The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-28
VICIOUS LOCAL ITEMS
LOADED UPON THE RIVER AND
HARBOR BILL BY THE
SENATE
BLOW TO THE BUREAUCRATS

Over the, Defeat of MIR. BOuteIIe's
scheme to Force the APPOINTMENT
Of Sampson as Vice Admiral
Internal improvements - Mr..
CnnnOn's Warning Forgotten.
w WASHINGTON, Feb. 27-(Special)
Satisfaction is expressed ON all sides
over the defeat of Mr.. Boutelle's iniq-
uitous scheme to force the appoint
ment of Sampson as vice admiral, by
making it a condition to the appoint
ment of Dewey as admiral 1t is sig
nificant that in both houses of congress
the admirers of Dewey. Schley and
Miles have beer frank and open in the
expression of their opinions; While the
detractOrs of these heroes, and the adj
VocateS of Shafter and Sampson have
worked in secret
The bureaucrats in the navy depart
ment cannot forgive Schley for being
right. Already it is said that as soon
as congress adjourns. Secretary Long
will direct an inquiry which will show
that the sturdy admiral was as
cowardly. disobedient and unskillful
as the ring in the bureau of construc-
ton has delighted in making him out
tC be.
MIR. LONGS LUCK.
If this be true, Mr.. Long Is unwise;
he should not thus go back on his luck.
Circumstances have been kind to him;
otherwise he might easily share Alger's
odium. The navy department was well
equipped when he assumed its >con-
troll. A precedent of effectiveness had
kept it from dry-rOt.
INN, mr.
he was fortunate In having Theodore
Roosevelt as assistant secretary, who,
enthusiastic. well-informed and indie
fatiga BILE, relieved him from all duties
save that of occasionally signing his
name.
Behind the glories Of the navy. he
has enjoyed SNUG obScurlty; other
wise, his anomalous position, that OF
a leading member of a peace society
being part of an administration
whose hypocrisy brings not peace but
a sword, might not have escaped OBJ
servation Otherwise, too, it might not
be so readily forgotten that he, the
head of the navy, the one man above
all others in the United States to
whom the loss of the Maine" should
have been an inspiration for the most
critical investigation, the most exact
repara ton, in the very midst of the
ing was known nor could be known
save that a noble ship had been de-
stroyed and $50 brave men cowardly
and secretly assassinated, FASTENED to
volunteer the opinion that the whole
affair was an accident.
Secretary Long should not go back
en- his luck. A small man in big
chair may escape notice, if he cuddleS
in the cushions and turns its back
IL, Ir,t 6a eli n
calumniates and persecutes a gallant
man, already illuminated and perse-
cuted by his underlings, he may have
the disgraceful responsibility cast upon
him, and then he will be crushed.
The people want no slanderous re-
iterations They know that Schley's
frank and manly communication to
the senate more than supplemented
the report which events had already
filed. They are weary of the attempt
to. down the voice of history with ma
licious whispers. If Long must adj
vertise his own existence, let him make
amends for having declared "reprehen-
sible" an exact obedience Of explicit
orders.
The scene when Mr.. Moody
offered his amendment to Gre
ate the rank of admiral In the
navy was noteworthy. Mr.. Boutelle
Cheers greeted the. frequent cries of
Dewey" Dewey" and not vote
was recorded in the negative. Such
cheers, too, a few weeks ago. re-
sounded, when Mr.. Berry made his
impassioned defense of Schley; but the
name of Sampson has been impotent
to conjure a handicap. In congress
and out, the maxim prevails that he
roes are born, not manufactured.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
The river and harbor bill, as passed
by the senate, not only calls for the
construction of the Nicaraguan canal,
but also for internal improvements of
more direct benefit to the country. Mr..
Warren's amendment, which was ac-
cepted, provides for the establishment
of reservoirs in Wyoming for the re-
clamation through irrigation of arid
lands. The senator argued in its favor
that nine Western states had no share,
except as his amendment proposed,
in the benefits carried by the river
and harbor bill; and 600, 000, 900 acres Of
public lands. now arid, might be made
productive by the inauguration of a
system of reservoirs. utilizing mainly
the head of waters of the Missouri
river
1t is not believed that the river and
harbor bill, as amended by the SEN
ate, can pass the house. The bill has,
OF course, received an additional load
Of unnecessary and vicious local ap-
preparations. Besides, the opposition
in the house to the Nicarag qua canal.
still strong, is reinforced by those who
are conscientiously opposed to the
whole system of riders, and especially
to such a stretching of the rules as
would virtually make the canal pro-
vision an appropriation for the con-
tinuance of government work already
begun within the territory of the
United States. Still. the danger is In
the lateness Of the hour, and the selfish
rush of other measures. When a bill
gets into conference at the end of a
session, members lose track of it, and
often agree to report without know
ing all that it implies. In this way
the rule that a conference shall not
add new legislation to a bill has been
repeatedly violated.
WARNING FORGOTTEN.
1t will not be on account of any Re-
publican regard for the state Of the
treasury if the river and harbor bill
fails to pass. Already Mr.. Cannon's
warning Of two weeks ago has been
forgotten. Indeed. that gentleman him
self voted the other day to increase the
price OF armcr plate
Expenditures are piling up at such a
rate that now it is tacitly admitted that
the secretary of the treasury will is
sue S1O0,0o0,O0O of certificates running
Tor year at per cent interest.
1t Is true that the authority for these
certificates was conferred solely bv the
war revenue law; but it Is contended
that this law in no wise provides that
the expenditures to be thus met must
be those incurred by the war with
Spain. The Republican party. it must