Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-02
AHEAD OF TIME.
Hard Work Of the Various Commit
tees of Congress.
appropriations Nearly All Setsied-NasaI
Affairs and the Posioifices.

congress net the least queer Is the great
contrast between the furwardness OF work
in the committee rooms and the back
wardness in the senate and house. Inc
committees have done their work we'll
surprisingly well indeed-and are from
two weeks to two months ahead of their
ordinary ting. Of course much of this
is due to the fact that they got well organ
lied during the extra session and some
thing TO the fact that the work of the prin-
cipal committees was greatly simpliiied by
circumstances Nevertheless, as it requires
some talent to take advantage of circum-
stances, the fact must he set down to their
credit The ways and means committee,
of course. had to practically finish its work
before congress began, and of that the
public knows enough. This ought TO have
been the case with the sanking and cur
rency committee. but unfortunately it
wasn't According to the eastern mem
bers, this committee had supposed its work
done. And now, says one Of the hardest
of hard money men on the committee
those pesky western fellows want us to
begin de novo and go over the whole thing
again; hence these rows" This commit
tee has been the storm center of the house
HOOP lOE tLe IuSt tuEtc NttAS.
Two Months Ahead.
The committee on appropriations Is so
far ahead that all its serious work is done,
being at least two months ahead of the
usual time. The members of both parties
congratulate themselves on the grear re-
duction, the Republicans. of course, being
very careful to say that said reduction is
no merit of the ma jority. but grows out OF
the, situation In fact, they add, the ma
iority couldn't very well help itself. BE
that as it may the reduction is very great,
and the committee has certainly done its
work well. The agriculture committee
has also been extremely active, and be-
sides paternal care for the interests of
the farmer has incidentally furnished the
house with some fun. Chairman Hatch
is the Atlas of the farming interests. AS
that mythical hero sat on the mountains
of Africa or stood by the IIesperian gates
and held mp the heavens on his shoulders,
so Mr.. Hatch sits or stands, RS the case
may be, but never forgets that the weight
of the farming interests rests on his broad
shoulders. Let any bill come into the house
and he referred to the committee having
charge of the subject most prominent in
it. if that bill can in any way be connect
ed with the farming interests, Mr.. Hatch
makes the fight to have it referred to lis
committee 1t has considered many bills
and for awhile was seriously inclined 10
adopt the suggestion of The Dakota and
Nebraska men that government force
should be set to attack the Russian this
tie. But this proposition may now be said
to have been laughed out of court. Con
.l,,t ts.,
it was mere favored by the majority than
by the minority members OF the commit
tee. Hon. Ed Funston of Kansas. who
may he called the leading representative
Of agriculture among the Republicans,
says of it: st is patcrnalism run to seed.
Stripped of the garniture they have put
around it, the proposition simply amounts
to this-that the government shall send
men out there to cut tue weeds ont OF their
fields While the state and the farmers help
CT take it easy, rs suits them. And az
Gording to their statement, or the state
ment of one of them anyhow, the men at
work are to bo ranked aa skilled laborers
and get 81 u day. Why, at that rate, /
should resign and 90 out there with my
two grown sons and earn 50 II day, rs
that $ more, expenses being counted, than
we make here. But argument is needless.
The whole thing Is absurd"
Tho Thrifty Red Men.
The committee on public buildings has
cut with remorseless vigor, and Chairman
Bankhcad declares that the total Gppro-
pration will fall considerably short Ct 50,
900 600 being little more than u fourth
# what was appropriated by the Fifty-tirst
congress Chairman Holman of the con-
mittee on Indian affairs also congrStulatcs
himself that the situation is such as 10
give room for sharp pruning. OF al Che
Indians in he United States one-iifth are
now thoroughly civilized and two-ffths
more so far advanced as to be practically
self supporting This class includes such
Indians as the Navajoes whose recent pro
test against free wool declares that they
are the ownersof ! 500 600 sheep, or about
l20 for each meplber OF the tribe: the Fu-
ebos of the southern territories and such
Indians rs the Ncz Perces of the north
The remaining two-iifths are practically
the only Indians who call for any extend
ed government paternalism. Chairman
Holman is not as n rule given to adiec-
tives, but when he talks on past admins
trations of the Indian department he grows
almost eloquent.
Two Conflicting Forces.
The committee on naval affairs is, for
well known reasons. most backward in
making its report and recommendations
And here, too, the parties seem to have
crossed each other 3 tracks. If we assume,
as is vaguely assumed by most writers on
our politics. that there is always one par
ty inclined TO big army, big navy, big ex-
penditures and high and mighty way of
doing things generally while the other
party is for stringency and strict construc-
ton, then it must be added that there are
great exceptions in this committee. Per-
haps IA greater exception is found in the
former relations of the members us con-
trasted with their present views. Secreta-
nv Herbert, ex-Confederate. is far more
enthusiastic on the big navy question than
many an ex- Federal, and Chairman Cum
mings is certainly not less so. On the 9TH
er hand, some Republicans of the house
talk in rather hesitating way about the
impolicy of going too fast before certainty
is assured.
The committee on postoffices, etc, has
reported for an appropriation of $50 ,Oo0,-
900, which is So 900 900 less than the es-
innate and So 900 900 more than the ap-
preparations of the last session, the in
crease being about the regular require
ment for the growth of the country. Many
nj her committees are also forward with