The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-02-25

trcduced by Congresl CCrhss of
Michigan is better bill than the meas
ure which enanated from the senate.
1t is not likely, however. that any i'm
migration bill will be passed during the
present session CT congress"
In side OF ten days James Mcmillan
Will De In Detroit and when the senior
senator takes trip home he does not
go altogether for his health. The con-
gressinen who are to be nominated, or
those who are to be renominated, Will
know better where they are at" after
Senator Mcmillan surveys the field and
returns to Washington.
No Private Bills This Session.
Speaker Reed Is determined that no
private bills shall be passed by the
house OF representatives if he can pre-
vent II. Under the rules of the house
every Friday is set apart for the con-
sheraton of private bills, and every
member on. the floor of the house is in
terested in some one bill, or may be in
hair dozen bills, for the passage of
which constituents are urgent.
But Speaker Reed has some followers
who Will consume time in debate on
Fridays in order to waste the day, and
thereby prevent the passage of private
bills Each bill usually carries some
appropriation, and Speaker Reed Is de-
termined to save the treasury from as
sault of this character. Consequently,
inasmuch as there are about 5000 pri-
vate bills, each possessing more or less
merit, the speaker has determined that
not one shall pass If he can help it, NO
matter what may be the circumstances.
lnasmuch as many representatives
will insist that Friday shall be used for
private bills alone the speaker has de-
termined that there shall be no sessions
Of the house on Fridays hereafter. Mr.
Dingley will, therefore. on Thursday
afternoons move that the house adjourn
over until Saturday or Monday for the
purpose Of getting rid of private bill
day.
Time for Debate.
This programme would have been car
ried out last week, as 1t was the week
before, but for the fact that 1t was
necessary that time should be given for
the debate on the bankruptcy bill.
The government Is not honest, partly
because 1t is poor. 1t cannot pay its
honest debts without issuing bonds and
going into debt to heavy money lenders.
If the honest debts of the government
were paid 1t would take at least $780,
600, 900 to pay the small creditors, peo-
pie to whom the government owes sums
ranging from 500 to $250,00O each.
Nearly every claimant has a separate
bill, and upon all just bills favorable
reports have been made by committees
Of the senate and house of representa-
tives. But those bills will not be passed,
for there Is no money in the treasury
with which to pay them.
Senator Mason of Illinois Is making
persistent effort to secure the passage
of a bill setting apart a sufficient
amount of the money appropriated for
the American exhibit in the Paris expo
sition to pay for a display of the ath-
letic sports of this country. He Is
particularly anxious that there shall be
daily exhibitions of our national game
of base ball by two good teams. He
also wants exhibitions given by our
best oarsmen, to show our methods and
our workmanship in racing boat-mak-
ing.
A Popular Ruling.
First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath has made a ruling which seems
to be very popular throughout the
country, judging from communications
which are constantly being received.
General Heath was for a long time q
Washington correspondent, and a good
one, too. Then he was part proprietor
and manager of the Cincinnati Com
mercial- Gazette. He is a thorough
newspaper man. He says that there Is
no reason why editors who are appoint
ed as postmasters should give up their
editorial work. He also says: There
will be no objection to employees Of the
department asserting their political
rights"
This Is as IT should be. Grover
Cleveland first deprived postmasters OF
their inherent rights by declaring that
no editor should continue to edit his
paper so long as he held a commission
as postmaster. If Cleveland had ever
edited a paper, or had known anything
about practical newspaper work, he
would not have made such an unfair
order. Newspaper men are the great
educators of the day. They are all stu
dents, all men of education, and all of
them are periodically interested in the
affairs of the government. 1t makes
no difference to what political party
man belongs, so long as he runs a good,
clean newspaper; he Is a public bene-
factor.
Might Learn Points.
The preachers are the only people In
our communities who go about doing
more good than the editors, and some
of them might learn a few good points
in the sanctum of country editors.
First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath is broad guaged man, a gen.
tleman with whom the writer has long
been personally acquainted, and he has
always been a model of courtesy and
fair dealing.
Twenty. seven states are to choose
new governors in the next November
elections. Moreover, there will be
elected 1856 congressman. Thirty states
will elect legislatures which Will elect
United States senators. This ought to
be good year for spell-binders.
The Democratic and Republican con-
gressional campaign committees are or
ganizing, and very soon we will have
great big brand new" campaign of
education. The mails will be filled with
tons upon tons Of documents containing
speeches delivered by congressman, all
of them going over the country under
wi