Our national Congress is the subject of a shameful scandal, and the worst feature of it is, our Senators and Representatives know it, but fail to correct it themselves. It is this: By figures prepared by the Public Printer, it appears that during the last four congresses nearly six hundred speeches have been published in the “Congressional Record” as a part of the debates and proceedings of Congress, but not one of them was ever delivered in the House of Representatives. Here is a number of printed but undelivered speeches of Senators. This is an unnecessary expense entailed on the government. It is a falsehood and makes the “Record” a lie, for you can not tell by reading it what has been said or done in Congress. Senator Vest has introduced a resolution into the Senate to abolish the practice, but it is still an open question whether a body of men who do such things will have the moral courage to vote their undelivered speeches out of the “Record.”
Our readers will find the article by General John A. Logan, elsewhere in this impression, full of interesting and very remarkable statements concerning rudimentary education in the different states. We think his points concerning the common schools in the Southern states will be a surprise to many people. Another article on the subject from the General’s pen will appear in The Chautauquan for March.
A number of Bradstreet’s, issued in the latter part of December, shows that at that time the whole number of men out of employment in the United States, because the establishments had shut down, and by reason of strikes, etc., was 316,000, or thirteen per cent. of the whole number employed in 1880, which was 2,452,749.
Concerning General B. F. Butler, it is announced that he has signed an agreement with a publishing house to write his political reminiscences, in two volumes, for which he is to receive $50,000 in cash and a royalty beside. The advent of Messrs. Blaine and Butler into the literary world is suggestive. It is altogether probable that both of these men regard literary fame, when compared to political favor, as a more substantial and enduring quantity, and believe that their names will live longer in literature than in politics. Of course, there may be other motives prompting them, but to some men fame hath its peculiar charms.
It was a surprise and sorrow to Christian people to learn that the management at New Orleans had decided to keep the Exposition open on the Sabbath. The very liberal—perhaps we ought to say lax—ideas about the observance of the Sabbath which prevail throughout the country deserve serious thought. Certainly to extend opportunities for making sight seeing and pleasure seeking part of the day’s work should be emphatically discouraged.