The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-05

whole day being consumed in passing
eighteen OF the tweE ty-four private pen
sion bills fsverasly acted upon by The
house at the session last Friday night
During the consideration Of one OF the
bills an interesting discussion OF the ap-
preaching sale OF the Kansas Pacific. set
for FEBRUARY Il. Was precipiiaied by
Fleming. Democrat, OF California. who
desired legislation TO require the p~esi-
dent to bid the full amount. debt. princi-
pal and interest
Powers. chairman of the Pacific rail-
road committee, contsnGed that The real
purpose Of the opposition was 10 compel
the government TO take the road and OPP
crate Il. He said he thought the admin
istration which had secured every dollar
owing from the Union Pacific. could be
safely trusted TO protect the governments
interest at the sale Of the Kansas Pacific.
Fleming said the claim Of the govern
n,ent exceeded sls.epeoN0. and while il
was claimed that the road could be par
allelea for s. eta.cea, the engineer who
built the road. Senator Harris of KAN
sas estimated its value at from s2a,e9.esl
to $so. coo 90. The average earnings or
the road fer the past ten years si.1oa.6sa,
were four per cent. interest on so, 600.
shattuc, Republican, Of Ohio. said that
while Senator Harris might be a very COM
petent civil engineer. he knew no more
about computing the earnings or the value
of a railroad than the posts alongside the
speakers chair.
did you hear his speech on the Pacific
railroads. asked Shafroth. Silver RepHo-
lican. Of Colorado.
Il read it," replied Shattuc. "and there
Is nothing in ii. II was wind. nothing
more
Fleming said Senator Harris, by the
facts he had furnished the government,
had saved the treasury s2s.ooo,oel on the
sale Of the Union Pacific.
The press of the county built a fire un-
der the administration" said he. and
forced il to act.''
Fleming said he had appealed TO the
speaker and TO Powers for aid in the con-
sideration Of the measure reported by The
committee. He continued;
They were beth courteous but failed
to get the speaker to use his influence with
Powers. or Powers 10 use his influence with
the speaker. Only yesterday / tried TO get
recognition from the speaker. Today when
/ did get recognition il avaiied nothing be-
cause the chairman OF the committee.
Powers, said he would object"
Fleming said he did not consider IL COM
mensurate with the dignity OF the house to
wave aside indinerently the millions in
volyed. If the sale took place and the
government only bid the principal OF the
debt, the responsibility would be in the
majority. The only hope that remained.
he said lay in the press. II could force
the administration as IT die; in the case Of
the Union Pacific.
Mcguire. Democrat, of California. said
the law required that the government
should collect the full amount of the debt
or take ihe road and he believed the law
should De obeyed.
In other words. you want government
ownership of railroads. interposed Dali
zell (Rep) Of Pennsylvania
Il want TO collect the government debt"
replied Mcguire.
We had better have government owner
ship of railroads than railroad ownership
of government" cried Terry Dem) of
Arkansas.