Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-23
HOGE'S STRATEGY.
How Ne Secured the Appropriations
He Wanted.
Guiteau's Last chanse--An Appeal to the
President-Hhat the Democratic
Congressional Committee
Should Do. FfS
BEACH AND THE RING TRlUxpHs.
Spectal pSspateh % the Register.

NAO AAOAOhS SahCAa A4NSAt Aaob NCOAr o0AN q
prominent West Virginian talking to a
group Of friends at the National Hotel; this
morning.
How was that?' asked one of his COM
panions.
well, the facts in the case are about
these: The judge went before the Com
merce Committee of the House and made
his argument and received every assurance
that as liberal appropriations for all the
streams in his district would be allowed as
that which had heretofore been provided.
He thought that there would be no ques-
tion raised on an appropriation Of $4,000
for the Monongahela, and believed, of
course, that itwould go through on its
merits; that was strong enough to carry
itself through the committee.
swell, when the bill came to the House
from the committee, Judge Hoge was very
much surprised to see that the appropria-
tion of 1000 for the Monongalia had
been omitted. OF course he was not only
surprised, but was disappointed. He went
to Mr.. Page, of California, who is chairman
of the Commerce Committee, and said to
him:
"'See here, Page, do you know that you
have ruined me in dropping that $4,000
for the Monongalia river
"Page responded, How So and said that
the committee rejected that item unanim-
ously.
"Oh no; unanimously said Hoge.
"'Well, nearly unanimous, answered
Page.
Lets sit down here and talktabout it,
"Hoge then explains to Page that every
session of Congress for seven years past,
had always made liberal appropriation for,
the Monongahela river, and now, this being
his first term in Congress, it would be i'm
possible to make the West Virginia people
believe that it was not owing to lack Of
efforts on his part that it failed this year.
"well. Page told Hoge that if he would
90 over to the Senate and get the Commerce
Committee at that end of the Capitol
to put the item in the bill, he
would protect it in the Committee
on Conference, when the bill came back
to the House. Hoge thought at first that
that would be satisfactory, but after sleep
ing over it one night, he came to the con-
clusion that he didn't want to get his work
in in that way. He knew that his people
expected him 10 look after their interests,
and that the proper place to have the item
| inserted in the bill was in the House OF
| REPRESENTATIVES, of which body he is a
member. Besides, If he should let the bill
| ret through the House without inserting
the item, and il went over to the Senate
and was put in there, it was certaip that no
matter how hard he should strive
to get the amendment inserted,
the Senators from West Virginia
would receive the full credit for securing
the appropriation.
"The Judge went to the members of the
committee and explained this, and claimed
that as the appropriation had never been
refused before it should be inserted in the
bill before it was permitted to leave the
House. After a great deal OF labor and
talk, the committee in charge of the bill
agreed to oblige Mr.. Hoge by advocating
the amendment, if he desired to offer it in
the House.
"In the meantime, Col Wilson and several
others who were edisgruntled because the ap-
preparations for the improvements OF streams
in their respective districts were omitted,
came to Judge Hoge and told him that he
must oppose the whole bill; that they had
been badly treated, and for that reason the
entire measure should be defeated.
well, the Judge kept cool and said that
he would return good for evil, and not try
to injure other members because he him.
self had been badly treated. Uncle Ben
and the others continued 10 labor with the
Judge, but he still refused to commit him
self.
THE bill came up in the House on Friday,
and run along till late Saturday evening.
All the while the Judges mind was trou-
bled because of the omission of the clause
for the Monongahela river.
Finally, as the bill was being closed up,
and long after the West Virginia sppropri-
ations had been passed on, Judge Hoge
rose in his seat and was recognized by the
Speaker. He offered the following amend
ment: After line OIL insert the following
words: Improving Monongahela river,
West Virginia, twenty five thousand dol
lars"
Every one, of course, thought that it
would be ruled out on point of order, but
but Hoge remained standing, and when
the kickers looked around to see who had
offered the amendment they subsided, and
the amendment was agreed to without
scarcely a murmur Of opposition.
HE was the only member that got an in
crease over the committee, and do not
think there is another member in the
House that could have carried the thing
through as successfully as did Judge Hoge.
He had hard fight for it, but his genial
gentlemanly disposition has made him so
popular with the members on both sides,
that he was able to carry his point through
on no other merit than his personal popu-
larity."
Such is the story in substance that your
correspondent listened to this morning on
his way to the Capitol. There certainly is
no man in Congress who has served so
short period that is so well liked.
Among all the criticisms heard of members
of Congress there are none who 'but speak
in terms of admiration of John Blair Hoge
He is q gentleman, always polite and atfa-
bic, willing to oblige, anxious TO please and
as honest as any man that lives. Should
he be renominated, and he certainly ought
to be, he will make one Of the most promi-
nent, ablest, popular and useful members
in the Forty-eight Congress. Certainly
West Virginia has reason to be proud OF
her members in the national House of Rep
resentatiyeS.
ADJOURNMENT.
A.a.slnx RaflI HndAetdRf-Cam-