Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-03-09
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
Resolutions and Speech.


fair tariff schedule one year may be
an unfair schedule in three years. /
believe in adhering to the principle of
protection but in adopting the
principle from time to time, when the
public interests demand it, to changed
trade conditions.
1t is my hope and belief that the re-
publican national convention, soon to
be held. will in it's platform, while adj
herring to the principle and policy of
protection, pledges itself to make such
changes in the tariff as will adapt
it to changed conditions, at the same
time subjecting no industry or the
labor engaged in it to unfair competi-
ton from abroad. I shall do every
thing in my power to promote the
adoption of such a pledge.
Nothing in the preliminary cam
paign has given me greater satisfac-
ton than the kind and loyal support
received from the soldiers of the Third
district. 1t touched my heart, and |
appreciate it beyond the power of
words to express. | have felt it to be
my duty to give careful and earnest
consideration to the interests of the
boys "who wore the blue" and the
widow of those who have gone on be-
fore. No one, republican or democrat,
man, woman, or child, has applied to
me in vain. All have had equal con
sideration, and my best efforts have
been devoted to their interests.
have had many cases to deal with, where
hospital records were gone officers and
comrades dead. and in some cases it has been
absolutely impossible to produce the proof
required by the pension department to get
them their just dues, and in many of these
cases have been able to secure special
legislation by congress, which was neces-
sary in lieu of the evidence that could not
be produced.
So long as / remain in congress / shall see
as far as can that justice is done to each
and every defender of our flag and their
children who may be left behind.
This convention has to deal with national,
and not with state affairs. The assembly
district is the unit of state governm emit; the
congressional district is the unit of national
government and as far as possible, the
organization governing the primaries of
each should be kept as distinct and separate
as possible.
l hold in my hand pamphlet of some
forty-seven pages. No one seems willing
to acknowledge it's authorship. and deem
it but just to you and to myself that | fer
to four specific charges in reference to
legislation at Washington. | want to say
here that in the performance of my duties
as chairman of the committee on the District
of Columbia / am called upon to handle
more legislation han is reported by any
other committee in the house except the
committee on pensions. On this account
congress, in it's wisdom, sets aside two days
in each month to pass upon legislation re-
ported by the committee on the District of
Columbia. A great list of bills is published
in this little book, intending to show my
connection with corporate interests Now,
the facts are that none of these bills were
brought before congress by me except in my
official capacity as chairman, and as such.
] introduce all official measures coming from
the commissioners of District of Columbia,
the secretary of the interior, the secretary of
war and any other great department of the
government.
want to say here that in none OF these
measures have l ever had a personal
interest. but they have been handled upon
tn cir merits in the interests of the national
capital, and the legislation that has been
handled during the last ten years has, almost
withouta single exception, met the approval
of the entire press of the district and the |
citizens of Washington. They ought to
know of any bad legislation. if there was |!
any.
i am charged with having voted to give |
the Pacific mail roads $125.tO00O0 of public |
money. There was never any proposition
of this kind before congress. l voted for |
and supported the proposition to refund |
the debt of these roads in per cent bonds |
they giving to the government a mortgage |
on the terminals and branch eS. in addition |
to the mortgage on their main lines. Our
senators, and. believe. all but one of our |
repI esentatives from Wisconsin, voted as |
did. The proposition was defeated and |
later congress passed measure, which | |
heartily supported, authorizing the sec |
rotary of the interior, the secretary of the |
treasury and the attorney general to settle |
with these roads, extending the time of
payment. About this time President Nc !
Kinley was elected and republican policy |
was inaugurated, business improved. money !
became plenty, banks had it to loan, and /
instead of taking the time provided by law, |
the roads paid every dollar of their indie bted |
ness, principal and interest, in cash. And | |
want tie say further that there never was
proposition before congress to give the |
roads one dollar, principal or interest.
am also charged with supporting what |
this book terms the Union Station Swindle." |
For many years congress has labored with |
the problem Of elevating the tracks in the
city of Washington, owing to the many
accidents that have occurred and the many
deaths resulting therefrOm. Now, want
ii understood that congress and the United
States have nothing whatever to do with
the building of the union station, nor do
they contribute one single dollar tow I'd II.
The government and the district. jointly
agreed to pay one-half of the estimated
cost of elevating the tracks, and the con-
tribution by the government and the dis
trict to this is 50 100000
| opposed on the floor Of the house this
proposition and reported an amendment
reducing it to $2.OO0,000. | was joined by our
present speaker. the Hon. Joseph G.
Cannon, as we believed that was sufficient
sum for the government and the district to
contribute. However, congress, in it's
wisdom, voted the amendment down and
appropriated So, 10000. This station, built
entirely at the expense Of the roads, will be
of white granite, and will probably he the
most magnificent station in the world. The
roads running into it operate over $4,000
miles of track. The station building in it.
self has nearly 800 feet frontage and depth
of more than 800 feet. 1t will be a thing