Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-02-03
FROM WASHINGTON.
Names Customs Districts In No Dan
ger Busy Coneressmen.

WASHINGTON, u u. fen. L specHi ~
lively fight against several OF the coll
leeiors OF customs aiong the Maine cosst,
! including that at Ellsworth has come TO
an end with little prospect OF its being
renewed at this session. A few years $50
an attack was made in the Senate by
q senator from Washington about the
| coz. OF msinsaining numerous customs
officers along the Maine border. L Was
promptly met by sepstor hate, who
showed that ths dpties OF these customs
officers vas more to prevent smuggling
thar to collect revenue.
! This time the attack came from Repre-
sentative Hemenwsv, OF Iaaisus, and was
met by theyMaine members there, who not
only showed that the customs offices In
Maine were maintained at compar-
ativeiy cheap cost, but who were also
ready TO make point of order against the
paragraph In the appropriation bin, on
the ground that it was new legislation.
In a list of twenty FIVE customs districts
OF the country where the expenses are
larger than the collections, Mr.. Hemen-
way cited the Frencbman's bay district.
aENOtulHG W ttttbFnHhN HEufts ~
costs the government 50 SO for every dol
lar OF customs 1t takes In at Ellsworth.
These figures were In reality prepared by
Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury Arm
strong, young Cbicsgo lad, who was
elevated to his present office by Secretary
Shaw.
Mr.. Armstrong figured 1t out that the
-
fiscal year were 1889 81, whereas the
expenses, including salaries and fees OF
Eve employees, were s3.s27 40.
There was never any danger Of the bill
becoming law, for the ways and means
committee has q bill under consideration
Tor reorganization OF the collection dis
tricts OF the country, aud It 10 not pro-
posed to IeRislate on an appropriation bill
were matters OF such importance are in
volved. Then the Office at Csstine was
included In Mr.. Hemsnwsy's list, the COL
lections there being u sos IS and the ex-
penses for six employees being sA542 IS.
The cost Of collecting one dollar at Caa-
tine therefore 10 R5i Over Ut Mschiss
the cost Of collecting one dollar 10 s3.53.
But ~ the Maine men here have pointed
out that Ia not . fair statement OF the sit
uation, for the receipts OF the custom
houses ut Bangor, Portland, and Boston
are increased largely by The work these
little customs Offices do In preventing
smuggling.
Senator Chester i. Long, OF Kansas,
who had q long service in the House OF
Representatives, was one OF q group la
the long corridor Of the Capitol the other
day that fell to discussing Names
strength In Congress. ~ had an oppor-
tanity few years ago." said the Kansas
senator, "to see how cieverly the Maine
men here can conduct a fight. / have
reference to the struggle we made to
law.
Those Maine men are great fellows to
cover ground. The state has q splendid
delegation of workers here now In the
House, headed by Gov. BurIeigh, OF the
third district. Burleigh won his prestige
In the House by the apportionment a. hit.
That gave him reputation as one OF the
AcASAhS1h otkablErIH III t0At Uuu1. ne
opposition to Us in that fight did not wake
up to what Burieigh was doing till be had
them licked. We were all pulling to-
getber, ana we took not hing for granted
TIL the thing was worked out.
"Goy. Borieigh has quiet way OF max
ing friends. The democrats in the House
like him almost as well as the epubIicaus.
OF course his politics don't suit them.
but his personality and his courteous
ways do. They tell me that he Is person
ally well liked by all his constituents
without regard to political affiliations.
He is big hearted, plain, every day man
OF the people, has sound judgmei and
recognized integrity, sno enjoys in a
marked drgree the confidence OF ali who
know him.
know In looking after the business OF
his constituents, even to minor details.
Thst Is one OF the sources OF his strengt b,
as II has been OF many a man who has
come here to Congress. Burieigh never
sends his clerk to the department to do
anythtng OF importance, many
congressman does. He attends to 1t In
person. and then he knows just what Is
accomplished. He 10 constantly digging
around to get something done for a post
master, or to secure an advance for a posi al
clerk, or to help ont somebody else whose
interests are bound up in some way with
the government
Congress Is having featureless session
on the whole this winter. Therein IT has
disappointed most of the politicians and
observers of political events. 1t was ex-
pected that politics would afford some
diversion from the humdrum routine of
legislation, but thus far there has been