The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-03-29
PASSION FOR POWER.
It Is Directly Responsible for Con-
gressional Profligacy.
Adding Amendments to Legitimate
Bills the Favorite Method of
Lawmakers of Securing
"Pie" for Personal Use.
Especial Washington Letter.l

ME passion Tor pelf and the
power of public plumber were
never so we'll illus trated in the
history of our republic as during the
closing days of the recent short ses-
siou of the congress. The individ-
uals comprising the senate and house
of representatives were exceedingly
nonpartisan in their efforts to get
their hands into the treasury away
up above the elbows. Statesmen of
both political parties were equally
culpable.
There is nothing in the constitu-
ton, nothing in statutory or common
law, to authorize the expenditure of
the public moneys for expositions, for
river and harbor steals, for fraud
ulent claims, nor for any one of the
many things which were put to the
fore by the politicians in the national
congress, at the instigation of their
constituencies and commonwealths.
The people should know the truth
and deal with their servants accord
ing to their merits or dement's. DEM
ocrats and republicans alike have
sinned, and the truth may be told
without partisan feeling or partisan
statement.
There were senator's and represent
atives who desired an extra session
of the congress in order that consid-
Grafton might be given to Chinese,
Philippine and Cuban affairs. Some
of them were so much in earnest that
they declared that all legislation
should be blocked in order that an
extra session might be compelled.
The reason why they all fell down
and Frustrated their sincere opin-
ions was given by Congressman Hep
burn, of Iowa, the acknowledged lead
ing debater of the house of repre-
sentatives, when he said to the
writer: 1T was the greed of public
money. The legislation which would
prevent an extra session was placed
upon the army appropriation bill, in
the form of amendments. Then the
army appropriation bill was placed
on the calendar, in advance of the
sundry civil and the river and harbor
appropriation bills. Those bills con-
tanned the pie, or pork for which
many were contending.
"Those bills could not be taken up
and considered until the army appro-
priation bill was disposed of. Conse-
quently, in order to get at the "pie''
bills, statesmen who had sworn that
they would ne'er consent consented,
and voted for the bill which they had
sworn to kill.
1.-THE sundry civil appropriation bill
contained the provision of $5,00o,00
for the St. Louis exposition; and all
of the supporters of that appropria-
ton were obliged to vote for the army
appropriation bill in order to get at
the sundry civil pie That measure
also contained the appropriation of
$25O,O0O for the Charleston exposition,
and they also were obliged to vote
for the army appropriation bill. The
river and harbor appropriation bill
contained aggregate sums amounting
to $50,O0O,0OO. In that bill almost every
member of the senate and house of
Representatives had an interest. They
were obliged to vote for the army ap-
preparation Dill IN oFoer 10 Set tnelr
pie in that bill. Consequently they
all fell down and surrendered.
'The army appropriation bill was
one of the best measures of the kind
that has ever passed the house of rep
resentatives. 1t was the senate
amendments on foreign affairs which
caused the hot opposition to it; but
20 a. II
lowed by the opponents of those