The Cortland News, Friday, January 21, 1887.
Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent)
Washington, Jan. 19, 1887.
Congress and the social world of the Capital
have both been busy during the week. Society has attended the President's levee
in honor of the Diplomatic Corps, and another given by the Chief Justice of the
United States; has eaten Mrs. Cleveland's elaborate luncheon; gone to her semi-weekly
noonday receptions, and made and received calls by the thousands. Congress has
talked even more than usual, but it has voted as well. Some of its most
important work was aimed at the Mormons of Utah, and much was done in behalf of
the farmers and shippers of the county.
I might as well say much was done for the
people of the country generally, for the passage of the Interstate Commerce bill
is a triumph of the people over corporations, pool-makers and stock gamblers.
This measure came safely through the Senate by the decisive vote of forty-three
to fifteen. The Senators sat with it on Friday until past midnight, and a vote
was not reached until after nearly twelve consecutive hours of debate.
It is not claimed that the bill is perfect or
adequate in all its details, but it is an experimental step in the right
direction. The important thing was to assert the power of the people over the
corporations that they have created for their service, but which have proved in
too many in stances instruments of oppression and extortion. The bill simply
proclaims that the master has not yet abdicated to the servant.
The legislation is the result of long years
of struggle in Congress. The Interstate Commerce bill has been introduced and
re-introduced in every Congress for more than a decade. It has been made and
unmade and remade, changed, added to and taken from, nursed, encouraged,
repulsed and thwarted in both ends of the Capitol until sometimes it seemed
almost hopeless effort.
In the discussion which preceded the Senate's
final judgment upon this matter, several prominent Senators took part, and
among them were Messrs. Edmunds and Ingalls. The former mentioned that when the
Legislature of Iowa passed the first granger act some years ago, the direst calamities
were predicted of it, but none of them had come to pass. On the contrary the
railroads of that State had prospered more than ever before; and he believed
that when the great railroad system of the United States found itself compelled
to submit to this legislation, it would turn out to be for its benefit as well as
for the benefit of the whole people.
The Senator from Kansas, who rarely speaks
without giving his remarks a sarcastic, ironical, or witty turn, said, among other
things, that he was sorry he had to vote for this bill, and he thought a great many
other Senators were in the same condition. It was a bill which practically nobody
wanted, but which everybody intended to vote for. It was a bill as to the
meaning of which nobody agreed, but which everybody said ought to pass.
Mr. Matthews, the colored Recorder of Deeds
from Albany, is not the only nominee of President Cleveland who is having trouble
about his confirmation, now. Public Printer Benedict is having opposition from
different sources. Beside the 30,000 members of the typographical unions who
are opposed to him on the ground that he is not a practical printer, there is
no end to the criticism that comes from Congressmen of work being done daily at
the Government Printing Office. The Congressional Record is full of mistakes, and
sometimes the speech and language of Members are made to appear ridiculous and
senseless. This sort of thing makes the Congressmen indignant, for no matter what
their errors may be, they have been accustomed to be put in good shape, and
come out all right in the Record. It is quite probable the House will take some
action condemning the work now turned out of the Government Printing Office.
It is inopportune for Mr. Coleman to be
assailed just now by the Live Stock Commissioners of Illinois. He is the head
of the Agricultural Department in Washington, and Congress has just voted to
elevate his Department to Executive importance, and give its chief a seat in
the Cabinet with the impressive title of Secretary of Agriculture. This Western
Commission says the discovery of Pleuro-pneumonia in Illinois was due to them, and
not one case was ever discovered by the Government Bureau of Agriculture, as is
pretended by Mr. Coleman. They charge him with ignorance of the laws of Illinois
on this subject, and the Department of Agriculture with incapacity to handle
such questions.
Whatever most farmers may say about the proposed
Secretary of Agriculture it is quite certain that the above mentioned farmers
think, inasmuch as they have gotten along so far without any help from a
Government Bureau, they can continue to get along without a figure-head to supervise
their interests.
REX
Interstate Commerce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Commerce_Commission
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