Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-09-29

| ten. On the same day was passed, un-
der similar suspension of the rules, .
bill to admit Arizona as state, a propo-
si'ion hitherto never seriously discussed.
Fifteen minutes were allowed each side.
On the same day also New Mexico had
bill passed to admit her as state,
with like limitations as to debate. Just
think of it-fifteen whole minutes to
discuss such question as that! Surely,
there never was such a farce! The Ques-
ton Of the admission Of New Mexico is
not at all political question. or, if it
Is. the politics sink into insignificance
compared with the complex question
arising out of the nature Of the popula-
tion and its relation to the rest Of the
union. On this question the wisest men
OF both parties even in New Mexico
hesitate. and this Democratic house
illustrates the freedom of debate and the
wisdom of deliberation by deciding the
whole matter in thirty minutes. This
Is wisdom shod with the shoes Of swift
ness. On that same day also, under
similar suspension of the rules and with
fifteen minutes of debate on either side.
the antieption bill was passed. Fifteen
minutes of debate on the antioption bill
i'll n house of 352 members, Why, one
senator, and he new man, took five
hours To state his views, and during the
time l listened to him he did not seem
10 be wasting words. Here was bill
which may disarrange, the commerce Of
the world-a bill on which hangs more
hopes and fears than any bill Of the
last ten years, and this bill has passed
the house on the theory that the house
has only fifteen minutes of wisdom to
be bestowed on either side of the ques-
ton.
Against these bills there had been no
factlous opposition and not even hint
Of proposed delay They had never been
debated before and attention had neve.
In any way been called to either Of them
No public discussion of them had taken
place outside. and the excuse that the
subjects were familiar Couli not be
urged. Il was simply wanton incom-
potencv. The time of the house ha'
been SO wasted by lack of system and
want Of leadership that debate was i'm
possible and deliheration unattainable.
The great Appropriation bill went its way
unexplained and the antioption bill was
hustled through as vote catcher. not
withsjandiug the lurid and. strange to
say, accurate declaration Of Amos j.
Cummings, Of New York. that it was
more unconstitutional than the force
bill. This could easily be, since the force
bill WIS not unconstitutional at all and
was allowed SIX entire days for discus.
sion. Six days for the force bill. thirty
minutes for antioption! Six days was
called 'gagging" in the last house, thir-
" minutes Is deliberation and debate in
this
On another day bill to repeal in ef
feet all the careful work. extending Over
so many years, Of Senator Edmunds ard
Randolph Tucker in regard to Utah was
passed under suspension Of rules. IL
fact all the important bills have been
passed that way.
Even what Democratic Nj. Pierce, Of
Tennessee. called the ''popgun tariff"
bills We're, many Of them. passed under
suspension.
To he exact, just one-half Of them
were passed that way This was the
fact, though such bills have a right Of
way on other days. Binding twine, bag
ging for cotton and its machinery and
the wool bill We're the only ones which
had norma! passage Some one may say
that this action on the tariff bills was
because the Republicans flibustered.
! "A t,,s -
was sinful waste of public time to be
eternally maundering around about bills
that nobody wanted or believed in; bills
the only purpose of which was to pre-
vent Democracy from even making be
lieve doing anything. If anybody asks
why We who ourselves suppressed fill
clustering INDUCED in it the answer is
ye.y plain. We offered to suppress it all
around the board, and made the offer SO
that 1t would be cffectual against US and
against any members who were in the
minority. Tho Democracy refused 10
accept it. On the contrary they denb-
erately re-established it, giving to any
minority the right to suppress legislation.
Fllbusteriug had the sanction Of the
house, except where the autocratic COM
mittee on rules held SWAY. This was all
wrong. But niinorities are in this house
given the power, and the right to fill
buster is reserved for whoever chooses
to exercise il. Some Of the crafty old
leaders wanted it for themselves and so
they mad to give il TO US.
But while the Democratic house has
failed in all other respects, the most sig
nal failure has been in the matter Of
economy. All the circumstances con
spire to male that failure conspicuous.
The abuse which was poured out upon
the last congress comes back with added
force on this, and the time has now come
to do justice TO one OF the most really
economical statesmen we ever had, the
Hon. Joseph q. Cannon. His conduct
Is chairman Of appropriations in the
Fifty-frst congress was worthy Of all
praise. He WAS careful, economical, up
right and just. and has always deserved
well of his country. People do no real
ize the tremendous pressure there was
on the Fifty first congress, and how very
handsomely Mr.. Cannon stood up against
it and how well he was backed by his
associates. You must remember that
the Democracy, as part Of their scheme
to pile up surplus and break down the
tariff, had refused to pay even the honest
debts Of the government. The result
was the accumulation of a great surplus
revenue and an oyertiowing treasury.
The natural result of such an accumula-
ton is always the same. 1t engenders
proposals to spend it. l. is the tendency
of piled up money to scatter. The rivers
and harbors at once demanded more.
Public buildings called for thousands
here and thousands there. The soldiers
We're not reconciled to be left out OF the
distribution. New projects sprang up
on either hand. Notwithstanding all
this pressure the congress Of 1890 pro-
vided for the expenditure of only $463, :
900. 900. This sum seemed at the time
i'm cnse, and there is perhaps little Won
der mat great feeling was exhibited and
great astonishlnent expressed. But it Is
now plainly visible to all men that this
sum, large as it was, was but the ade-
quate expression of the honest expendi-
lures of a great government, which has
grown every year beyond even the wild
est hopes of its people. In the present
session of congress Mr.. Holman has had
to stand up against no unusual pressure,
such as Mr.. Cannon encountered. No
one has failed to learn that the surplus
has been paid out and the revenue re-
duced, SO as to be only sufficient for the
of hnnaaflv and