxuries and the tax is purely voluntary and no one need to pay it unless he desires to do so. • hese articles are not necessary to life or comfort, and if they are used, the user elects voluntarily to pay the tax. Then all other countries tax these articles for revenue. Just why the Republican party in Congress want free tobacco and free whiskey is more than the common mind can grasp. The protectionists clamor for the repeal of this tax because they see in its repeal their own salvation. It would keen protection taxes upon the necessaries of life. They want free whiskey but taxed lumber and shingles, paints and oils, <fcc They want free whiskey but highly taxed woolen ana cot ton goods, and iron and steel goods. It is purely a selfish motive with them. They wo’d put down the price of whisky to old antebellum times and bring it within reach of every frail drunkard in the land, in order to keep up high taxes on lumber and salt, and other necessaries of life. This role will not win.

The Blair educational bill may come up, and if it gets before the House it will pass. The bill is clearly unconstitutional, by the word and the letter of the Constitution, but the measure is so beneficial in its nature that many will vote for it on the ground of necessity, the power exercised by President Lincoln to emancipate the slaves.

There is no great rush for office yet. 'ihe truth is Democrats nave a steady business at home and want no office. They got tired of waiting in the last quarter of a century and went into business, and they don’t caie to give up for the doubtful tenure of office, with its petty annoyances and downright curses. Your member of Congress, Tom Wood, is as busy as any one l saw in the House. He is a tireless worker and does as much as two men for his constituents. He has taken a liberal part in the debates, having made six well considered speeches daring last session and this, and is now preparing an elaborate speech on the Mexican treaty. A mem ber said to me to day, “I want to hear Wood speak on this I measure. He studies his speeches carefully, gets down

to the bottom and ’'makes no mistakes. He will give the House and the country as much information on this question as any man in Congress, and i venture his speech will be; widely read.” He has a large run on the soldier, and trots up to the Pension office every day and looks after the interests of the s ldier boys, as he laughingly calls them, the same as he wo’d for his children. In Washington no man’s de feat is more regretted than his, for these people thought there was a bright future for him if he could stay in Congress a few years, and would make his mark in the councils of the nation, as well as honor his District. s The Republican heads of Departments expect to go, but the small fry expect to stay.— i hose who worked for BJaine will have to walk the rope, as they violated the Civil Service rules, and cannot now invoke the law to defend them. It is estimated that seventyfive thousand will have to go, and most of them have not one cent ahead. They don’t know what to do. having been so long in office that their aptitude for husiness is gone and they will become bad as tramps That is a curse which follows keeping one party in power so long. When a change does come it brings misery to the old holders-on. But tnev will have to “root hog or die. The appropriation bills are being perfected and will soon be up for passage, then the main work of Congress will be over for this session.

COLLY.