The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-15
THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS.
The Inef1iciency of the Mail Service Again
Under Discussions in the Senate.


WASHINGTON, Feb 14.-Amone the bills re-
ported from committees and placed on the cal
endar were the following:
To authorize the Secretary OF War to convey
to the city of Austin. Tex. a tract of land for
educational purposes; 60 authorize the sale 20
aliens of certain mineral lands
A resolution iHstructing the committee on
commerce, in reportlgg the river and haroor
bill. to set out the Important facts bearing on
each item, was ;reporsed by Mr. Jones, Or Ne
Among the bills introduced aud referred were
the following:
By Mr.. Cullom: For compensation for serv-
ices of female nurses during the war of the re-
bellion. =
BY Mr.. Mitchell: To amend the laws relating
to drawbacks on duty on manufactured TIN
Mr.. Blackbur offered . resolution declaring
it not in order. except by unanimous consent,
for the committee on appropriations to report to
the Senate for consideration or acIon any gen
eral appropriation bill without having had 1t
under considerations for ten days or more. Re-
ferred to the committee on rules.
The resolution Cor an inquiry into the causes
of the inefficient mail service was taken up,
and Mr.. Plumb, who had introduced it. said
that if Mr.. Reagas's argument yesterday In de-
Tense of the Postmaster-general meant any
thing. it was that that officer pleaded the baby
act-that he was burdened with incompetent
Republican clerks. There was no restraint on
the Postmaster general to the dismissal OF
clerks. No.Republican asked to have them re-
tanned As to the fact that the service was
bad, inexcusably bad, bad beyond any previous
record, there was no-question at all. He sent TO
the Clerks desk and had read several extracts
from Kansas newspapers showing the defective
mail service in that State, one of these articles
asserting that all the departments in Washing
ton had '.outrun the limited capacity of the
Democratic party" aud another that the post
Office officials write themselves eeregious asses
and complacently wave their ears over that sol
emn truth
Mr. Plat said that the trouble was not con-
fined to the West. and that scarcely day passed
without his receiving letters from Conn ecticut
making similar complaints. He read letter
from publishing house in Norwalk speaging
of the apparent dsorganization of the whole
postal system OF The country. and ascribing it to
the removal of experienced postal route agents.
Mr. Plumb resuming said that the question
was not partisan one. What the people or
Kansas wanted was faithful service. He did
not say that they would De specially thankful to
any body for giving it to them. because they had
not been in the habit of regarding it as favor,
but as = duty on tho part OF the department and
as right on their own part. That was the con-
dition of things which they wanted restored.
Mr.. Reagan said that if the complaints which
were sent to Senators were sent to the Posto6ice
Department., they would be investigated and
corrected, but they were intended for political
effect, and the speech Of the Senator from Kan
sas was in the same direction. He repeated por-
tions of bis defenss of the department made IN
his speech yesterday. He challenged COM
parison of the department. under the present adj
mnistration with the same department. in any
attack was owing to the success of the admins
tration and to the contrast which it offered in
the way of success and economy to its Repub-
lican predecessors.
MIR. Plumb disclaimed all intention to intro
duce any partisan matter into the discussion,>
and said that tho most scathing attack on the
department. which he had quoted from was from
a Democratic newspaper. 80
Mr.. Henderson expressed his surprise at DIR.
Reaean's suggestion that the desire was rather
make political capital than to correct, earn
hOQ0Stv
MIR. Marderson'sI REMARKS on the subject, last
week, he had simply presented the inefficient
administration of the postal service in Nebras-
ka, and it was marvellous to him that the Sena-
tor from Texas should indulge in that sort OF
invidious remark. As to the statement that
complaints should be made. not to Congress, but
to the Postoffice Department. he said that COM
plants had been made to the department., but
without effect and it seemed to him most de-
sirable that the citizen who had cause of COM
plant against an executive department shond
bring 1t before one or tbs other branches OF
Congress. He repudiated the idea that
aetua.sd n shs natter h ~ any desire % 1dTancs
belonged. He simply sought to have the evils
under which the people of Nebraska suffered
removed
Mr.. Salisbury said that, whatever Senators
might think on the subject. the people at large
would believe that the arraignment of the Post
office Department had a partisan object in view.
After further discussion. the resolution went
over without action.
The Blair educational bill was then taken up
as the unfinished business, and Mr.: Hawley adj
dressed the Senate in opposition to it. He said:
I'm my JUDGMENT this bill. glorious as the cause
is, fascinating as the arguments in favor of
education always are, is a bill creeping into con-
troll of interests which from Plymouth Rock mp
to this day have been under local CONTROL, and
wisely It is bill to promote mendicsncy,to
cultivate beggars. It is bill declaring che
failure OF local self-government in one of the
supreme interests of the people 1t falsely de-
clarss the. bankruptcy of States which:
before our very eyes, are rich. and
oLnz nkr1nl ~
false. pretense of temporary action. 1t is
not for eight years; it is the beginning of q
permanent policy-of a permanent new relation
between the federal government and the States.
It never will go back, and never will diminish:
but its influence will grow. hope the bill will
be defeated. wish that every Senator would
and not as being bound by resolutions of State
Legislatures previous committals, or any
thing of that sort The longer the bill is
thought Of. and talked of, the weaker it grows
and the nearer constitutional right and justice
the people and Congress are coming. am
willing to see the bill defeated by any Of the
constitutional MEANS, whether by tho House, by
the Senate, or by the President"
The bill went over until tomorrow.
The Senate bill to provide for an Indian school
at Carson City. New, was passed.
The following bills were also passed:
Appropriating $40, 600 for the sub-tropical e4E
position at jacksonville. Fla; for the relief of
David L. Bernard and eighteen others of the
United States army who were the Greedy
petition In the arctic regions (as Communication
for fuel and quarters. The bill to provide for the
compulsory education of Indian children
taken from the calendar and discussed at much
length by Senators Dawes Teller, Cockrell and
Vest Mr.. Teller. who had introduced the bill,
declared that there was no instance in history
where the Indian aborigines were treated so lib
orally as the American Indian aborigines were
treated. No where else had their right TO the
soil been recognized. Here their lands had
been bought and paid for; but the American
people had not been wise in their dealings with
the Indians II they had been there would be
no uncivilized Indians to-day. The Indians
would have been incorporated in the body
polite
Without dsposing of the bill, the Senate pro-
ceeded to active business, and soon adjourned.
Proceedings of the House.
WASHINGTON Feb. 14-Mr. Mills, of Texas,
from the committee on ways and means, re-
raro viz for h. ,11rnhasa of