The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-18
SENATORS GUARD
SPECIAL INTERESTS
for the People, Many
Elder Statesmen Soon Stand
aIAL. for Private Greed.
BY w. W. Jermane.

Washington, Feb. IS. The burden Of
the, increasing complaint against the
l2senate of the United States is that it
Hconta1ns too many men who have eX-
Etensive private interests that are likely
TO be hampered by general legislation,
#and too many men who, while without
interests Of their own, owe their cleo
8tion to special interests that must be
Hprotected in time of danger. Undoubt
sedly the whole body is frequently ma
Rigned unjustly, but one does not have
ITO 80 far to find facts to substantiate
the allegation that senators occasionally
put their private interests above the
public welfare.
:. The history of statehood legislation
Nor the. past two or three years reveals
many facts that are anything but
creditable to the senate. Down under
fhe surface Of the prolonged contest
cover the admission Of the four terri
+tories to the union the real struggle
took place, and it involved, not the
Interests Of individuals and corpora
rtions it has been made to appear that
political considerations were involved,
but as compared with other considera-
tions they were a small factor in the
contest.
: Influences as to Statehood.
It is notorious that the late Senator
,Ruay maintained the long deadlock In
1.-The Ffty-seventh congress at the re-
iauest Of Pennsylvanians who had invest
ments in the territories, and it is Of
record that at least one senator who
sEoted on the bill last week has private
sinterests down there that were on his
mind when the bill was before the SEN
ate Senator Alger Of Michigan is
1.-the man. In the course of the debate
The interrupted to say that he had talked
with scores Of people in Arizona who
Swere opposed to uniting that territory
with New Mexico.
!, II made some Investments down
there" he said, .sthat will sell in
minute if this bill goes thru
I The railroads exerted powerful infu-
snce against the measure, and its failure
to 90 thru the senate in the form in
which it passed the house can, undoubt-
eddy, be charged to the influence Of men
who have large Investments in the terri
tories, and to the railroads who wanted
' at least six senators and eight, if pos
sible, out Of the territories.
flatt and Express Interests.
G. W. Post Of Battle Creek, Mich,
declares he is ready to prove that, but
for the opposition Of Senator Platt of
New York, congress would enact a law
providing for post-check system Of
making small renlittances by mail. The
allegation the Battle Creek man makes
is that Plat is opposed to the proposed
new method of making remittances be-
= cause it would iniure the business of
The express company Of which the sena-
>tor is the directing head. Mr.. Post has
not been able to get his indictment Of
The New York senator presented Off
cially, and 1t is probable he never will
get it before the senate. HSenatorial
courtesy stands in the way of any Of
Platt' associates offering the docume nt
and, of course, the accused senator will
J not submit it himself.
/ 1t does seem to many persons that the
charge, coming from reputable bust
. ness man Of large means, ought to be
which Mr.. Post brought to the attention
Of the committees on postoffces and
! postroads in the two branches of con-
gress two or three years ago impressed
everybody favorably. The late Post,
90 master General Payne Endorsed the
scheme unreservedly.
The Scheme Plat Fears.
MI. Post . plan, briefly, is to change
the form Of existing and future pape7
currency issued by the United States o,
1.-the denominations Of 81, 50 and SIS, ex
icept national bank notes, 50 that they
may at the option Of the holder, b
l.
would be provided that the currency
could be made 80 payable by filing il
certain blank. spaces which would ap
pear on the face Of each note.
The .postoffice department. declared i
was every simple, easily understood
and would prove Of incalculable conven
fence to the public.''
At first sight congress looked with ia
vor ON the plan, but it soon struck
~ snag in the senate, and now Mr.. Pos
declares Senator Plat is the snag.
The express companies did not loo]
spostoffices in the United States, onl,
about $4,000 are money order offices
The express companies are prepared t.
transmit money to every town and ham
let In the land. Under the Post sys
Item, post checks would reach ever:
II postoffice.
Railroads and Senators.
It is we'll understood that the railroad
have senators plenty who are sen
athat harmful legislation is not enacted
For instance, there is the jovial Chaun
seey M. .Depew, Of the New. York Cen
trial, fair man and a broad-gage mar
ION most public questions, but the fac