The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-16
DOlNGs IN CONGRESS.
House Deyotes It's Time to z.
o. Appropriation Bill.

|
Washington, March 16-During the
discussion of the postoffice appropria-
| ton bill in the house Tuesday, the re-
cent report of the postoffice department
| regarding congressional solicitation of
clerk hire allowance and rental of quar-
ters to the government was again
| brought up. Mr.. GriggS of Georgia got
into the argument with Mr.. Cooper of
| Wisconsin, as to the authorship of the
document and insisted over the protest
of Mr.. Cooper, that it was prepared I'M
der the direction of General Bristow-
He defended the committee of which he
is member in giving publicity to the
report, saying that the United States
| is too powerful and too great to con-
Wet any man by a suppression of the
facts. He said the members of the
/ house, after threats to tear the roof off
| the department. had turned tail and
vestigate the congressman.
Calling attention to the recent postal
scandals, Mr.. Cochran of Missouri said
they served the useful purpose of point
| ing out the defects in the American
| system of government. Each new ad-
| ministration brought changes in certain
employees according to the exigencies of
| the party in power 1t was not the
| fault of the men exercising the control
| of affairs of the country. but" he said,
| I'VE will be at fault if, in the presence
| of overwhelming danger that confronts
us, no effort IS made to change the sys-
| tenn
He then spoke of the growth of abuses
in the various government departments
| and pointed to the fact that Presidents
Cleveland, Mckinley and Roosevelt had
| inappropriate public property in
using naval vessels as their private
| yachts. President Roosevelt, he de-
clared, found it necessary to have two
vessels, the Mayfiower and the Sylph,
! the latter fitted out at an expense of
100000. The papers. he said, refer to
| them as the presidents yacht, May
| flower" and 1.-The presidents yacht,
| Sylph.' Continuing, he said that, with
these examples before them. with this
| irresponsible use of public property, is
there any reason why the underlings
| and understrappers in the departments
| should not feel authorized to .overstep
the boundary. just little now and
| then? He spoke of the number of car
| riages and horses in use by the depart
ment Of commerce and labor, and said
| it showed "a pretty rapid development
He pointed to report of the amounts
| expended for "funkies," brass buttons,
and the like and said there was no au-
thority for the expenditure of money in
this way.
In vigorous five minutes speech,
| Mr.. Hughes, of New Jersey, upheld the
right of letter carriers, through their
| members in congress, to ask for fair
treatment. He charged that railroad
| lobbyists were allowed on the floor of
the house in behalf of appropriations
ed that the executive order be extended
to them.
The claim of the letter carriers for
increased pay also was espoused by
Mr.. Cromer of Indiana. He spoke OF
the insufficiency of the pay of the RI
raj mail carriers, and said that they
should not be denied the privilege of
acting as agents for newspapers.
AT whose suggestion was it, in
quired Mr. Mann, that this privilege
has been denied?'
Mr.. Cromer said it came from Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow
first, and then from the postoffice COM
mittee. He had, he said, no criticism
to offer against General Bristow. Il
think" he said. "he has been honest IN
the administration of postal affairs,
and he received Republican applause
when he added: II am SO well satisfied
with the investigation he has made III
the postoffice department that believe
no fraud or corruption yet remains TO
be exposed to the people,
Until the status of rural letter car
riers should be fixed and their pay in
creased, he thought they should be al
lowed to serve newspapers. to the pat
rons OF the rural routes.
Mr.. Gaines, of Tennessee, was in ia
, vor of the proposition if the rural mall
carriers We're given the right to Solicit
subscriptions for all newspapers ard
not for any one publication and to
transact for pay any other business Tor
patrons of the route
Discussing the prohibition in the bill
against rural carriers, after July 1, 1904,
soliciting business or receiving orders
of any kind from any person, firm, cor
poration, Mr.. Griggs, of Georgia,
member of the committee, said II these
carriers were permitted to act as
agents he wanted the law so framed
that the carrier would not become
dictator as to what newspapers ne snail
carry or the tradespeople he shall rep
resent.
The law, he said should require
them to accept orders equally and i'm
partially from everybody He assa1led
the letter carriers organization Tor
the manner of making it's demands on
congress and said the carriers had
made an effort to intimidate congress
into acceding to the demands.
He was interrupted by Mr.. Burleson,
of Texas. who asked II the execuIlVe
order prohibiting government employees
from lobbying before congress was a
lest"
Il always have thought So Mr..
Griggs replied. and he said further
| that if he were representing the pres
ent occupant of the White House as
1 his attorney he would enter plea of
guilty and stop further investigation
Mr.. Burton. of Ohio, delivered a
| carefully prepared speech on the ques-
ton of increases in national exDendi-
lures. and warned the house against
extrava gance.
| Under the latitude of debate. Mr..
Rucher, of Missouri, attacked the pro-
| tective tariff system of the Republican
party while Mr.. Fitzgerald. of New
York, discussed labor legislation and
decisions of Judge Alton B. Parker on
labor questions.
| After agreeing that general debate
on the bill be limited to five hours, the
house adjourned.
49, IN THE SENATE.
The senate passed the fertilization
III Of hQI1TS
discussion of the amendment author
izing the purchase of an experimental
torpedo boat and the provision for the
| purchase of sites and defense works in
the Hawaiian islands. The torpedo boat
/ provision was stubbornly fought, but
| a., nr,nnndnnent SUGGESTED hY the COM