Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-05-13

opohulnS thio @o,VOU III patcnln9 up inc
destruction of the elements, the engi-
neers are compelled to ask this Con-
gress for the sum of $4,000 to COM
piete the improvement in 1887. And
walking blindfold on in the wake of
wicked, thriftless precedent, we are
passing a bill now which appropriates
five thousand to continue this work.
This, too, unmindful of these words,
which accompany the estimates of the
engineers, touching this very improve
ment:
the work, and the small amounts appropriated,
have rendered it impossible to complete the
work at every point. The unfinished cuts are
therefore partially filled up from caving banks,
during the unavoidable and prolonged suspen-
sion OF operations. considerable increase in
the total ultimate cost of the Improvement is
therefore unavoidable.
venture to say there is not man on
this floor who would stand up and de-
fend system yielding such results as
wise or economical. There may be
those who deem it necessary and ex-
pedient, but l think there are none
who will contend that it rests on sound
business principles. No individual, no
corporate interests could stand such
management for day. Is there any
very good reason why the public in
terests should not be managed upon
business principlesp
And now, gentlemen, why is it that
year after year Congress has been will
ing, nay, eager. to spend the money of
the Government in this wildly extrava-
CANT mannerp 1t is not necessary to
go far back in the history of this kind
of legislation to get all of the enlighten-
ment we want on this point. The last
two days discussion has disclosed the
origin of all the faults in this bill. has
made plain the selfish motives which
sustain and control this pernicious
system. Compare the amount of time
which has been devoted to the real
merits of any of these improvements to
that spent in complaint of the work of
the committee because they have given
that State too much and this one not
enough, because they have treated that
liver or harbor too well and neglected
this one. Yesterday when the able
gentleman from Iowa Mr.. Hepburn
criticized the plan of Improvement at
Galveston Harbor, the gentleman from
Texas MIR. Crain] sought to meet the
criticism by asking how much the dis
trict represented by the gentleman
from Iowa [Mr. Hepburn] got from
the bill. intimating that if he were get
ting ''share in the pork'' no COM
plant would be heard from him. This
form of argument in itself reveals the
real inwardness of the river and harbor
bill.
Here the hammer fell
Mr.. Boutelle. Mr.. Chairman, move
to strike out the last five words. and
yield my time to the gentleman from
Wisconsin aIr. La Toilette
Mr. Guenther. | move to amend bv
striking out the last line, and yield my
time to my colleague Mr.. La Toilette. I
Mr. La Toilette. | thank the gentle
men for their courtesy. | appreciate
the indulgence of the House and
would not trench upon the valuable
time were it not that have sat here
five months without intruding my views
upon any public question. GLaughte l
And now, sir, few words of expla-
nation as to the purpose of this criti-
cisism, the spirit in which it is made,
and | am done. | would not be under.
stood as impugning the motives of any
man, much less would least any re-
Elections on the intentions of the COM
mittee or the integrity of the House as
whole
| would not be understood as saying
that this bill is designed as piece OF
jobbery. Judged from the standpoint
of what is wise and economical, of what
is for the national interest, it is most
unfortunate measure. This does not
mean that there is any actually fraudu-
lent purpose in the bill. But it does
mean this: People all over this country
in localities to be benefited by this ex-
penditure of money are clamoring for
it. Representatives yield to this clam
or, forgetting that this national ques-
ton, and not one of local interest.
They besiege the committee just as
they are besieged by the people. The
committee yields just as the representa-
tive yields.
| make this criticism for no cheap
partisan purpose. This committee has
but followed the precedent of former
committees This Congress is going to
do just what former Congresses have
done. They are actuated by the same
motives and governed by the same
reasoning. | believe that there is need
of an entire change of system. | be-
levc there is need of reform in the
method and principle of expenditure.
| believe that the tendency of such leg
islation is to debauch the country and
dull the moral instincts of the Ameri-
can Congress.
Every trade, every profession has a
code of ethics peculiar 80 itself, because
every calling in life has its own pecul-
lar relations, its own peculiar RESPONSE
bilties.
No class of men need such acute
ethical discernmeDt as men in public
service. There could be no better H.
lustration of the complex and trying
character of public duties than is pre-
sented by this bill.
For the most part it is not only right
but it is incumbent on every man to
look after the interests of his constitu-
ency. 1t is easy to carry this habit of
thought and action into questions of
national Importance. 1t costs a moral
struggle to resist the selfish tendency.
But tell you, gentlemen, there is but
one right course. Not one dollar of
this money belongs to any State, any
district. any locality. 1t all belongs to
the United States, and whatever is APP
propriated with any other view is n
misrepresentation of public funds.
might use a seyerer term. No man
can shirk the responsibility. He can
not place it upon the people of his dis
trict. He can not say my constituents
want this money, and will therefore
vote for it though | do not approve of
the measure. The money is neither
his nor theirs. So far as this money is
concerned, when by his vote he takes
it from the Treasury, he becomes, in a
liberal use of the word. trustee of the
money and he is bound to expend it
for the benefit of national commerce.
His responsibility is as different from
that of his constituency as is that of the
lawyer from the judge.
In the same degree as the Repre-
sentative is more responsible than his
constituents is the committee more re-
sponsible than the House. They shane
this legislation, and the reform must
begin with them. Just as l hold it to
be the duty of every member to resist
the opportunities of his constituency in
regard to any improvement that is not
of real national Importance, so / hold
it to be the duty of this committee to
resist the opportunities of members OF
this House concerning any river or har-