The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-30

LIE :.
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 a ma
yrity OF them, voted against adjournment,
we were compelled to adjourn without pass
ing the bill. The bill ought to have been
passed. 1t was a wise measure, but its tenn
porary failure will not be very onerous to
the people, and they will not feel it in any
sense.
H CARRYING TRADE.
These questions of national Importance
are constantly rising in ones congressional
labors, and many of them can only be mas
tered by severe study. TAKE for example
the question of our upon the high
seas. Before the war we were growing to
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 kno that we
paid last year to foreign bottoms over one
hundred million of dollars for carrying our
own exports abroad2 We all know this
ought not to be, but how to prevent
1t is no easy matter to solve. A
nation such as ours should build, mar and
navigate ships enough to carry her own pro-
auctions. We should permit no such drain
upon our resources as follows our absence
from the high seas of the world. Our ON
mitJee gave the question mich examination,
but l am not yet clear as what our
remedy is. We finally reported a res
olution to the house.. which appointed q
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 l am, however, quite sure, that at
no very distant day in the future this ques-
tion must be met and solved. This great ma
ton of ours is not going to sit idly by and
take little or no part in the great carrying
trade of the world. Dur ships must again
be recognized as the best constructed vessels
of the world, their sails must again whiten
VIE waters of all the oceans and seas on the
face of the earth, mi our flag must be seen
and respected once moro in each and
every part of theI Icivilized nations.
Amy 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 IsrHMUs CANAL
Take again the question of a canal across
the isthmus of Panama. At no great dis
lance in the future that important inter
national highway will be built. The
vast 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 l nave investigated it so far
that l am satisfied that such u 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 ita What nation is there able to
pre- tect 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
Lclal channel which is destined to figure with
such Importance in the future Of
the world.
H FIGHTS.
n 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 nave been talked about. l nave been
talking about questions which seemed to af-
Meet our national prosperity, and
our national existence. Now l want
to talk just for a 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 a
congressman can do in reference to q post
office fightl Let me tell you briefly how the
thing usually u n The first thing you know
a petition about a yard long comes to
you stating that Mr.. So-and-so ought to
be postmaster in a certain city. You look it
over and you see there is a 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
fixed. l don't hin 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 mar is put in, and they
e6lls the bill. YOU look that list
over, and you say. to yourself:
I'm be hangedi if l know just what to do"
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
a foot long signed by learned and judicious
men, who tell you that there is a middle
man that ought really to be put in and so
harmonic everything. What can a nan
do? You work over 1t. You have no inter-
est in it-you have nothing at stake-but
you seek to do what is best and to get a good
postmaster for the people there. You would
Canyon would rather he would be
a stip-top Republican, of course. You
feel better about sue a man because you
know that where a 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, l will appoint, say A.
B." Then the kilograms begin to come in.
1.-THE whole Republican party of this city
and country Will be ruined If you appoint A.
B." Somehow A. BIS friends find out what
has been done, and you get 40 more tele-
grams saying: eff A. b. isn't appointed,
have q divided set of men quarrelling
among themselves, and what are you
going to do about ito The best
You can do, perhaps, is to guess at it
and lot 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 best-and there is trouble with the
lHther fellows who do not get the appoint
nent.
{ Now, I have appointed, or recommended
for appointment, over 100 postmasters, and
~ say to you, in looking over
the list, 1 have not had
a bit Of Trouble with II fellow that 1 nave
put in. daughter and applause,] Every
last one of them is satisfied. Every last one
s6f them saws the country is safe. Every
last one of them says, you are u statesman.
[Laughter.l You have hit the nail on the
head. You have done just what this
community desires and needs" But some
how there is a muttering On the part
of the other men who did not get the ap-
--.o All <La -,,H1 aloud 4hss L.. tLot