Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-27
THE NATIONS 'SCAPITAL.
Congressman Bland Condemns
the Expenditure
OF the Surplus for the Erection
Of Public Buildings.
He Says the Hard Earned Money Of the
Taxpayer Should Decrease the
Country'S Debt.
WAsnlNnrnN Eeh u.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 25.
Tn motion of Mr.. Lanham of Texas, a
bill was passed by the House providing an
additional mode of taking dispositions of wit
nesses in causes pending in United States
courts. 1t provides that it shall be lawful
to take depositions in the mode prescribed by
the law of the state in which the court is
held
Mr.. Yost of Virginia called up the bill
granting pension of $50 a month with ar
rears from l715) to Mary b. Kirby. widow
of Maj. Il. NJ. Kirby, who died in 1912, from
disease contracted in the Florida war
On motion of Mcmillan of Tennessee, the
arrears feature was eliminated from the bill,
and Mr.. Struble of Iowa moved TO reduce
the rate of pension TO $50.
The amendment was rejected and the bill
passed
The bill for the organization of the terri
tory of oklahoma considered. The
morning hour was consumed by Mr.. Mansur
of Missouri. in speech in favor of the
measure.
la committee OF the whole the first bill
called up was one appropriating $4,000 adj
ditional for the public building at Chatta-
nooga, Tenn.
Mr. Bland of Missouri spoke in opposition
On measures for the erection of public
buildings. 1t was matter of ambition for
a member to show his constituents his iuilu
enee and power by securing Il building for
his district member who had bill
for such purpose pending could not antag-
onize a similar bill championed by brother
member, and thus one-half of the House
was involved in a system of log rolling,
Mr. Browne of Indiana, was IN favor of
taking the money when il was useless, and
putting il into circulation where it would do
the people me good.
Mr.. Bland was glad that this speech had
come from the other side of the House. 1t
was the expression of the opinion that the
House was here 10 dispose of the surplus in
wasteful extravaganza, instead of to reduce
taxation That was the issue in this House,
and would be the issue in the next campaign.
The 500, 900, coo surplus in the treasury
came from the taxes paid by the laboring
men. Every dollar paid into the treasury had
cost the taxpayer at least 50. The Sloo,0o0,-
900 in the treasury represented Siuo,ououUo
which had gone into the hands of capitalists
and monopoists and trusts under the infa-
nous system of protective tariff. The
government had debt upon which the mon
ey should be paid, aud he was sorry that the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Mills had not
brought forward his bill which authorized
snch payment He did not wonder that gen
tlemen on the other side had voted solidly
for all the public building measures. They
desired to take the money from the treasury
in order to perpetuate a system of taxation
which was onerous and burdensome. Gap
plause
Mr.. Kerr of Iowa, suggested that the bills
had been unanimously reported by demo-
cratic committee
Mr.. Bland admitted the truth of that state
ment but said that if the committee had
yielded to the pressure brought on it by the
gentlemen on the other side, 1t would have
brought in bills appropriating S25, 900, 900.
He had been attempting in vain to secure
yea and nay vote on the passage of the meas
ures, for he did not desire that the gentle
men on the other side should go into the next
campaign charging the democratic party with
extravaganza without themselves going upon
record.
Mr.. Bland then offered an amendment pro-
viding that no public buildings shall hereaf-
ter be constructed unless some one of the
executive department shall first certify to
Congress that no suitable accommodation for
the service of the government can he
obtained in the city or town specified at
less rental than 5000 year
The amendment was ruled ont of order
and the bill was agreed to.
Upon the next bill. appropriating S250o00
for the purchase of site for public build
ing at Buffalo. \. Y, Mr.. Bland took oc-
casion TO renew his attack upon the tariff,
and to advocate the reduction of the surplus
by the payment of the bonded debt. Tie APP
pealed to the House to cease its waste of
bap ,,nJltC ht4tl tllipu- md IN
down to the Democratic doctrine of economy
and reduction of taxation. He referred to
the Presidents message, which was received
with applause on the Democratic side, and,
as Democrat, denounced every attempt to
take the peoples money from the treasury
by the Blair educational bill, public building
measures and other squanderng propositions.
The next bill was the Senate bill appropri-
ating 81 200 900 for a public building at
Omaha, Neb., with a proposed substitute APP
propiating s500000 for the purchase of
site, but making no appropriation for the
building
Mr. Taulbde of Kentucky, while not ex-
pressing himself Of the Senate bill, opposed
the Honse substitute, being a proposition
that the government should go into the real
estate market and purchase property for
speculative purposes.
Mr. Bland, by Offering numerous amend
ments. prevented vote being taken on the
bills and the committee having risen. the
House, without action on the bills reported,
adjourned.
The Presidential party arrived at 3 \. NJ.
Sunday all well and in good spirits, but
quite fatugued. They spent the day in doors.
The reception given the President, Mrs.
Cleveland and party, both on the journey
to and through the land of flowers and on
their return home was hearty and enthusas-
tic. All had good time and express them
selves delighted with the trip.
Mgr. Locke of the disbanded National
Opera Company was arrested to night on the
charge of issuing checks on a bank in
which he bad no money to Eivi Sylvia, one of
the tenors of the company, and Nine. Pier
son, another principal. He was released on
$1,000 bail. Locke says it is simply resort
to criminal proceedings to collect an alleged
debt. The checks were given with the
understanding that they we're not TO be used
until future date and to be met out of the
available receipts A financial failure over
took the company which was not antici-
pated.
Drurnrr re ouyrr,T