The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-19
Seeds-for Electioneering Purposes

Il ~ N. I. Sun. - 5agE @egs cra-,
The debates on the appropriation TO he
Ducs department have been Conducted
with frankness. When the conferences re-
port on the disagreeing votes of the House
and Senate came upin the former body. it
was Mt once evidens that the main inter
est of the members was concentrated on
the question how the report left the dis
tributirg of seeds. g--..s.
1t was found, on inquiry, that amend
ment 10, the one dealing with this pivotal
subject, had been so taltered by thu com>
mittee that instead of requiring an equal
proportion. of seeds to be distributed
among Senators, members. and delegates,
as the House wished. it only required "a
reasonable proportion" to be 30 delivered,
leaving all the surplus above that vaguely
defined amount to be disposed of at tho
pleasure of Ls Duo.
a stormy discussion Of course spraug
MP on this discovery, since it touched a
question important to members from the
farming districts AS $4,000 are anpu-
ally appropriated for seeds for distribu-
ton. it will be seen that large share
would come to each Congressman in an
equal division,and that, on the other hand,
Lie DUO g department might be made an
effective electioneering machine through
retaining large part of the seeds to be
placed where they would do the most good.
The frankness of the House sdiscRssion
is instructive. Mr., Hill of Ohio remarked
that ''it is well-known fact that members
of Congress use these seeds only for cleo
pioneering purposes;" and when asked.
amid the laughter of the House. if he had
ever used them in that way, cody replied:
Certainly did, and would do it again. if
L hoA ho
gentleman on this floor" But Mr.. Hits
experience in seeds as missionary agents
in politics does not seem to have been sat
isfactory, according to this subsequent
confession
"Why, sir, when was trying to get q
denomination for congress, and made
application over there for seed. | got
tobacco seed enough to plant the whole of
the United States. Laughter. The
fact is, there is not a stalk of tobacco rails
ed in my district, and never was. Laugh
ter.
Getting the wrong kind Of seed is not
the only trouble experienced by congress-
men in this queer business. Mr., Dunnel.
of Minnesota, paying his mpliments to
LIE Due. complained as follows:
I'VE have been left where we were left
heretofore, at the discretion Of the COM
missioner; and it is we'll .known the com
missioner refused to give seeds. except to
few special friends Some members of
this house have had lots of seeds. bushels.
sent to their rooms, while other members
| have had none. Under the present sys-
tenn all the seeds may be disposed OF in
the months of March and April. A mem
Der of congress will have fifteen, twenty,
thirty. or forty applications for seeds after
that time. and il is the usual habit of men
writing for these seeds to attribute their
failure to receive them 10 their members.
In my own state the bulk of applications
for seeds come to me In tho month of
April. April is the time for men to ask
for seeds in the state of Minnesota. But
when applied to obtain them | was told
that they were all gone. never have
received, think, ten dollars worth year,
although representing purely agricultu-
raj district.
Mr.. McKenzie-Has the gentleman
from Minnesota ever enclosed request to
the commissioner Of agriculture for seeds
and been denied2
"Mr. Dunnell-I have.
Mr.. Ryan of Kansas any many others
So have l.
With like failure to admire De Luo's
methods. Mr.. Keller explained the results
Va HlS GApSIIGIOC III Tic IaSJ [OORF65Es
L have sent very small lists to him,
none exceeding hundred names. and l
have received notice that stbere was no
more seed to BIO had, Such notice would
be sent to me here at my desk, while
another man By my eide the same day
would receive notice that seed had been
sent to hundreds of names according to his
request. Some weeks after l had been
notified that there was no seed to be had,
| was told by a gentleman on the other
side of the house that be himself had Just
received six hundred packages at his room
to be sent out By mail.
Mr.. Buckner-He represented a close
district. maybe (Laughterp y
Il is well that :the public should note
this ingenious debate on the object and
methods of seed distribution. As to the
specific settlement made of the question,
the bill, as passed by both Houses on
Tuesday, declares that IAN equal proper
ton of three eourths' of all seeds,
plants, and cuttings provided for stall.
upon their request, be supplied to Senators
Representatives, aud Delegates, for dis
tribution, 'or shall. by .t,ir direction, be
sent to their constituents .l
But the business of distributing seeds at
the public expense is deuoraizine hum