The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-12
THE 0TTUMWACOURIER
J. N. HEDRIcK, Editor.
OTTUA1wA, IOWA
Thursday, -. March IL, 1868
The State House Grab.

4
The State House Grab.
Bunder the splendid leadership O
the crafty, cunning, adroit and able
John A. Kasson, the gigantic Stat.
House Grab. has passed to a third
reading in the lower Heuse, and viii
inevitably pass that body and b
shortly sent to the Senate in substan
TALLY its present shape. After run
ming the gauntlet of its enemies in
the House for several days, who kept
up it constant fusilade of amend
ments, it has finally emerged rased
down to something like the following
proportions, towit: No more than
100000 dollars in any event shall
DO expended on it, while during the
next two years no money shall be
spent on it except $135, 900 now in
the State Treasury, allowed us by the
General Government on account Of
War claims.
The building commissioners Are
to consist of one person from each
Congressional districts, besides two
to be appointed by the Governor who
is also q member ex-officio, of the
board and its chairman. These com.
missioners are to give bonds in the
sum often thousand dollars each, for
the faithful discharge Of their duties,
which is at least fifteen thousand dol
lars too little. The building commit.
tees of the two Houses, are also to
act in conjunction with these commits.
sioners in the matter of accepting
plans, specifications, &c..
The commissioners are to receive
five dollars per day, and expenses
and mileage, while in the actual dis
charge OF their duties.
As might be expected, under
the circumstances, Field Marshal
Kasson is supported in this inlqui.
tous job, by some of the best brains
in the House, not to mention the
vast army Of reserves, consisting Of
professional and mercenary lobby
lists, citizens interested in the sup
posed increase it will give to the val.
ne of their real-estate, and the cor.
morant crew Of prospective contrac.
tors who by shrewd manipulation,
expect to put at the lowest estimate
everyother dollar of this vast appro.
priation into their capacious pock-
cts. -,
Dudley, the able and faithful
chairman of the Claims Committee,
stand as the opponent of this, as he
is the unflagging enemy of all other
schemes Of public plumber, or unnec-
essary expenditure.
In these trying times when we
are in q transition state from war to
peace, when our system of govern
ment and finances is passing thro'
the most fiery ordeal, when through
the Vaccinations of villainous and
treacherous administration it has be-
come problematical whether we have
. government among us or not, it is
the highest evidence Of good sense,
and practical craftsmanship, to have
the nerve to stand up and vote mol
against all propositions to wiring
another cent from an already over
burdened people, except it be for in
dispensible purposes; and that Cha's
Dudley possesses these qualities and
dares to exercise them, in the face of
the taunts and jeers of his more pro-
fligate fellow members. and the inso-
lent lobby, is the highest compliment
that we can give him.
Mayor Hamilton it is understood,
is hostile to this bill, and will vote
against it when it comes into the SEN
ate for which grateful constituent
cy with one voice will cry aloud,
bully boy!
There is a beautiful ring arrange
ment at the capitol just now, between
the Deaf and Dumb ASYLUM folks
of Council Bluffs, who only want
Three Hundred Thousand dollars to
start with, the State University
crowd who want certain liberal
stipend set aside from annual taxa
ton to support the ancient town Of
Iowa City, and this Capitol Building
Ring, whereby on the mutual admira-
ton, and you tickle me, and I'll tick
le you plan, it is proposed to extort
from the pockets Of the people, ap-
preparations enough to involve the
State hopelcssly in debt for years
to come, thereby deterring thousands
Of people from coming among us,
and bequeathing us an inheritance of
taxation too grievous to be borne.
We are satisfied that if this State
House Steal in particular, wassub-
mitted to the people, that it would not
get ten thousand votes outside Of
Polk county, and the members who
have succumbed tothe plausible and
oleaginous and oily CANNON appli.
ances Of the Capitol Building Ring
had better be thinking about some
teching" inscription to 60 Oh their
tombstones, for this act will not only
kill them with an indignant people,
but put them beyond the hope fpo.
litical resurrection.
1t is worthy of notice that the
copps on these measures, involving
odious expenditures, out of which II
is possible to manufacture capital
or make clubs whorewith Republican
noggins are TO be broken in the pen
/ IL ..-:C>1, - e.. AZ