The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-21

The late Vice President Hendricks
made the remark that the presence of
Mr.. Holman in congress was worth S25,
100000 a year to the United States gov
ernment 1t is thought that Mr.. Hol-
man aud two other members (Mr. Sprin-
ger and Mr.. Henley saved the country
thrice that amount last week II it had
not been for the presence of these veter-
an members upon the democratic side,
the Pacific railroad lobby would have
succeeded in passing through the house
one of the most out rageous pieces of
fraud which any lobby has ever attempts
ed upon the government. The present
congress is weak from the fact that many
OF its members are raw and inexperienced
in national affairs Whenever an i'm
portant public question comes up, they
have no resources of ready information
TO draw from. When members like lInl-
man, Springer and Henley show an APP
titude for public business, their constitu-
cuts will act wisely in keeping them in
office, no matter how clamorous popular
and aspiring ounces may be for their
places. Green members, no matter how
good may be their intentions, are utterly
yaueless in securing honest legislation
against powerful and disciplined lobby
The Pacific railroad people hid planned
to push their extension bill through con
gress, and had so adroitly manipulated
the members, that il it had not been for
the presence of Messrs Springer, Holman
and Henley, they would have succeeded.
Their proposition to extend the payment
Of the debt Of the Pacific railroad was
put IN such Elusive form that it made a
direct appeal to the members who were
not acquainted with recent Pacific rail,
road history. The argument that the
United States would have better security
for its debt, and that in this way alone
would the government secure anything
was well calculated to deceive Tue re-
port of the committee was unanimous,
and this was u strong argument 10 its
favor. The lobby had circulated reports
that the administration was in favor Of
the bill; that Secretary Lamer approved
it; and that Mr., Thurman himself had
declared in favor of it. These false
statements, made without the slightest
official authority, seem to have been
swallowed by many members without
question. Neither MIR Springer nor Mr.
Holman knew that the Pacific rail
road bill would come up. The committee
reported it without warning. But these
gentlemen were able at once to draw
from their funds of experience and learn
ing sufficient argum ent TO turn the house
against the most gigantic scheme that has
been proposed for years. The measure
ihN'lfNh hhV l'lhhh'hr7 VI "a hGpb vi
Sl09, 000, 900. This debt will be due in
eleven years The Pacific railroad CONS
miltee attempted to rush this bill through
without information and without reports
in the brief lime of four hours, Mr.
Springer made the best speech that he
ever made IN the house. He at first ap-
peared to be the only member to fully
understand the questions presented. lie
was without preparation; but during the
speech of the chairman of the committee
in favor of the BILL he got the Thurman
act and a copy of The Pacific railroad
bill. He is a very ready arithmetician !;
and during the delivery of the chairman's
speech, he figured the money that would
come to the government under such IA
measure. He found TO his surprise that
the passage OF the extension bill would
cost the government $75 900 900 His
clear and forcible statement of facts inns
pressed the house with the discoveries
made by him during the thirty minutes
in which he had prepared his argument.
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