The evening times., 1897-02-15
MORTON'S ANSWER TO VEST
The Secretary Defends His ArbOr
Day Bulletin.
He Smiles Over the Free Adver
tising He Has Received From
Irate congressman.

Secretary Morton has made a reply to
Senator Vests criticisms regarding the
appearance in the Arbor Day Bulletin
Of the Department Of Agriculture Of a
picture of the Secretary's home In Nebraska.
The Missouri Senator last week broke
numerous shafts of sarcasm on the Secre-
taTy's record for economy. He said Mr..
Morton had made a record in his own
opinion at least for economy, yet he did
not hesitate to wastethe government money
to print his old speeches as farmers bul-
letins, and TO illustrate one at least with
a picture OF "ArbOr Lodge his own resi-
dence in Nebraska. In response, Secretary
Morton said this morning:
THE plate for the illustration referred
to was borro wed from a Nebraska news
paper office. No des gn in the Arbor Day
Bulletin cost the United states government
a cent. The artist who made the picture,
which was printed in the Congressional
Record last Thursday. borrowed this same
cut from the Department OF Agriculture.
1T is not an adequate picture OF the
house and grounds as they now appear.
because 1t was taken some years ago. IL,
however, is sufficient to show to my few
friends that there is plenty OF room for
them on the piaZZas and likewise inside
whenever they feel like enjoying its hos
pitalities No home has been so Congress
isonally advertised A careful estimate
OF eructatory elOquence in both houses
relative to gift seeds and other features
of the Department OF Agriculture, added
to the fervid condemnation Of the economy,
practical and political, of the present
Secretary, may show that hours and
hours OF time and columns and columns
of the Congressional Record have been
extravagantly consumed In advertising
Arbor Lodge, Arbor Day and its author.
at cost To the government OF tens of
thousands OF dollars.
Possibly these facts, however. are
only freckles on the fair face OF states
manship 1t is to be expected that the
Missouri Senator who thus INDUCES himself
at the peoples expense would despise the
economy which has covered back into the
Treasury over S2,OOO.OOO saved in this
department in the past four years.
LAS to the usefulness of Arbor Day and
the proprety of calling attention to it,
the IdctS SPEAK IOl lhtllscthtS- IL 70
now celebrated in every State in the
Union, in Europe and even in Asia. The
The records show that millions OF trees
are planted upon EACH recurrence OF the
anniversary"
What about circular No. 3, The Far
mer's Interest in Finance?' Oh, that can
take care of itself. It's facts and fig
ures are all taken from the census OF
1890. Secretary Noble. of the Interior
Department. is responsible for their ac-
curacy. He Is citizen OF Missouri, like
the gallant gentleman who asSails his
work. 1t is strange that New York owes
43 per cent more on real estate mortgages
than do all the states which voted for
free coinage; and strange that these latter
States produced forty-seven millions OF
ounces of silver in year, while all the
others made an output of only one million,
and il is rather queer that depositors in
savings banks in the gold standard States
number more than four million, while in
the sixteen-to-one States they are less
than sixty-five thousand"