The Portland daily press., 1892-08-16

including the present year SoZI,0Oo nave
been appropriated for that river since the
foundation of the government. OF this
mount S152. 800, or about one-half, has
been appropriated since Mr.. Reed llas
;erved the district. This year the Sac"
River gets $4,000. Are the interests OF
the Saco River suffering for new man?
Kennebunk River is another navigable
water that demands government care,
and since the foundation of the govern
ment $105, 175 have been appropriated
for it. Of this amount Mr.. Reed has OBJ
tanned $51 900, or about one-half This
year the river gets $4,000. In what way
could Mr.. Ingraham look better after
this interest?
York Harbor never had any improve
ments until Mr.. Reed represented this
district, and since he began to look after
its interests 81, 900 have been appropria-
ted. York Harbor cannot be suffering
Tor Mr.. Ingraham.
A few years ago the mackerel fisher
men of this district were having hard
times. Mackerel were disappearing, and
many attributed it to the ravages of New
York seiners that went South early in
the season and took the mackerel before
they were in proper condition. The
fishermen believed that if this early
South fishing could be stopped their in
dustry might in time recover. They APP
pealed to Mr.. Reed, and he secured the
legislation they asked, although opposed
by large interests in New York. The
scattered by the New York seiners; and
the symptoms of recovery which the
fishery is showing may be- due to this
TACT
Several years ago the government
threatened to take away one of the his
toric Two Lights that have guarded Cape
Elizabeth for generations of mariners.
Mr.. Reed was appealed to and respond
ed. MI. Ingraham will have to work
hard to persuade the sailors who lay
their courses by the Two Lights that
change is needed.
The First District of Maine is particu-
larly interested in the French Spoliation
Claims, for when we had our trouble
with France in the last century, many a
vessel owned on this coast was seized
and sold as prize. The government of
France afterwards confessed judgment
on these claims, and allowed to our gov
eminent millions enough to pay the
damages inflicted upon our ship owners.
It was the duty of the United States gov
eminent to turn that money over to the
citizens who had suffered. France paid
it with that understanding. The citizens
who had been damaged, or their heirs,
proved their claims in the United States
Court, and the government was legally
bound to pay the money. But the gov
eminent would not pay the money. Bill
after bill was introduced; but something
always happened to it, until in the Fifty
first Congress the First District of Maine
had a man in the Speakers chair who
believed that it wasn't extravaganza for
the United States government to pay it's
just debts, and who had the courage and
ability to say that filibustering should
not kill just bill. So the spoliation
claims which had been adjucated, and
had been handed down by inheritance,
were paid. Could it have been better,
even had we had Mr.. Ingraham to repre-
sent us?
Take another case. 1t is one which
interests the whole State of Maine, as
well as the First District When the ma
tional government was assailed in 1861 a
direct tax was assessed on all the States
to help the general government. The
loyal States responded cheerfully, Maine
paying $751;, 6O2. The disloyal States re-
fused to pay. After the trouble was all
over, the Union saved and the govern
ment rich and powerful, the loyal States
thought that this direct tax should be
returned, or else the other States should
pay in their portions. Bill after bill was
introduced to pay back this money; but
it always failed to become law. The
States that didn't pay did not mean to
let the States that did pay have their
money back. When there would be a
majority of the House in favor of the bill,
some one opposed would begin to filibus-
ter. In the >Fiftieth Congress there was
large majority in favor of the bill and
it seemed sure of passing, when Colonel
Oates, of Alabama, began to filibuster.
For eight days. he and a few associates
reiterated diliatory motions and stopped
business. Colonel Oates was a member
of the Fifty-frst Congress, also, and just
as ready to filibuster as ever. But he
did not. The bill was passed. Maine
got the $357,00O due her, and it
has been used to pay the expenses of the
State government, thus taking so much
from the shoulders of the taxpayers.
And this was brought about because the
Representative of the First Maine Dis
trict was man capable of calling down
Colonel Oates and every other filibuster.
How would Mr.. Ingraham improve on