The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-03-30
GUNBOAT FOR LAKES.
New Vessel Will Take the Place
OF the Michigan.



by "a Michigan Man and Passed While n
Michigan Man Presided Owe. the senate
Hot Fight for Increased Appropriations
for Rural Free Deiivery-Another One
ON William Alden smith.
Washington, March 29.-It was thor
oughly Michigan day in the senate
when the bill was passed appropriate
ing 100000 for the building of gun
boat to take the place of the Michigan
on the Great Lakes.
This bin was introduced by Senator
Mcmillan, was referred to the commit
tee on naval affairs. of which Senator
Mcmillan Is member, aid was re-
ported back favorably from the com
mittee by Senator Mcmillan.
When the vice president was in
formed that this important bill was
to be taken up by the senate he called
Senator Burrows to the chair. gave
him the gavel and retired to the vice
presidents room. Thus ii happened
that the bill providing for a boat 20
| take the place of the Michigan. was
introduced by Michigan man. report
ed by Michigan man. and passed the
senate while a Michigan man was pre-
! sizing over t1dt DOuy.
The bill provides that the secretary
| OF the navy shall award the contract
| to the lowest, best, responsible bidder.
and the gunboat must be constructed
| Of steel or other metal or of alloy No
premiums are to he offered for excess
of speed 1t is not believed that there
will ever come a time when this coun-
try will need a war vessel on the Great
| II. G..l.e f...
| Great Britain, for the recent friendly
| actions of that country. pending our
strained relations with Spain, have
tended to cultivate friendly relations
which will be likely To last
ght for Rural Free Delivery.
The men of Michigan have been max
ing a hot fight for increased appropria-
| tons for rural free delivery. They
claim that If less luXuries were given
postmasters Of cities and less profits
| paid TO railroads for carrying mails,
the country people could have ample
appropria tons for free delivery and
good service could be rendered them.
1t is acknowledged by the postmaster
general that rural free delivery is no
longer experimental. but practical, and
the sooner ii can be extended to all of
our people the better.
Congressman Corliss of Detroit has
energetically advocated the bill making
presidential Inauguration day the first
Wednesday i'm May and it is favorably
reported. Our presidents are usually
inaugurated in rain or snow storms,
because the 4th of March is generally
a day OF bad weather in this climate
Congressman Spalding of Monroe.
10, 3
banking and currency. says: There
will be no currency legislation during
this session of congress. | presume
that something will be done next win
ter Our foreign relations are such
that ii is deemed unwise to attempt to
change our monetary system at such
time. AS Abraham Lincoln quantity
said We must not change horses
while crossing a stream.
Liquor on Government Reservations.
Congressman Todd of Kalamazoo,
who is a member of the committee on
alcoholic liquor traffic, says: IF the
right OF petition is regarded by this
congress there will be legislation pre-
venting the use of intoxicants on gov
eminent reservations and in the Dis
trict of Columbia We have before our
|
eating more than a million signers,
praying for such legislation. But the
congress does not pay such attention
to petitions as should be paid to them.
Therefore | am afraid that the bills
pending will not be taken up and
| passed "
Congressman William Alden Smith
having returned from Cuba, found a
peculiar state of affairs confronting
him The metropolitan newspapers
have taken up the story of his ad-
venture with five Spanish soldiers
whom he vanquished with his umbrel-
La, and they have ridiculed him un-
mercifully. Ii seems that the story was
somewhat. exaggerated. but Mr.. Smith
did have an unpleasant experience
with several OF the rascally followers
of Weyler, the Butcher
Congressman Sam Smith OF Pontiac
Is like Shakespeare in one particular, ne
grows in popularity as people learn to
know him. Physically he is the small
est man in congress. the smallest man
most likely that ever came to congress
But he a prodigious worker and nat
ural born friend maker.
Ayers Working Hours.
Government clerks go To work at
o'clock i'm the morning. Secretary OF
War Alger is at his desk every morn
ing at s o'clock, hard at work Gov
eminent clerks leave their offices at !
o'clock every afternoon. General Alger
never leaves his desk before and
sometimes not until o'clock. That
is a pretty good record for a cabinet
official, and especially for a man who
has been sick abed for nearly three
months.
Senator Burrows has received a
beautiful letter from A. r. Kruger OF
Marquette. the old soldier who recently
lost his home by fire. and for whom the
senator secured a pension with $500 ar
rears. The old man says that this is
a miracle which has been wrought in
answer to his prayers. 1t certainly did
seem providential that the senator
should have been able to call up that
case and have it allowed without delay
OF a single day.
When the plan was proposed to rush
business through congress and have an
almost immediate adjournment the
Michigan men stood solidly against the