Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-30
The Combination for Subsidies.

The Combination for Subsidies.
Secor Robson and his confederates
in the House have been exercised as to
the most effective method of bringing
forward their scheme for subsidies.
Members of the Committees on Naval
Affairs, on Commerce, and on Post
offices have conferred. and the plan is to
report a bill for Substituting ocean mail
service by steam, on the basis of that
now allowed to railroads. This scheme
| is really the invention of John Roach,
and it has long been advocated by him.
The combination for subsidies is
strong, and both branches of Congress
may be said to be organized in their in
| terest. That is to say, the committees
| are plainly packed to favor jobbery, and
nothing but the threats of public ex-
posture, such as happened when the
Thurman act was driven through the
Senate in the face OF a majority pledged
against it, will prevent the success of
several large projects Of plumber.
These jobbers do not expect to pass
any bill, pure and simple, on its own
! merits. But when their scheme is
got in shape before the House, they in
tend to mount it as rider on one of the
! appropriations, and finally, in case of
unexpected opposition, to fall back Oh
the committees of conference. So far
as the House is concerned, Secor Robe
son has the game in his own hands. He
is the real leader on the Republican
side, and he is not abashed by his recent
defeat in attempting to enlarge the
committees. The Speaker obeys his or
4 H., 6 Hasf
| a fortune to this notorious trader in legis-
lation.
Presidents and custom have hereto
fore controlled the action of the Senate
in such matters. In other words, the
presiding officer of the Senate by usage
accepts the names handed to him by the
person in charge of any given bill,
when conferees are appointed, though
he is supposed, under the rules, to
select them himself Whether Judge
Davis will permit this bad practice to be
continued will soon be known. He
cannot allow this indirect usurpation of
the rights of the chair without incur
ring responsibility for bad legislation.
| The lobby at Washington this winter
exceeds in numbers and in exactiOns
any that has been seen in the corridors
| of Congress for many years. From
1876-for, although the Democratic re-
form House of Representatives took
possession in 1875. the appropriations
had already been made for the fiscal
year 1875-76-the lobby had a hard
time until near the close of the last
Congress. 1t came to be understood
that big jobs and stale claims and high
ly favored enterprises stood little
chance of success while the guardians
of the Treasury were on duty.
The Star-route robbery went through,
however, and, as is we'll understood, it
cost the contractors a very round sum
for the black list of patriots which is
said to be still in existence. If they
had consented to pay the syndicate of
blackmailers, most of whom turned re-
formers, the twenty-five thousand dol
lars originally demanded, it is quite
probable there would have been no in
vestigation at all, and certainly the con-
tractors would have lad much fuller
pockets to-day.
But the record shows that the great
bulk of the Republicans, aided by few
venal Democrats, voted for Brady's
Deficiency bill of two millions, and
subsequently for the regular Post-of-
fee bill, which white-washed his corrup-
ton.
The surplus in the Treasury has at
tracted the greed of the jobbers. They
swarm at the Capitol Hill with huge
plans for depicting the public vaults.
Captain Eads asks an endorsement for
fifty millions. He dimes and wines the
press on a magnificent scale, and threat
ems to go to Europe for his capital I'M
less Uncle Sam hurrfes to accept his
modest terms. The claim agents have
footed UP three hundred and odd mill
ions for arrearages alone, and they have
laid the foundations for thousand mill
ions more. The Mississippi improvers
want tens of millions.
Bills for public buildings all over the
country crowd the calendars. The army
is to be increased by an addition of five
thousand men. The navy is to be re-
constructed. The Indian supplies are
to be increased. A new Congressional
library is to be built at cost Of many
millions. The Ring speculation for
improving the river front and flats of
the Potomac will absorb millions. Of
fees are multiplied as fast as the Con-
gressional wheel can turn them out.
Lapsed IMMIGRANTS are to be renewed
for rich corporations.
The tide of jobbery is fast rising, and
will soon get above the high water
mark of 1873 Washington Cor. N. Y.
Sun.
"A gentleman in Ridgewood, N. j.,
witnessed an unusual spectacle recently
The sun was just rising in clear sky,
while in the west heavy banks of black