The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-11
THE WORK OF CONGRESS
Cannon Throws a Few Bououets
at Himself.
THE NICARAGUA CANAL
Worthless Concession Would Have
Been Gained From the Maritime
Company-The Philippines
Ours for Keeps.

Ours for Keeps.
Washington, March 1o-Availing
himself of the privilege accorded by
| the house of representatives previous
to adjournment. Chairman Cannon of
the committee on appropriations has
| prepared for the Congressional Record
| a more extended statement of the ap-
| preparations made by the Fifty-fifth
! congress than he made the day after
| adjournment. He places the total ap-
| preparations for the entire congress at
| 81, 166. s9O,O16, and the appropriations au-
| thorized for future congresses under
| the continuing contract system for bat
| tleships, river and harbor improve
ments and public buildings, at $7O,OOO,-
600. The total appropriations made at
the last session, Mr.. Cannon places at
$61S,65S, 400, showing an apparent reduc
ton of $219,573,214 below the appropri-
ations of the preceding session. Mr..
Cannon attributes this reduction to the
extraordinary war expenses of the pre-
ceding session. OF the total appropri-
atoms for the congress. he says that
the sum of $4S2, 562, OS3 is directly
chargeable to the war with Spain. He
thus shows that the ordinary expend-
lures for the two years covered by the
congress We're s1044. 5S0,273, and this
sum exceeds the total appropriation of
the Fiftyfourth congress by $39, $685.
This excess is accounted for as follows:
For payment of pensions, $3,8752O0; for
the postal service to meet increased
demands of commerce. $16,619, 581 for
INN
12S: for constructing new ships, s6,0S0,-
S3S: for beginning the work of the
twelfth census, $1,00O,0O0: for the Paris
exposition, $1,210,O0O; for new public
buildings, s5.OOO.000; for payment of
Judgments against the government un-
der the Bowman act and for the
| French spoliation claims. 50. 100000; to-
tai, SAC, 287, SIG
Mr. Cannon consratulates congress
and the country On this showing, and
also upon the fact that notwithstand
| ing the war, close attention was given
to the ordinary expenditures of the
| government, which, he thinks. Is un-
usual. He cites the defeat of the pro-
vision for the construction of the Mic
| aragua canal which the senate at
| tempted to get through in connection
| with the sundry civil appropriation
| bill, as an instance of the success of
| this watchfulness on the part of the
| house.
IF" he says on this point, 1.-THE sem
ate bill or any measure had been en-
acted the United States would have
paid $5,OO0,000 for a worthless conces-
! sion and would have been committed
| by law to the construction of a canal
| along the Nicaragua route and under
such conditions it would have been
compelled. before we threw a spadeful
| of earth or in any way began actual
| construction, to have acquired by
treaty from Nicaragua and Costa RIGA
the territory whereon to construct the
canal and the right to construct it,
| To this remark he adds the following:
such legislation would have delayed
and embarrassed the construction of All
isthmian canal. The United States can
not afford to enter upon this great work
until it has acquired by treaty zone
of territory wherein to construct the
same. Fortunately, the house of rep
resentatives resisted the enactment of
the proposed legislation and the con-
test between the senate and house re-
suited finally in the only practical
provision possible, viz. the appropria-
| ton of a million dollars to enable the
president to make full and complete in
vestigation of the isthmus with view
to the future construction of a canal
across the same, particularly the Pana-
ma and Nicaragua routes and to re-
concentration in the premises"
Referring in a general way to the
legislation of congress, Mr.. Cannon
says: During the whole of the four
years covered by Mr.. Cleveland's sec
ond administration the material and
industrial condition of the country was
| calamitous and It's contemplation does
not bring satisfaction to any Amerf-
can citizen. But the 55th congress be-
ginning with the administration of Will
liam Mckinley and promptly called in
extraordinary session, as promptly en-
acted legislation which has yielded the
additional revenues needed to pay the
ordinary expenses of the government
and has at the same time protected
Amrican labor. With the enactment of
that legislation hope and confidence
struck hands and the condition of the
| whole country improved and has con-
tinued to improve from that time to
the present. Labor is now universally
employed at increased wages, and with
| such employment the means are sup
piled for increased consumption
I'm addition, without taking time to
discuss in detail the causes that led
thereto, congress declared war against
Spain and the prompt and decisive sue
cess OF the army and navy upon land
and sea have never been equaled any
where in history. The great expend-
lures rendered necessary by the war
required the enactment of additional
revenue legislation and that legisla-
ton is now bringing into our treasury
an additional 81, 600, 100000 per annum
The vast increase of the navy and
the creation of an army of a quarter
OF million. together with the increase
OF taxation. have not in any apprecia-
bic degree checked our Industrial ad-
vance. which began coincidentally with
10 M 1i,,fr ,f =, y
ton and the 55th congress"
In conclusion, Mr. Cannon declines
to enter upon the present discussion of
future legislation, saying:
Il prefer rather to await the logic
Of events and the full information that