The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-06-06
TIME TO CALL HALT.
Reckless Appropriation Bills Should
Be Defeated.
Great Service Rendered to His Coun-
try by Senator Carter, at the
Request of President.
Mckinley.
Especial Washington letter.

TNENTY years ago Dom Piatt
was a notorious as well as
famous editor in this city. His
weekly paper teemed with columns
of wit and wisdom; all of it en-
blazoned and more or less embit-
tered with sarcasm of the most Bit
ing character. His censures of pub
lie men and measures were some
times unworthy of his great abili-
ties; but usually he was on the right
side.
In his day there were many men
eminent in public life who made con-
siderable pretensions to Christian
purity of character; when .they who
knew them best were aware of the
fact that but a thin veneering of
Christianity covered their impure
lives and their unpatriotic purposes.
It was concerning them that Dom
Piatt noted the assembling of the
congress, saying: "The alleged
Christian statesmen are gathering
together now with benignant smiles,
broad phylacteries and itching palms.
Skilled in the art of fooling the peo-
pie they do not try to fool each
other. Slyly winking they bow their
heads and pray: in the name of
God, amen; let us rob somebody
And then they coolly jimmy the
treasury"
What is substantially true of one
generation is also true of preced-
ing or succeeding generation. There
never was time in the history of
the world when all men were honest
In every century and probably in
every year and in all chimes, there
has been Judas Iscariot ora Bene-
dict Arnold. And yet the writer
would not dare or care to say that
the present generation of statesmen
should have such scathing charac-
terization as Piatt gave to the men
of his day.
They who have read and remem-
bered the events of the past two
years will easily recall that fact
that in February, 1901, the senate
had under consideration river and
harbor appropriation bill aggregat-
ing upwards of S6O,OOO,OOO. The meas
sentatives, and everybody knew that
it would surely pass the senate if
vote could be secured. The minority
senator's declared that they would
not vote for the appropriations pro-
posed for the army in the Philip
pines under any circumstances.
Shrewd Senator Allison, chairman
of the committee on appropriations,
reported and had placed On the call
endar the army and navy appropria-
ton bills. After them he reported
the river and harbor appropria ton
bill. In the latter bill each senator
was interested, for the bill had been
so framed that every senator would
be dragooned into voting for it.
Satirical writer's called it ''the pork
BILL" and said that there was some
fat in it for everyone. AS a conse-
quence, in order to get at that bill,
the minority senator's finally voted
for the army and navy appropria-
tions, because those bills were so cal
endared that they must be disposed
of before the $6O,OoO,OOO river and
harbor appropriation bill could be
taken up.
President Mckinley knew the con-
gress better than any president ever
knew it, because of his many years
of service in that body. HaIequest-
ed that the river and harbor bill be
left without action until the last day
of the -Fifty-sixth congress, which
was March 4, 1901. On the preced-