The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-02-24
JOB LOT OF BAD BILLS
The Short Session of Dead Con.
gress Used to Get Through
Such Measures.
The Loud Bill the Most Dangorous-It Would
Shut Out From the Mails Books Like Coins
Financial School and Create News
paper Trust-Other Bad Bills.
Especial Correspondence. |

lSpeclal correspondence
Washington. Feb. 19.-The short
session OF an expiring congress is al
ways noted for the mum ber Of jobs and
thieving bills that are passed and at
tempted to be passed. The present
short session of congress is no excep-
tion to the rule. In fact the bad, not
to say infamous measures that cOrpOr-
ations, trusts, syndicates, are now try
ing to force through congress before
the 4th of March are not only large in
number, but exceed in magnitude OF
their infamy any other job lot of
measures that were ever attempted to
be rushed through without proper dis
cussion and ventilation.
This short session Of dying con-
gress should be abolished Instead OF
men who have been repudiated and
defeated by their people being here
now voting and legislating on meas.
ures vital to the peoples welfare
there should be here in their stead,
fresh from the people, those who were
elected at the last election.
In this letter we can only refer to a
few of the many bad and far-reaching
bills that desperate efforts are now
being made to push through.
TIE LOUD BILL.
One of these measures is the Loud
postal bill. The real purpose behind
this bill is to cut off the truth and
wholesome information from the peO-
Pile. If it should become a law it
would prevent such books as Coins
Financial school and similar reform
works from passing through the mails
That is, the bill, under plea of stop
ping a deficit in the pOstotfice depart
ment, provides for an enormously high
rate of postage on this class Of books,
which would be prohibitory in its eff
fects. The bill would also hit with
tremendous and crushing force the
country newspapers, and the result
would be 90 create newspaper trust,
which would be composed Of the great
metropolitan dailies, and the people
would be forced soon to look to the m
almost alone for their Information
and news.
The monopolis now control the tele
graph wires and thus prevent anv
news or information reaching the peo-
pie through the various press dispatch
associations to the daily papers, if
that news or information should be
against the interests Of monopolies
and trusts. The only avenue which
the people have left through which
they Can get the truth is through re-
form books like THE American Peo
pies Money" and through the week ky
reform newspapers. Therefore the
gold syndicate and the monopolists
want this avenue closed. just as they
have closed the avenue by electricity.
The Loud bill is one of the most insid-
iOuS and infamous measures that ever
crossed the threshold Of congress. The
bill was slipped through the house
with very little discussion, and with
scarcely no information to the public
as to its nature and effects. This bill
is now before the Senate committee
on postoffices and postroads Senator
Butler, who is mem Der of this com
mittee, has been making a vigorous
and unremitting fight in the commit
tee trying to preventit being reported
to the Senate. II a majority of the
committee shall vote against him and
report it to the Senate, he and mum
Der Of other senators will fight it tC
the bitter death on the floor Of that
body.
- IL
This is another infamous bill drawn
in the interest OF Shylock and his al.
lies. The real purposes of the bill.
however, are not expressly stated, but
are hidden in way to try to prevent
drawing attention to the real purposes
and ultimate effects of the measure,
That portion Of the bill which al.
lows man who is really bankrupt (as
a victim Of gold bug policy, to obtain
relief from the prosecutions Of his
creditors and to become free man,
and to start in the world fresh again
from the ground to try to build up his
lost fortunes, is meritOriOus and
should be enacted into law. But the
poison in the bill-which poison would
destroy more honest men who are In
debt, but who are not bankrupts, thau
the other provisions in the bill could
possibly benefits what is cloaked
under the "involuntary" provision OF
the bill. Under this provision credit.
Ors would be enabled to pounce upon
almost any man who was their debtor
and force his property to cash sale tC
meet his debts, even though he was
worth ten times his Indebtedness
Every sane man knows what this
would mean. Under the hard times
single gold standard and the Demo.
cratic-Re publican financial policy
three-fourthS of those who are in debt
could be bankrupted within week ii
they were suddenly shut down upon
and forced to sacrifice their proI erty
for cash to meet their debts Nobod;
wants to forcclOSe on bankrupt, but
the shyIocks and gold men would like
to have every prosperous citizen who
happens to be a little in debt at theil
mercy, SO that they could foreclosc OF
force him to do their bidding. Ir
short. the purpose of the bill is to con.
troll the votes and actions Of the great
majority of the voters Of the country
by financial tyranny and oppression
This bill would not be nearly so dan
gerous ia pros porous times, but under
present conditions it is tyranny com
pounded and concentrated.
THE ARBITRATION TREATY.
There is now before the Senate Z
proposed treaty which Cleveland ant