New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-08
ARr1N WASHINGTON.

SILVER DOLLAR STORY
ARr1S WASHINGTON.
,,..toc,or runc THE debate III inc Ho -
Thar 0av pending a proposal 10 Pro'oo 49,, nni1dipr-
"'.0 49,, - hils for the erection oil puDhc o"s
,. a.,ortio, to some curious facU'' VIII -.
40 accustomed to follow the "orNiN' - I'm cur
49,. rt 70 au the unsophi-ucatcd iooNer-on "'
prise and indignation. ., r,oree depends
rho nolItical life Of a member OF inc i""9o ,.,,
l., - measure upon what he can 90 LOT ' .,.o his
III =, 49,, IA No hotter II he wishes 10 commune ~
,,,icaI exIstence than procure for the dl''eIc"' 49,
{, ,s district appropriations iOr the CRU h.
Office buildings. II he succechS III eo7 .iratior
y. ,t cvrics have called pork" his refoh'''i"",'
I, nocticollv assured But II he falls you '."' AZ.
nond rnon II that some rival at homo VIII ''"Ao ~
- =. T., bis constituents. This, u nuNu "o '
"a g. oro ., tho unfavorable features inc roNo'eo
~ the medal rs IL were. OF the homo'u" -. .h
,r,uch underlies the selection Vi ino' no,-o
,,o Tho Constitution limits the chol'e Oh "0p,o
eon+,tjves 70 residents Of the state IN WHICH U' ~,
,nc, g. etu,tcd but tradition and the hh"ri'" ''
" .i,, ,,,,tbcr and prescribe that the cahou''o Az.
c,,,,sslonal honors shall not only be Ns'''"'
tho state but aso u resident OF the dis'r''' " "a
osnres n represent In Congress Inc e"ppD' 49,
,ortooes Of such a system are obvious enough wv
liz MAINLY on tho surface. Inc dra"p'n' " W
s-,o,, az a rule, arc less readily Appreciated anu
NOT
-, - +he average voter in backwoodS district
whose mental horizon. far as politics are con
ccrned Is only frequently Douhueu pS
NEEDING Federal aid To float upon it, bosom -'''s
believe f. tho customary phrase-the ooihil'7'co VI
,a,,tsnho,, or whose ideal Of statesman Is he VINO
ran secure tho greatest amount OF sccd i'Vih '''o
,rlcul,u,, Department. the greatest number OF posi-
Ioos fro,, the Executive. and the greatest nufnper
., lion. for the erection ~ public buildings
in Tho decstrlck.7 onto aside from mo fa'1 tFi,
,. . home r,le~ system prccludes the possibility OF
an outsiders entering Congress. 10 results also J"
.cnNinc ~ the National Legislature men VINO "Sls
late following the law Of self preservation first %
s..nro their re- election; second, Ia benefit 'her oS
,rlc, and tn,i AID lost, with Wow 10 the general
,,.farc of tho country All this Is frequently lpsl
sicht a. principally because the consideration OF
,rch questions is Of ntle practical value ana because
IL rarely n over lead 81 tangible result' IL IS Only
when tho machinery f. fully exposed 10 view which
sy-rrs hnck Tho doors 81 the Federal Treasury and
permits needy Congressman to repair their political
fence, A. tho expense ~ the taxpayers that attention
q tonporarly drawn 10 the dark side of the hom"
rule system Last week one Of those occa
sipns.
When bills for tho erection Of public buildings wer"
m f1r consideration IN the House NJ Mlk"n. CHAIR
man o, tho Committee Pablo Buildnss AMI Grounds
with refreshing, simplicity admitted that d, hai been
Instructed lv the committee 20 present the bills q
the House upon certain system Of precedence which
shouM prrmt twp bills IN Republican districts - b.
considered - one iu Democratic district. This
statement va, made 1y Mr. Mllihen with The utmost
CAVITY. - ah,urlty did noi seem b strike him
AZ all The fict mat buildings should Ae erected
ont, vic,. needed and regardless ~ politics r. their
vicinity or repre- .nta'on on the floor Of the House
Of Representatives, ID not for moment occur %
him. VI Aron " Michigan. spoke words # sound
sense when DC said
II enter nv protest AGAINST the unjust. partial
and dauccr,n practices th1' have Tor many wears
obtained relative {, public buildings and the methods
II tlc.r distribution. Let us make nc'v departure
let II, sch a better way. What this Congress ought
10 Do. what shouM have ben done years ago. Is 3"
pas, general law for the erection Of postonlces that
Will distribute them lmplrtiLly the population.
postal r,ccp's and needs % N" Government In a
given locality NAV show 20 b. ncccsslry This would
/ he a vast improvement over the method 81 dealing
them ont rs s. proposed 20 hc done to day. - Wit
Ignoring two thirds ~ The bills introduced. aud Z,
the remainder. dividing them among tho members
according 10 their political pro,vlt'os IN the rati1
Of two 20 on.
"slr Matthew Hale himself who was 81 thoroughly
astonishcd a. what occurred when serving on II jury
i IA disguoo would Boz even NOR, a.onishcd al this
propr.uoH. tr Won thu, there is nothing cqu table.
tlere +. nothing Just. about su'h Al arrangement a,
that. II you arc going into THIS business AZ all ~
giving out rD>toicc according 10 politics Of the House
then you should divide them cquitaby. and not givc
| two {, one either t. Democrats Republicans, for
tho people not members Of Congress bld postonloo-.
and their necessities, Irrespective OF parties. ought ~
+ b. first idercd.
But N, whole system Is vicious. n IS calculated
10 dcmor,fc both Congress, and the people. and every
! honest man shoibi SIT down on H. While my re-
spoushlty of Office rests upon me In tho shape OF an
/ oath will not slt llJ by ard hear men cooy tall.
about dividing po,onccs according % tho politics OF
I this House
/ Of course n, words Mr.. Allen spoke had no effect
whatever upon The House Every ore appndcd, ~ /,
true but every likewise wanted AZ appropriation
Tor public building I'm hi. district. knew he would
want at time or other rho BIZ, pissed through
the House half an hour aftcrward with commcndablc
rapiiity. The discussion. however was not without
| iis humorous features Many were the experiences
and dolenIl too which members had had in their deal
lngs with Mr. Mlllllcn's committee said Mr.. Tarsncy
| Of Missouri. for Instance
"Early In 1.-THE present session | introduced a bill
for public building In city OF 10000 people. whcr,
there Is a complete embargo upon the transaction Of
the business OF the Government BY reason Of want o
| adequate facilities. do not say that that bin wa,
dcsgncdly held back By the COMMITTEES on Publi,
| buildings and Grounds but do say that they In
dulccd In extraordinary amount Of dcibcraton ovol
II. for IL not reported until dozens and dozen,
Of Other bills which were introduced later had beer
rep Irted 10 this House.
Tarsucy | need hardly say. Is a Democrat Bu
| poor Farmer Edmunds, Of Virginia, Jared ever
| worse. Said he:
Il think that every gentleman I'm this House viii
| acknowledge that am very modest gentleman. bu
J. too havo my tale OF woe which desire t. Law bcfor,
| this body. In accordance with the modesty which
| claim for myself have introduced only ono bill #
| the Congress Of tho United States and that Is bill
for public building In the city Of Roanoke In South
west Virginia. city which, In the last ten years ha
reached population of over 10000 inhabitants. .
city that pays annually 2 900 of postal revenue
the Government; yet II Is without public building
and the Government Is renting little oricc so smll
that whom. OCCASION called for my mall hear
ing some confusion, the postmaster Informed mean,
Will acef TINT Il largo lint