The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-09-01

the free list. They tried to put copper on that
list. They tried to put everything on the
list until finally we were compelled to adj
journ. Although the Republicans, or ma
jority Of them, voted against adjournment,
we were compelled to adjourn without pass
ing the bill. The bill ought to have been
passed. 1t was wise measure, but its tenn
porary failure will not be very onerous to
the people, and they will not feel it in any
sense.
THE CARRYING TRADE.
These questions of national importance
are constantly rising in ones congressional
| labors, and many of them can only be mas
the question OF our commerce upon the high
seas. Before the war we were growing to
be one Of the great carrying
nations Of the globe. OF course the rebellion
drove our vessels from the high seas, and
since then we have never recovered our
maritime power. Do you know that we
paid last year to foreign bottoms over one
4 hundred million Of dollars for carrying our
own exports abroad? We all know this
ought not to be, but how to prevent
nation such as ours should build, man and
navigate ships enough to carry her own pro-
iductions. We should permit no such drain
upon our resources as follows our absence
from the high seas Of the world. Our COM
mittee gave the question much examination,
remedy is. We finally reported a res
yolution to the house. which appointed a
special committee to sit during the recess to
examine this question. How much they
will be able to accomplish is not certain. or
one thing am, however, quite sure, that at
no very distant day in the future this ques-
ton must be met and solved. This great ma
tion of ours is not going to sit idly by and
take little or no part in the great carrying
l'trade of the world. Our ships must again
l be recognized as the best constructed vessels
OF the world, their sails must again whiten
the waters of all the oceans and seas on the
face Of the earth, and our flag must be seen
and respected once more in each and
every part Of theI rcivilized nations.
Any man who in the future shall grapple
| this great question and master it will earn
and receive the thanks of our nation and be
entitled to the gratitude of generations yet
| unborn.
THE ISTHMUS CANAL.
Take again the question of canal across
| the isthmus of Panama. At no great dis
| lance in the future that important inter-
national highway will be built The
vast commerce between the eastern
and western hemispheres will never
consent to go around Cape Horn, nor yet to
be stopped by the narrow strip of land con-
Meeting North and South America. The
success of the Suez canal makes this other
enterprise an absolute certainty in the near
future. And the question is what shall
be the relation of our government
to that great enterprise The
| question is one not entirely free from
difficulties, still have investigated it SO far
that l am satisfied that such great work
should not be under the control of any ma
| ton of the old world. The new world
should not only build but should own and
control it, and in the new world what nation
| isithere capable of inaugurating and complet-
| ing its What nation is there able to
protect and manage such a gigantic work
except our own government of the United
| Statess Her statesmen should be able to in
| vestigate and master this vast subject, and
our people should see to it that no foreign
| power gets control of this immense CONNER
clal channel which is destined to figure with
such Importance in the future commerce of
| the world.
THE PosToFFICE FIGHTS.
A few moments more, gentlemen, and I
will finish. l did want to talk just one mo-
ment on a question which differs from those
| which have been talked about. have been
| talking about questions which seemed to af-
| feet our national prosperity, and
our national existence Now L want
| to talk just for moment on the
question of the appointment of postmasters
| and the other questions in reference to post
offices. 1t is an interesting theme to con-
gressmen Have you any idea just what
congressman can do in reference to post
Office fights Let me tell you briefly how the
| thing usually runs. The first thing you know
you stating that Mr.. So-and-so ought to
be postmaster in certain city. You look it
over and you see there is large number of
names that you recognize as being first-rate
fellows. the very men turn out and work at
the polls and are "good boys You say to
yourself. swell, that must be pretty well
liked don't think I'll have much trouble
with that case"
The next day or so you will very likely get
another petition about five feet long, telling
you that the first man is not fit for the
place; or that they don't want to say any
thing against him, but that the party will
go to ruin if that man is put in, and they
know another man that just exactly
fills the bill You look that list
over, and you say to yourself:
The petitions are both good lists and while
you are in a sweat to know what to do about
it there comes in upon you a petition about
foot long signed by learned and judicious
men, who tell you that there is middle
man that ought really to be put in and so
do? You work over It. You have no inter
est in it-you lave nothing at stake-but
you seek to do what is best and to get a good
postmaster for the people there. You would
rather he would be good Republi-
can-you would rather he would be
VI COuiSe. Ou
feel better about such a man because you
know that where man comes up to the test
in a political point of view he is more apt to
be a good man in other respects. You feel
that way about it,
Finally you make up your mind that you
have got to do one OF three things, and you
think, "On the whole, will appoint, say A.
B." Then the kilograms begin to come in.
"The whole Republican party of this city
and country Will be ruined If you appoint A.
B." Somehow A. b. IS friends find out what
has been done, and you get 40 more tele-
grams saying: off A. b. isn't appointed,
you will ruin everything" Now, here you
have O divided set of men quarrelling
among themselves, and what are you
going to do about it? The best
you can do perhaps, is to guess at it
and let it go. There is only one trouble con-
nected with this whose business. You do
what you imagine you ought to--what you
think is bestr-and there is trouble with the
other fellows who do not get the appoint
ment.
Now, 1 have appointed, or recommended
for appointment, over 100 postmasters, and