Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-03-14

different when they ask for equal adFanta-
gesp In my opinion this bin. in ease 70 he
comes n law. will go far toward eduAliZing
the benefits NJ Onr pnstal ~ stem. The peo-
pie Of the district have the honor to repre-
sent. like the pAonle in other districts. con-
tribute their fnii share to the revenues Of the
Government
In some of these Districts no mart Of the
public revenues are pKpended. while in other
districts mnch larger sums are paid out than
are received N NV district there are no
Government hnildinrs, no naVigable waters,
or other objects mon which any portion of
the public revenues ara sNDandPd. The dis
trict has population of 20.001. aud its DOS
tai receipts for the a. fiscal wear we're $685.
2S7. Less prpulation and less revenue have
secured the hest nosial accommodations in
other sections of the country; why. then,
ought not the population and revenues of my
district to secure to its people equal accom-
modationsf
The buildings which this bill. il q law. will
put into my district may not he a. costly or
slightly as those built by the Government in
other parts of the cluntry. nor will they be,
perhaps in other respects all that may be de-
sired by n people who have $200.000 and
S300, 900 court houses, S50;O00 and $4,000
college. academies costing $40. 900. churches
$1,000, and common srhool houses 100000,
vet they will be warmly welcomed. That
Government structures more imposing than
| those for which this bill provides ought TO be
erected in this district no one familiar
with its present industrial condition will dis
pute. In business and in population its
growth for two years past has been wonder
fully great and there ia every reason to be-
| lieve that it will be very populOus and a very
busy section our country in the immediate
| future.
The district is known as the largest gas and
oil producing region unon the American con-
tinent, If not IN the world. In no other part
of the globe are oil and gas gushing in mex
haustible and incalcnlable quantities to the
earth's surface from twelve hundred feet be-
low.
1t is these developments, sir, developments
of so much interest TO the industrial world.
| that are attracting mechanical lahorer and
the manufacturing capitalist of this and of
other countries to this region, which is now
rapidly filling up with manufacturing indus
| tries and with n stirring and busy population.
Under the provisions of this bill Govern
| ment buildings suitable for postal purposes
| would be constructed in eight cities of my
| district, Bucyrus, Crestline, Findlay, Fos-
| toria, Gallon, Ottawa, Tiffin and Upper San
dusky, and Mt au aggregate cost to the Gov
| ernment, including sites. of S16OO0O. The
| present population of these cities is estimated
at 66,0 900 and full 1900 more people live close
| to their boundaries The postal receipts at
were $62,796.
1t will be seen, therefore, that the postal
| receipts at these cities for thirty months
would be sufficient to meet the entire cost of
| the buildings and sites, and with increased
receipts, which may be reasonably expected,
the expenditure may be met in two years.
When it is remembered that these postal re-
ceipts represent the snm which the people of
these places pay the Government in single
for dOino THAR Dnsfol hne fhair Ia
| mand for postal accommodations equal to
those enjoyed by the people in larger cities
is from every point of view reasonable and
| ought not to be longer denied.
No one, not even my honorable friend
from Arkansas, need fear that harm will come
to my people if these eight Government
buildings are constructed so near to their
homes. If it be thought that the presence
of the ten Government buildings to which
Arkansas will be entitled in case this bill be-
| comes law will make the liberties of her
citizens insecure or The ballot-boxes in that
State impure, build them in Ohio; build them
in the Fifth Congressional district of my
State. where wrongs against liberty or the
ballot box are unknown, and where, as men,
| orals of governmental regard, they will ever
have the higest appreciation.
Mr.. Speaker. this bill, in my Judgment. ia a
| money saving measure-a step in tie direc-
| tion of true economy. In the smaller cities
and larger towns of the country it is cheaper
| in the long run for the Government to own a
postoffice building than to rent one. With a
vast sum of money lying idle in its Treasury
it pays many heavy rentals. Such policy is
unsound. The Government ought to be the
| landlord and not the mere tenant at will. The
postoffce is an institution as enduring as the
Government itselfl and therefore it's place
ought to be permanently fixed.
The erection of these buildings will give
better postal facilities to the public, and this
the public have the right to demand. The
money to put up these building is to be taken
| from the yearly postal revenues of the Gov
| ernment, and thus will small part of the
money paid by the people for their mail ser
vice be expended in bettering that service.
The bill appropriates less than per cent. of
| this years postal receipts; and to what better
use can this money be applied than in pro-
viding for more satisfactory mail service?
| In lieu of the money expended the Govern
ment will have other property of equal value
and the expenditure will add largely to the
| visible and tangible property of the country.
There can be no waste or extravaganza in
| the use of this money, and there can be no
chance for any undue advantage over the Gov
ernment. Every State and every community
of considerable size in each State will share
| in the public good for which this bill provides
| All interests, and particularly those of labor,
of these Government buildings. There are
public buildings in these towns and cities for
| municipal purposes, many of them have build
| ings for county purposes, and some no doubt
for State purposes. NtJ.l.a-.w
The General Government is far greater in
resources than all of our towns and cities and
States, and its authority is over them all.
Why, then, ought 1t not to have in these places
its own building we'll and conveniently ap-
pointed, in which its business with the peo-
pie may be transacted? The people of the
cities and towns for which this bill provides,
and the people adjacent thereto, number mil
lions, and all have postal business to trans
act; and for this purpose many are obliged to
make visits to the postoffice daily, or oftener;
others again, once. twice, or thrice every
week. For them it is the duty of the Gov
ernment to provide every reasonable faculty
at the postofice for their convenient accom-
modation. This is done in the larger cities
of the country. and the same ought to be done
in cities of less size. Through the postofiice
every citizen is brought into frequent and
immediate contact with the Government, and
to many the postoffice is the only visible evil
dence of the Governments existence.
Sir, as the town building reminds the citizen
of his town government, the county building
of his county government, and the State
building of his State government, SO do the
custom-house, the United States courthouse,
and the postofice building remind him of his
General Government and impress him with
the majesty and might of his country.
The number of these buildings are increasing
year by year, and the people are demanding
that more and more be constructed.
1t is better. sir, that we have some definite
and well-matured policy respecting their con