The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

have been completed by the war de-
| partment. The sum of $4,000 is avail
| able now and he hopes for an increas Sc
| next December. He has also secured
the passage of his bill authorizing the
Twin City Rapid Transit company to
! construct a dam across the Mississippi
between Coon Rapids and Minneapolis,
| together with works necessarily Incl
! dent thereto for the purposes of water
| power.
Another local bill, for which Mr..
| Fletcher is an anxious sponsor, provides
/ for the esta Enlistment of a subtreasury
| at Minneapolis. There is to be an as
| sistant treasurer of the United States,
| serving for the term of four years, with
the salary, emoluments and employees
| of the assis tant treasurer at New Or
| leans, and with offices located in the
| public building. He believes that there
|. is a great need for such an institution
i in the Northwest, as the nearest sub
| treasury is that at Chicago. When
asked why it should be placed at Min
neapols rather than ST. Paul, he rath-
er airily spoke of the greater impor-
lance, commercially and numerically,
Of the former city; but added, with
saving grace. that the one wanted it,,
while the other did not This bill is
| still before the committee on ways and
nent audience. The consent of the sec
rotary Of the treasury is essential to
| it's success, and Mr.. Cages consent, like
| Mr.. Cages famous milkman, is a
! doubtful quantity for reliance.
| Speaking of Mr.. Gage, it may be
worthy to chronicle that he is the most
unpopular cabinet member with the
rank and file of the departments; even
as Secretary Alger is now the most
nOi6ant'
deposed. Government clerks are a
queer folk, obscure yet human. Like
all persons under duress children,
slaves and criminals, they observe; and
the consensus of their views is often
marvelously correct. Like ants, they
pick away at some mammoth sub
ject, which they cannot see, much less
understand, and, in the end, they get
away with it. Their dietum is that
Gage is a -pomologically far less
complimentary than the cognate title
of peach but, in view Of the secre-
tary's name, more or less apt.
Outside of these local measures, Mr..
Fletcher, like the individual with the
dollar note, is a man of one bill. This
eve lamb is entitled ito provide for
saving deposits in the postoff1ce de-
partment;;' in other words, it author
ICES postal savings banks. In detail,
it prescribes for deposits of 81 and up
wards" for which the receiving post
master shall issue certificates of de-
posts, which shall be conclusive evil
dence of the depositor's claim to re-
payment, and draw interest at the rate
of per cent per annum, subject only
to one assignment or transfer. 1t de-
wolves the duty of investing these funds
on the auditor of the treasury for the
postoffice department, authorizing him
to purchase government bonds, or
bonds guaranteed by the Unites States,
or Solvent and safe bonds of any
state or any municipality therein and
it establishes reserve fund.
For Postal Savings banks.
If, after his long legislative career.
Mr.. Fletcher can be enthusiastic, he
is enthusiastic on this subject. The
people Of the West and the South need
such a system, he maintains so that
the small accumulations of the thrifty
may not be wasted in a geological craze
for cats and dogs. While savings
banks in the East, especially in Maine
no doubt, may serve this precaution-
airy purpose, elsewhere In the country
they are too infrequent and elemen-
tary With creditable modesty he dis
claims any tenacity Of view as to his
own plan; but hopes that the best fea-
lures of the various measures submit
ted may be coalesced and enacted. 1t
is to be feared that this ewe-lamb will
be ruthlessly slaughtered, and without
chance Of any such vicar1ous immor-
tally. Congress is already too much
concerned over the question of the dis
tribution Of money to permit CEN
tralization Of the earnings of the peo-
pie in the hands of the government.
Mr.. Fletcher likes the legislative life,
and can see no disadvantages about
it, even if he did make that querulous
remark in regard to running around
like an errand boy" He likes his as
sociates even as they like him, and
considers the present house the ablest
in which he has served-which the
pessimist might say was rough on the
Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth congress-
es. Similarly, too he is content with
the whole state of the Union" especi-
ally with that of the Northwest. The
country is prosperous, he declares, and
is going to be more prosperous. In the
kindly light of this prosperity, one
step Is not enough for him. AS
natural consequent of this optimism, he
believes that the spirit Of unrest is
confined to chronic blow-hards, and
that there will be a grand rising up
and calling of blessed in favor of the
Republican party this fall.
Mr. Fletcher has the pleasant man
with men and affairs. Though he has
somewhat of that worn and mildewed
appearance which appertained to Mr..
Chaffanbrass, Trollope's one famous
character, there is a twinkle in his eye
that says he is not so bilious after ALL
The breath of New England still clings
to him, and were he to return to the
rural districts of Maine the people
would all call him "Jedge," and proud
ly refer to him as that old war horse
of Republicanism."
Mr.. Fletcher is industrious and works
with discrimination. He protests that
his methods of attaining results are
simply those Of a plain business man;
but doubtless his long political ex-
perience stands him in good stead, and
in the interests of his constituents he
can give a quid for quo and engage
in the corner game of tickle me and
I'll tickle you" with the cleverest. He
is acute rather than broad, and while
he attends strictly to what he has in
hand, is satisfied to let others do the
same.
Festina lente is his motto, although
1t may not be emblazoned on his car
riage door. He views the current de-
bates with an amused Indifference and
has no use for invective. There is a
mountain In this present house, even