The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-05
Supt. KlmbaII Of the Life Saving Serr
vice Needs No Investigation.
Small Chance for the Pliotage
Bill at This Session.
A Column of Interesting News From
the National Capital.
rSnecial to the PreSs.1

ing both sides, voted informally against an
investigation. They would probably have
made the vote formal had not the length of
the hearing deferred the vote until after the
House had begun its sitting. The committee
having no right to sit while the House is in
session, could not vote formally. Mr. Kim
ball has been superintendent of the Life Saw
ing Service for eighteen years, and under
him it has grown to its present high state of
efficiency. The law makes the service
strictly non-partisan, and no attention is
paid to politics in selecting men. Mr.. Bu-
chanan of New Jersey, who has been most
active against Mr.. Kimball. represents a
coast district where there are % life saving
stations. Although Mr.. Buchanan is him.
self member of the committee, Mr.. Kim
balls reply to the charges has been so salts
factory and conclusive that the movement is
''as dead as can be-" as member of the
committee expressed it today.
General Ticket Agent F. E. Boothby and
wife of Portland, Col. w. A. R. Boothby of
Waterville, and Mr.. Gibson and wife of
Maine, were at the Capitol today.
The pilotage bill is probably dead for this
Congress. Its enemies yesterday defeated
its consideration for the second time, and un-
less their hitherto successful vigilance re-
lakes there seems to be small chance for the
bill in the House.
An evening paper here publishes the story
that the duty on hides to which New Eng
land is so opposed was put back on the un-
derstanding that the Pan-American Con-
gress has been the means of opening the way
for an extensive scheme of reciprocity with
South America. As hides come from there
largely this would Offset the duty. But wool
also comes from South America, and a reci-
procity treaty would probably have to cover
wool also. The story seems hardly reasonable
so far as it relates to the motives of the ways
and means committee.
During the debate on the Notifications
bill this week Mr.. Brewer, chairman of the
subcommittee on the Notifications bill,
made the comforting statement that the
armor-clad ships of England, France and
other countries, armed with 8, 10 and u inch
steel guns, can safely rest at anchor II miles
from Castle Garden, and plant their missiles
of death and destruction in the sub-treasury
at New York. A deposit of this sort would
obviously 60 to make up reserve fund OF a
kind not wanted at the sub.treasury. SOB
jector" Holman, who lives on the prairies of
Indiana. clearly out of reach of the aforesaid
guns. thought, however, that there was no
past the patriotism of the people had gener-
ly been able to cope with all difficulties. He
could not seem to understand that in those
days it did not take three or four years to
build single gun such as is required now
for any pretence of defense.
The owners of the Hunt and Lisle rope
guns and the Cunningham rocket
are probably convinced by this time that it
is as well to be only moderately selfish.
There is law that all steamers shall carry.
in addition to life preservers and life boats,
guns for shooting life lines to the shore in
case of disaster. 1t is alleged that when this
law was passed the makers of the guns re-
quired put the prices up to an exorbitant
figure. Therefore Congress has passed and
the President has signed bill extending for
one year the time allowed to owners of
STEAMERS puLbluS III tutS6 dppliduC6S. by
that time the prices may be more reasonable.
Those who listened to the debate upon the
admission of Idaho have been surprised to
learn what good people the Mormons are.
Mr.. Mansur, Democratic member from Mis-
souri,, was their most earnest champion, and
he enumerated in their behalf list of vir-
tues which left mere gentle a very
wretched being by comparison. In starting
out in his speech Mr.. Mansur said that all
the Mormons of Idaho were Democrats, and
this may account for some of his partiality
for them. he pictured the Mormons as the
most industrious, peaceful and virtuous of
mankind he said that Salt Lake City in the
days OF Mormon control was free from rum
and vices of all kinds. while today all the
evils of the other large cities of the land are
thriving under gentle rule.
Some of the most careful Democrats re-
Trained from making themselves such en-
thusiastic champions of the Mormons, but
contented themselves with considering Nor
monism as religion. Then they were pre-
should be disfranchised for their religion.
This was the position held by Mr.. Carlisle,
although he did not make set speech.
Mr.. Carlisle has. in fact, been heard on the
floor very rarely. He is probably still the
Democratic leader, having more sense than
any of his lieutenants. But so far this ses-
sion Springer, Mills land Breckinridge have
been doing the talking for the Democratic
side.
The courtesies of debate in the House of
Representatives are not always what the
courtly precedents of the past prescribe. In
Maine town meeting, where the PROPOSE
tion is to tax dogs, the debate is rarely more
personal than it is sometimes in the House
of Representatives, or in the Senate for that
matter The recent debate on the establish
ment CT 'canteens" for the sale of light
wines and beer at military posts afforded an
interesting instance. Mr.. Morse of Massa-
chusetts began the affray by attacking the
canteen system. Old General Spinola, who
has a good record for fighting in the civil
war, but is known now chiefly for tremen-
dous shirt collar, which reaches nearly to his
ears, and distinguishes its wearer from afar,
championed the 'canteens." General Spi-
n0la represents district OF New York city,
and might be expected to stand by the boys
who believe in "beer and light wines" But
instead of replying to Mr.. Morse on the mer.
its of the question, he began to talk about
stove polish, of which Mr.. Morse is a large
manufacturer under the Rising Sun brand,so
dear to New England housewives. Mr.. Morse
and rather diffusely retorted in
kind by attacking the huge shirt collar which
was then flashing so gloriously in the debate.
This was General Spinola's reply, since quo
ted many times, though not by Mr. Morse:
Now, my friend from Massachusetts Mr..
Morsel, whom love, Tlaughterl, made some
alluson to my collar. Why, 1t is here as
stiff as rail and as clean as cleanness itself;
and if it were three or four times as large as
1t is, and he wearing it, it would not hide his
ears. A town meeting could not have en-
1oyed the hit more than did the House.
members roared in laughter and then walked
around to shake hands with the old General,
VINO was by that time hauling his head down
INTO tne collar with an expansive smile OF
satisfaction. Mr.. Morse, on Lis own part,
showed that small things are not going to
KNOCK MIN out In his political career by GO
cutOr.
This has been great war week in Con-
gress. The army appropriations bill and
the Notifications bills have been passed by
the House, and the naval bill has been re-
ported. During the debate on forti6catione