Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-07-09
SQUABBLE in CONGRESS-.
Appropriations Which Have
Caused Bitter Feeling.
Senate and House Disagree ON the
Granting of Subsidies to Secta-
rian Institutions Located at
Washington.
Especial Washington Letter |


There was serious disagreement be-
tween the senate and house of repre-
sentatives during the recent session of
congress-; and it was all about subject
upon which many people have differed
for many years.
You know we have no governor, no
legislature, no mayor, no aldermen, and
no sort of government of local ma
ture in the District of Columbia. We
are subject to the officials of the federal
government, and all of the expenses
incidental to the administration of af-
fairs comes from the national treasury.
Inasmuch as the white house, capitol,
treasury and all other federal buildings
IRE located here, and pay no taxes, it
was decided long while ago that the
District of Columbia should pay half
of the expenses of the local govern
ment, and the United States should
pay the other half; but all moneys are
appropriated by congress in bill
which is called the District of Columbia
appropriation bill.
In other cities, where local self-gov-
eminent exists, the charitable institu-
tons are cared for by appropriations
made by the aldermen or councilmen.
In this city we have no such officials,
and the charitable institutions have de-
pended almost wholly on the appropri-
atoms made by congress. Ever since
the first administration of President
Grant the federal appropriations for
| the charitable institutions have been
| liberal. The annual appropriations
| have been increased until the aggregate
| amounts have become noticeably large,
and this year some of the rigid econo-
mists called attention to these appro-
| priations and objected to them. Then
there arose in congress contest con-
| corning sectarian appropriations.
Some of the charitable institutions are
Catholic and some of them are Protest
ant; but the movement against the
appropriations came from anti-Catholic
members of the house of representa-
tives. Whether they were right or
wrong, or whether they were animated
oy a proper spirit or not, they were
consistent, because they opposed appro-
priations for any and all sectarian char
tiles. In season and out of season they
fought the proposed appropriations,
and succeeded in eliminating them
from the District of Columbia bill in the
house of representatives.
Butin the senate things were different.
Senators of both political parties insist
ed that appropriations should be made
for the charities. Senator German, the
democratic leader, and Senator Allison,
the republican leader, both of them
powerful factors in all appropriation
bills, declared that it would be outra.
geous to cut off supplies from these in
| situations without notice. Consequent
| ly, they added an amendment to the bill
making ample provision for the charita-
BILE institutions. Senator Allison said 4:
eff l were stricken with paralysis, OF
should be run down md injured by a
bicycle, and taken to hospital, would
not ask the surgeon what church he be.
longed to. l would want him to be
skillful in his profession and take good
care of me. 1 would never think of ask
ing him what route he was going to
Heaven on, or whether he was going
there at ALL" .
Senator German said: 81 used to be a
little page boy in the senate, and have
lived here the greater part of my life.
have seen these institutions grow, and
have had constant information of the
good they have done for humanity. For
example, there is st. AIMS orphan asy.
lum. [ guess that during the past 20
years fully 1000 abandoned babies have
been taken there and cared for most
tenderly. Day after day we read of an
infant being found abandoned at some
point in the city, and invariably the lit