People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1894 — FROM WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

FROM WASHINGTON.

An Interesting Batch of Xew» From the Capitol. From our Regular Correspondent. Washington, August 10. 1894. If the long continued deadlock between the Senate and the House on tariff legislation had involved any great principle on either side there would have been some disposition on the part of those who cared nothing for paiticuiar schedules but who wanted the disturbing matter settled in some way to condone the inexcusable delay of the conferees. But there isn't a man in Washington whose intelligence is a degree above idiocy who doesn't kno ”, what ever his prejudices or political leanings may have caused him to say, that no great principle was involved in this fight. On the contrary, it was merely a light to determine whether the democratic party as represented iu Congress should be bossed by President Cleveland or by Senator Gorman. That is the naked truth denuded of all fuss and feathers, and it isn't especially complimentary to any one cont ected with it.

It having been demonstrated that tiie followers of neither of these leaders would acknowledge the supremacy of the other the conferees have at last waked up to the demands of the country for a tariff bill of some sort and have reached an agreement, which will in due time be sub milted to House and Senate, if it isn't upset by one side or the 'other i.< fore the reports can be made. The agreement leaves the question of the supremacy o r Messrs Cleveland and Gorman a draw, but that doesn't interest the people. The important question now is. will tile Senate accept the agreement? If recent talk of Senators counted for anything one would be disposed to say that it would not, but the same power that brought about the agreement in conference the will of the people, without regard to politics - will probably make Senators think twice before casting a vote that would result in preventing tariff legislation, leaving the whole disturbing agitation to begin anew next winter.

“Congress would not adjourn I before the Im, of this month. I even if the tariff bill was finally 1 disposed of tomorrow,” said a| veteran Senator. When asked j upon what he based his positive! assertion, lie replied: “Human i nature and the river and harbor I bill.” To make this meaning! clear it is only necessary to say | that a majority in both House and Senate are interested in the appropriations made by the river and harbor bill, now in the hands of the President, and that ! President Cleveland is not pardial towards river and harbor bills, having vetoed one during , his first administration. Should i Congress adjourn before the 18. | President Cleveland could kill the river and harbor bill by a I “pocket vetoe” (not signing it, ) but should Congress remain in j session until that day the* bill ! will become a law. if not vetoed, whether the President signs it or not. There is logic in that, and unless the President signs the river and harbor bill before that date Congress will probably be in session on the 18 of August.

A bill was this week sent to Mr. Cleveland, having passed the House and the Senate, that, comes under the head of the better late than never laws. It provides that contractors for the construction of public buildings shall give ton! for the payment of labor and for materials furnished them. The only people to be inconvenienced by the new law will he the ‘“‘snide*’ contractors, who underbid honest mem inset Amg to get their i proflt oeahog their labor' and ;thote vho farrdsh them with ] material*.

It is well-known that no love is lost between President Cleveland and Senator Vest, of Mo., but it was not until ex-Gov, Francis, who is now in Washington, dropped a few words and let the cat out of the bag, that the idea got out that Gov. Francis is to be the Cleveland candidate for the seat now held in the Senate by Mr. Vest, and which he wants to keep. The understanding here is that the entire power of ihe administration is to be used to defeat Vest and elect Francis. Vest says lie asks nothing better than ih< open opposition of Mr. Cleveland.

The IIousi! Juiluuary committee has favorably reported a resolution, which was adopted without division, authorizing that committee to investigate the charges against Judge Ricks, of Ohio, whose impeachment lias been asked for by a number of petitions from labor organizations.

No one who is familiar with the scandalous lobbying that has been done at this session of Congress was surprised when Senator Allen this week introduced a bill to prevent professional lobbying, the penalty provided for violation of the proposed law being a tine of from 000 to $5,000 and imprisonment from one to five years. The bill defines a lobbyist to be a person who habitually attempts to inttuonce the legislative acts of Congress by soliciting members to support or oppose a measure. Such a law would doubtless prevent many future Congressional scandals, but it hasn’t one chance out of a possible hundred to get enacted. If Congressmen didn’t encourage the lobbyist there would be no lobbyists. They live and thrive on the friendship of Congressmen. Therefore Mr. Allen’s bill will not become a law.

- Many men think that newspaper men are persistent dunners. By way of comparison let us suppose that a farmer raises 1,000 bushels of wheat a year, and sells this to 1,000 persons in all parts of the country, a great portion of them saying: “I will hand you a dollar in a short time.” The farmer does not want to be thought small, and says all right. Soon the 1,000 bushels are gone but he has | nothing to show for it, and he | then realizes that he has fooled away his whole crop and its | value to him is due to him in a | thousand little driblets, consequently he is seriously embarrassed in his business, because I his debtors, each owing him one dollar, treat it as a small matter and think it would not help much. Continue this kind of business year in and year out as the publisher does, how long would he stand it? A moments thought will convince any one that the publisher has cause for i persistent dunning. The Nonconformist and the : People's Pilot from now until after the election, both for 35 cents. Can you beat that.