The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-04-16

II
Houses Of Congress directed to enact
the viii Of the people into law. jet
one man-nce even . legisixiof-has
the monstrous authority and power TO
nuilify any act OF Congress A ball 10
passed Alter the most careful and de-
iiberate consideration by the repre-
| sensasises of the people, JET az can be
vetoed and nuIiined by . stroke OF .
pen in the hand Of one man.
Thy Is dangerous power hen
we consider to-day the tremendous
patronage that the President has with
which he can influence legislation, IN
addition To the veto power TO kill what
| is passed, it makes him almost an au-
| tocrat- IL gives him more power than
any crowned head of England or, we
mi ght say, than any monarch in Eu-
rope has. We saw here In the last
Congress how the power and the pat
ronsge OF the President were used TO
| change the opinions of Congress and
| TO defeat the will Of the people. We
power was used To strike down bill
that was passed by Congress TO cain
the seighiorage.
! Nearly every administration since
/ the civil war has decd The veto power
and the patronage OF the government
the same way. The abuse and Danger
grows greater each year.
THAT rosToFYIcE APPROPRIATIONS BILL
The post-oflice appropriation ball
1 came up and was discussed. senator
Butler offered an amendment Is fol-
lows:
"Provided, That $4,000 be used to
defray the expenses of experiments in
rural free delivery under the direction
of the Postmaster-General, and that
the amount heretofore appropriated
for this purpose and still unexpended
be available for said experiments"
The amount heretofore apprOpri-
ated" referred to in this amendment is
2O,OOO-this much having been apprO-
priated by apreviOus Congress. 1t had
never been expended because the
amount was not sufficient, in the Opin-
ion of the Postmaster General, to make
a fair test Of free mai. delivery sys-
TEN in the country districts. This
$4,000 is included in Senator Buffers
amendment, making total apprOpria-
ton for this purpose of $4,000. The
amendment was adopted.
BIG SUBSIDIES.
We said last week that the corpora
tiOns would get the big subsidies they
were after. rhe Oceanic Steamship
Company which carries the mail from
: San Francisco to New Zealand and gets
contract price for it, asked the gov
eminent to give it an additional sub
sfdy of $4,000 year. The company
will not run any more ships, nor will
the ships make better time, but the
!, Senate voted to give that company this
$4,000 annually, just as we said it
: would do last week. Senator Butler
, voted against it. Senator Pritchard
voted for it.
l The railroads came in for big sub
t sidy too. They carry the mails at con-
}. tract prices, but they Want more than
8 this from the government. They had
their "frienns" in the Senate to put
= this clause In the bill:
For necessary and special facilities
on trunk lines from Boston. Mass, by
way Of New York and Washington, tC
4 Atlanta and New Orleans, $l96, GA -
= Provided, That no part Of the appro.
priation made by this paragraph shall
e be expended unless the Postmaster.
: General shall deem such expenditure
necessary in order to promote the in
q terest of the postal service"
= Senator Villas moved to strike out THU
clause. Senator Butler spoke agains
g it and said:
81 wish to say that in my opinion
); that subsidy should be stricken from
: the bill. 1t is clear subsidy of 1896,
900 given as free gift-yOu can no
g call it anything eIse-to one railroa,
company, now the Southern Railroad
= The Atlantic Coast Line and tn,
Southern Railroad Company are boil
anxious to get the contract from thu
Il government to carry this mail. The!
both have fast mail facilities now
Either one would take it under tn,
= contract price. By adding the $196, 0O
the government does not get service
one particle better for the money
Besides, as the Postmaster Genera
has said in his report every year, it il
a discrimination against the othe
Z railroads in the country which simpl,
9 get the contract price for carrying tn
mails. OF course, if any railroad il
: going to get it, should like to see on
running down through my State ge
!, it; but | oppose it simply because it il
wrong. If the government wants t,
go to making free gifts to railroad
= companies or individuals it is all right
but this is an appropriation of $l96OO'
= without one single cents service il
: return to the government or for thu
:, improvement of the postal service"
= The railroads won the fight and they
II will manage in some way to get tina
= money, $4,000 and the people viii
pay it. This item was kept in the bill
o by vote of 33 to 10. Senator Butle
- voted against it. Senator Pritchart
. % voted for it.
e Sixteen pension bills were introdu
n ced.
n WEDNESDAY, APRIL S.-sENATE.
o Nine pension bills introduced.
II The Indian appropriation bill wa
y discussed during the day.
- House.
r Eleven pension bills were introdu
g. ced.
l. THURSDAY, APRIL 9.--sENATE.
u Five pension bills introduced.
Senator Butler called up the bill t.
% establish government postal tele
u graph system, and offered the follow
re ing amendment:
+ "PrOvided, That the Postmaster G. en-
le eral shall establish telephone instea
= Of telegraph instrument in ever
'e post office at which, in his judgment,
v telephone can render sufficient ser
J. vice, and effect saving of expense t
,. the department. Whereas lOng-dis
~ lance messages may be sent from O
destined for pOstoffice at which tel
ephOne is used, the Postmaster Cen
10 eral shall prescribe regulations desie
le mating the pOst-Ofiice using Telegram
instruments TO which the telephon
& messages in any case may be sent to b
y forwarded by telegraph
BE- Amend the title of the bill to read a
aC follows: "A bill to establish a posts
l. telegraph and telephone system, an
Is to enlarge the postal facilities of tn
people of the United States
l. Senator Butler spoke to bis amend
Is
re