National Republican., 1888-02-15
ORATORY IN The House.
"MAJOR" MARTIN MAKES HIS MAIDEN
SPEECH on THE FLOOR.
His Eloquence Carries the Point and
Farmers Will be Made Happy-some
Interesting Talk on the inefficient
Mail Service.

Among the bills reported from committees
and placed on the calendar In the Senate
yesterday was one to authorize the sale to
aliens OF certain mineral lands.
A resolution instructing the committee on
commerce lin reporting the river and harbor
billy to set out the important facts bearing
on each item, was reported by Mr.. Jones,
Of Nevada, and agreed to.
among the bills introduced and referred
werethe following:
BY Mr.. Cullom: For compensation for
services OF female nurses during the war Of
the rebellion.
By Mr.. Chace: To prohibit the selling or
giving Of tobacco in any form to persons
under JIG years Of age in the District Of
Columbia.
The resolution for an inquiry into the
causes Of the inefficient mail service was
taken up, and Mr.. Plumb (who had intro.
duced it) said that II Mr.. Reagan's argu.
ment yesterday in defense OF the Post
master General meant anythingl II was that
that officer pleaded the baby act-that he
was burdened with incompetent Republl-
can clerks. There was no restraint on the
Postmaster General as to the dismissal OF
clerks. No Republican asked to have
them retained. AZ to the fact that the
service was bad, inexcusab)y bad, bad be-
yond 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 Washington had
"outrun the limited capacity of the Demo.
cratic party" and another that the post
tfllce officials "write themselves egregtous
6ttes, and complacently wave their ears
over that solemn truth"
MIR. Platt said that the trouble was not
confined to the west, and that scarcely a
day passed without his receiving letters
from Connecticut making similar COM
plants. He read q letter from publishing
hou In Norwalk speaking OF "the ap-
parent disorgan!zat.on OF the whole postal
system OF the country" and ascribing II to
the removal OF experienced postal route
ags9te. MT, ,..-,, , A.. A.,
the question was not partisan one. what
people OF, Kansas wanted was faithful
service. lie did not say that they would
be specially thankful to anybody for giving
IL to them, because they had not been in
the habit Of regarding 1t as favor, but as a
duty on the part OF the department, and as
right on their own part. That was the
condition Of things which they wanted re-
stored.
Mr.. Reagan repeated his defense of the
previous day, and 1t had gained no weight
In the twenty.four hours which had elapsed
since it's first public delivery.
d Mr.. Plumb disclaimed all intention TO in
troduce any partisan matter into the dis
cussion, and said that the most scathiug
attack on the department, which he had
quoted from, was from Democratic news
paper.
Mr.. Manderson expressed his surprise at
Mr.. Reagan's suggestion that the desire
was rather to make political capital than to
an existing evil. In his (Mr. Manderson'sj j
remarks on the subject last week he had
simply presented the inefficient administra
ton OF the postal service in Nebraska, and
It was marvellous to him that the senator
from Texas should indulge in that sort OF
inyidious remark AS to the statement that
complaints should be made, not to Con-
gress, but to the Postofilee Department, he
said that complaints had been made to the
department but without effect, and 1t
seemed to him most desirable that the citi-
zen who had cause Of complaint against an
executive department should bring 1t be-
fore one or the other branch OF Congress.
He repudiated the idea that he was
sctuated in this matter by any desire to al
vance the interests Of the political party to
which he belonged. He simply sought to
have the evils under which the people Of
Nebraska suffered removed.
After further discussion the resolution
went over without action.
The Blair educational I'LL was then taken
up as the unfinished business, and Mr.
Hewley addressed the Senate In opposition
toit.
The hill went over till to-day, Senators
Hale and Berry inlimating their intention
to tpeaE upon 1t.
The following bills were taken from tn,
calendar and passed:
Appropriating $4,000 for the sub tropi
cal exposition at Jacksonville, Fla. for th,
relief Of David l.. Brainard aud eighteeI
others OF the United States army who wer
on the Greeley expedition in the Arctic re
gions, las cOmmutation for fuel and quit
tiers.
The bill to provide for the compulsor,
education Of Indian children was (on motio'
of Mr.. Dawes taken from the calendar au,
was discussed at much length by Senator
Dawes, Teller, Cockrell, ana Vest withou
dispg,ing Of the bill.
I'VE Senate, on motion OF Mr.. Beck, pro
ceeked to executive business, and at i:i
adnprsed.