The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-11

thfppuTu atleSet ENtrIvu21ncG
vigorous assault was made yesterday
py representatives Hepburn and Cushman
against the River and Harbor Appropria-
tion bill pending in the House Mr.. Hen
burn based his opposition upon the ground
that the bill as a whole is extravaganza
and contemplates a reckless expenditure
OF public moneys. Mr.. Cushman founded
MS objection upon the charge that the
Dill is not river and harbor bill for the
United States, but river and harbor bill
for the members of the River and Harbor
Committee" Mr.. Hepburn was heard by
the House with profound attention. and
Mr.. Cushman was listened TO with extra
ordinary interest. His speech was one
OF the picturesque features of the ses-
sion, the House being several times
thrown into confusion by laughter and
I applause. His accusations against the
members of the committee were so direct
that they often verged upon the personal
| Mr.. Shackleford was the first to take
| the noor in opposition to the bill He
| criticised the measure, which he said
! gave every evidence that the States rem
resented on the committee had been taken
| care OF to the exclusion of other States
/ equally deserving
Mr.. Grosvenor discussed the pronnsition
to include in the bill appropriations for
iri igating the arid lands of the West. He
DENIED that there was any power in Con-
gfess under the Constitution TO make an
preparations for fertilizing the waste lands
OF the West, and the fathers of the Con-
stltution and the great statesmen who fol-
IpVTni fhar had
congress to appropriate for the dredging
OF river or harbor. The Democratic
platforms in the early days OF the party
Tor years contained declarations against
such appropriations.
MIR. Hepburn said he had heard that
some gentlemen had felt themselves in
suited because some one (Mr. Cushmanl
had called attention in a public manner
to the appropriations made for States rep
resented on the committee.
He held that States where WATERWAYS
could not be improved under the guise of /
commercial demands should, in Justice.
receive a corresponding benefit He sug- |
se5ted that some of this money might be |
expended in making railroads in the
western country. He said that the Gov
eminent must choose between adapting /
It's harbors TO the ideas of ship construc- |
tors or compelling the shipbuiIders TO |
puiiu SHIPS to enter the United States
ma DORIS. Mr. Hepburn ridiculed the
claims of certain localities for further
mproyements-Boston, because of Bunker
Hill; Philadelphia, because of Independ-
{ hce han; baltimore, because 1t was the
nome OF the author of THE Star Spangled
banner; Charleston, because of Fort
Moultrie
MT. Cushman then took the floor. He
said in part: iie
lew years ago l, in company with a
re" more young adventures, climbed to
the snowy summit of one of the granrest
mountain peaks on the Western Hemi-
sphere The cold and hardship of that
trip is theme that beggars dissertation
on our return from the summit in semi
frozen and starved condition we met an
ascending mountaineer with a single
sandwich. We wildly importuned for
1lVision, but he sat calmly down in fuI
view and devoGred the entire biscuIt-and
excused himself by telling US how hungry .
ne was. II in the future that man should
ever be elected to Congress l bespeak for
aim place on the Rivers and Harbors
Committee.
''One member of the Rivers and Harbors
JoinInlttee-one OF the direct benefciaries
u TINS unfair bill-has urged me not TO
make an attack upon this bill. because
orsooth he said, that at some time in
ne future might desire to secure appro-
'flatlons Tor my State, and that | ought
lot to incur the hostility Of the commit
ee. That is cowardly and complacent
that finds no Judgment in my
natomy"
Several members urged Mr. Cushman to
ave the name Of this man, and as he ap-
cared about to do so many members
ried, oh don't do it,
Continuing, he said "The honorable
hartman of the Rivers and Harbors Com
nittee has called particular attention TO
he fact that this bill has the uganimous ,
Import of the committee. To the new !.
nd uninitiated member on the floor of .
his House the one incomprehensible :
eature of Congressional legislation IS
he more than holy sanctity that sur
ounds and permeates that thing known =
S the committee report The supersti-
ious never looked upon his fetch nor Il
he heather gazed upon his idol with one "a
alf the holy awe that in this chamber is 7.
ccorded to that thing called the com =
iittee report. There are members OH the d
DOR Of this House that have violated the .
EN- Commandments and forgotten the y
ines OF the Doxology, but who expect TO y
e saved from the hot observation-disclosures. D.
orsooth. they have always voted with the n
p
At this point Mr.. Cushman introduced a o
hart twenty feet long and eight feet | ei
Ugh with two parallel columns of figures. Of
n the first column was the amount which a.
be seventeen members of the committee
ad appropriated to their own seventeen IL
tates; in the second column was set | III
own what was appropriated for the c
States and four Territories r,
OF represented on the Rivers and Har-
ors Committee. The balances at the tot oil
ON of Mr.. Cushman's chart were: II
mount appropriated in seventeen States in
epresented on Rivers and Hartors Com OF
ffaa I
n the twenty-eight States and four Ter lie
tories not represented on the commit fl!
ee. Ss.349. 557.08 n,
Mr.. Cushman commented very bitterly ia
pom the contrast between these two col W
INNS of figures. ca
There he exclaimed. pointing to the m
hart, is a composite photograph Of the III
sventeen members Of the Rivers and Har- ST
ors Committee. Examine it closely and tn
gu will find the bump of -selfshness high re