Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-09-17
FACTS AND FIGURES OF RECORD.
Complete " tth new
TYPES AND PRESSES

1t Is well to furnish facts, in concise
form, in regard to some of the politic-
al questions now being discussed.
VOTE ON THE BACK-sAL AIRY BILL.
For the bill in the Senate there were
Ii Democrats or Liberal Republicans,
five more than the majority, given for
it. Ten were outgoing Senators, one
more than majority for the bill. Five
Of them were Republicans and five
Democrats, Twenty-six Southern and
ten Northern Senators voted for it.
Against the bill were twenty-six Re-
publicans and only six Democrats of
them twenty four were from the North
and only three from the South.
For the bill in the House fifty-two
were Republicans, and fifty of the op-
position; fifty.five of all these were
outgoing members-24 Southern Re-
publicans and 30 of the opposition.
Against the bill were sixty-two Re-
publicans and thirty-three opposition.
When we come to aggregate the vote
we find for the bill, Is Republicans and
63 of the opposition; of these G5 were
outgoing members, and 80 of them
were.from the South. Against the bill
were 73 Republicans and 80 of the OPP
position.
Thus it is plainly seen that much
larger proportion of the opposition
supported the measure than of the Re-
publicans. But it is urged that the
President signed the bill, when he
might have defeated il. That is true,
but, as VIC have time and again ex-
plained, the President was so placed
that he must either sign the bill or de-
feat largo appropriation necessary to
run the government. If he had vetoed
1t, an extra session of Congress, at
tended with great expense, would in
evitably have been the result. We are
fully satisfied that he erred when he
did not veto 1t, but we are just as fully
satisfied that il was such an error, un-
der the circumstances, as the wisest
and best of men might have made. 1t
was no matter of small moment, and
no easy question to settle, whether the
people would have sustained him in
incurring larger expenditure by call
ing Congress together in extra session
than the increase Of salary would have
bcen. Especially was he excusable for
the act,-so far, at least, as any wrong
intent was concerned, since he we'll
knew that five times before in the his
tory of the government a like act had
been passed.
Another record is on the great quos-
ton of transportation, the question on
which, it is claimed, the new party is
being formed. The following history
Of this important question in Congress
is very pointed Just now to show who
are the friends of cheap transporta-
ton and who against it.
In January, 1873, Gen. j. r. Hawley,
. Republican member of the House
from Connecticut, introduced reso-
luton to suspend the rules and pass a
bill to provide for the appointment of
commission to collect information in
relation to railroads forming lines he.
-------- ri.-a-nnte upon this,
which was to open up the queslIon vf
transportation nearly two years ago,
was as follows: 75 yeas and 9S nays: of
these there were SO Republican yeas
and only six of the opposition, and of
tho nays there were 20 of the opposi-
ton and only nine Republicans. This
defeated action upon this question in
the session of 1874.
Tho action OF the next Congress is
familiar to most of our readers; yet
the vote, perhaps, had better be given:
On the transportation bill of the Hon.
Geo. w. McCrary the vote in favor
was l2l, and against ll5. OF those in
the affirmative ll6 were Republicans
and five of the opposition. OF those
in the negative 45 were Republicans,
two Liberals, and 6S were Democrats.
Here in Iowa we have the opposi-
tion under the name of Anti-Monop-
oily, but in all other States the Democ-
racy is the name, and even here it is
well known that pretty much all there
is Of the new party comes from the
Democracy. In Congress this new
party, to effect anything through its
members, must either act with Democ-
racy OF with the Republican party.
1t cannot admit OF a doubt, with all
candid persons, that Anti-Monopo-
lists will represent the great body of
their constituents and be found on the
Democratic side of the house aud vote
with them. In order to effect parti-
Gle of relief to the farmers of Iowa,
they would be obliged to do right to
the contrary, and adopt the policy and
practice of the Republicans in Con.
gress because they alone have made
the least effort TO extend relief. Even
here in Iowa, last February, the Anti
Monop State convention took the same
ground that the Democracy had in
Congress. In their last conv ention
however, they covered up their real
meaning, and stingily resolved that
Congress had something to do with
this great question; but they were
careful to give no light as to the man
ner OF doing it.
At the last session of Congress much
important legislation was had upon
railroads. One act provided for pro-
tecting the rights of settlers upon the
public lands, in cases where settler
has taken his homestead upon what
proves finally TO be within the grant
OF lands to railroads. In such cases
the settler is protected in his lands, and
the railroad is obliged to take other
lands. Another act requires the rail.
1 roads IN take ont patrnts NJ 0nea ppn,,