The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-11
What Mr.. DOughcrty is Doing.

account OF congressman gherty
and the particular work he is ensag.
ed in. Mr.. Doughsrty is not idle,
bu, working diligently in the inter.
est Of his constituents. We clip the
following from Mr.. Jones letter:
As far as the House is concerned
the measures in which Florida is pc.
cullarly interested are in good shape.
In the river and harbor bill which
passed to-day, Florida is treated
with what may fairly be called lib.
erality. Her most important public
works-,hc 81. Johns bar and Cum.
bcrland Sound--received larger ap.
preparations than ever before, and
less important, works have been
awarded similarly liberal appropra.
tlOns.
The Indian war claim bill will
come up the next time the claims
committee is called, which will Ger.
talnly be before the end of this
month, and Mr. 'Dougher,y is quite
confident j, will then pass with
scarcely any opposition. Holman,
the professional objector, will again
pursue his obstructive policy, but it
will hardly prevail against the unan.
imous report Of the claims commit.
tee and the sense of justice of the
House. Neither the committee nor
congress have ever before under.
stood the character of this claim.
Mr. Dongherty presented ii to the
committee on claims, Of which he is
a member, with acknowledged abil.
ity and force, and when he had fin.
ishel one Of the republican mem
Der, who had previously shown a
disposition to antagonizt it, said to
him frankly, "rhis is not claim in
the ordinary sense. 1t is an honest
debt due by the United States GOV.
eminent to Florida, and ] am aston.
ishcd that it should have remained
so long unpaid Il necessary this
member will back up the hill and
MIR. Dougherty's report with an en-.
phatic statement to this effect when
next it comes before the llouse. II
is Mr.. Dougherty's plan now to con.
sumo but little more time with
speech making, but to use the time
allowed him in pushing the bill to
It's passage,
The bill providing for a public
building at Jacksonville will come
up the next time the public bnild.
ing committee is called, and it will
almos, certainly be passed by the
middle of June. When it comes up
for consideration Mr.. Dougherty
will make strong effort to have
the bill, within as reported by the
committee appr"prlatcs $3.50, 700, in.
creased to S9oo,0oo. lie has gotten
the supervising architect to write
letter stating that the latter sum
will be required to erect an cdltice
sufficiently roomy to meet all the
needs of the post Office, custom
house, and Federal courts in Jack.
sonyillc, and the various members
of the committee on public buildings
have agreed not to antagonizc the
proposed increase. Mr. Randall also
has agreed no, To opposed it, 81 the
only person who must be taken care
of il the can'ankerous Holman, and
it is hoped that the bill, even az in.
creased, can be carried in spite of
his opposition.
1t is due Mr.. Doushcrty to say that
the very fay orable status and pros.
poets of Florida business in the
House are due very largely to his IN.
dustry aud to the intelligent care
which he has bestowed upon it. 1t
is due TO him also that | should say
that he is becoming recognized as a
man Of very decided force aud abil.
ity. In Its present stage of devel.
opment our government is not one
of powers carefully distributed be.
tween the executive, legislative, and
Judicial departments, nor is it one
in which, as some claim, the lcgisla.
tive branch ha, usurped the func.
tons Of the other two. The United
States government at the present
time, is not, as Won Hoist saws, A
government ny congress" bnt it is
in the most literal sense govern.
ment by congressional committees.
All the work of any consequence
that is done here is done in the com.
mittoo rooms, and "A man who has
not some influence with the mem
bcrs of the committees with which
he is brought into relations can &c
complsh little. Speeches, elo1uence,
rhetoric, fine words, volatility, read.
mess in debate, count for nothing.
Those are the embroidery upon