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Washington Letter

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Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
March
Year
1884
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Washington, D. C, March 22, 1884. The latest question taken up by the liigher brancli of Congress prorni?es to [e exhaustively discussed. Tliis is Com:non Schools, and aid in their establishuent and temporary support. Senator RUur vil n nnaanrl the debate pronounced ;his im-asure the most uú, ...SS: vvliich the Si'uate lias liad to deal Rince :he war. He held tliat the panacea for Vmcrica's ills was universal cducation md read a nutnber of statements and statisücsshowing the relation of lliteracy to crime. Tlie uill appropriates flfteen inilliou for the tirst year, fourteeu for the 31'cond, and so on for ten years, decreasnig one million yearly, to be expended Fr comnion school education, the expenditure in each 9tate to be on the basis of illiteracy. The senate has voted to suppiess the foot and mouth disease among cattle by passing an appropriatiou of $50.000, for that purpose; but the pleuropnetunonia bilí still lingeis on the calenilur as a disturbing element. The Upper House has also talked about a more exr..-lIiAi.o mpni1" "r Jeiioftinar nf thw íruat accuuiulation ot' undetermined pension claims noiv bef ore the Pension Department. Applicants for such claims greatly annoy the iegi.-lators on Capítol Uill by their appeals for relief. Senator Horr thoufiht nolhing could be more tragical Ulan the stories which come to them t very year, month, week, and day, of the hope deferred of the poverty, and sorrow, the agony of those men, and the widows and orphants of the uien who have given their life, health strength, and the best part of their manhooi? to their countiy. He spoke of the unfullilled promises made tweuty one years at o, and that Ion;; after the military disability had been encountered, and said there were two hundred thousand claimants neiv unattended to. Senator Ingalls, on the otlier band, took the position that the United States had been unpreccdentedly prodiga! in puying pensions. It has been many a year since the democracy has had brains er b ra very enough to inaugúrate any new policy in politie?, and a keen desiie is shown to see the show begin In the prososed Democratie caucus for discussing the taiifï question So far from being a measure in the interest of peace and harmony the caucus bids fair to intensify the bad feeling now rampant in the party. Quarrels have been partly patched up before now, it is true, but scarcely since 1860 bas the party been in suoli a condition as at present. Protectionist ideas are springing tip in all sorts of unexppeted places within the lines of their camp. The punishment thieatened by the brilüant Kentucky editor, Mr. Watteison, has not made the offending bretlnvn eringe in the least. Mr. Uand.UPs adherents say the Morrisonitie3 will have agood time reading tliem out of the party. The Kepublicun spectators safely purchased up out of harm way, and indifferent as to which fuctiou gets the worst of it, will quietly look on while the other party devours itself. The Post office Appropriation bill had a more troubled caieer in the House ot Representativos than any bill passed by tliat body during the present session. The long debate of about ten d.iys was full ot party personal ities, and reciimination. ütiring the Iaststage3 of the controversy a tilt occured between Mr. Towushenil who had charge of the bill, and Mr. Heed in which ïome bitterness was indulged in. The gentlemen from Maine opposed a feature of the bill, in answer to which the Illinois Kepresentative alleged that Mr. Heed had defended evcry peculator who had ever been charged on that floor with mal-administration, every extravag-.mt appropriation thut had ever been suggested, and every interest of a railroail Mr. Reed repudiated the accii-aiitin with usual warmt h. He said "diere is no man so poor. and no Corporation so ricli that I would prostitute tnyself to iiijuitica for the sake of the teinporary advantage which comes ol maintaining a false position because some dishonest men areclamoringagainst them He did not wish to boast, but had no occasion to lower his head in the presence of any man in that House, of either paty and ventured to say Mr. Townshend was the only man there capable of making such reinarks as he had made. Koll calis by electricity is the latest in vention of interest to those who are anxious to save some of the time whicl is being so lavishly squandered by Con gress. A device for enabling a yea auc , nay vote of the whole House to be takei lnstantaneously instead of consuming learly an hour, as at present, is on exlilbition at the Capítol. The plan Is to provide the desk of each meinber with a little ever, wliieh, if turned to the right votes 'es, to the left no. The votes are counted )y mechanisui, and the result exhibited on an annunciator in view of every one. _)ld members who haveseen the invention n opeiation approve of it, but first term nea look doubtfully at the new thing wssibly o the ground that their names woukl not resound through the halls of Congress, if it were adopted.

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Ann Arbor Courier
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