The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-16
sidewalk PeneiIines
Consressmen and Fast Mall,

Congressmen and Fast Mails An intelligent observer of current
 the proceedings of Congress, said yes- I terday:
 T have been very much entertained
 lately in reading the debates in the
 morse naot.a. or Representatives touching the the
 southern fast mall service; and my
 deliberate observation Is that some of
 our Southern Democrats in Congress
 are, in the language of Artemus Ward
 amoosin' cusses.
 For instance, Messrs. Moon and
 Gaines of TeDAessee, Macon of Arkan-
 sas, and others of like ilk. weep and
 vail, gnash their teeth, tear their hair and cut up fearful antics and fantastic
 tricks upon the floor of the House whenever anything which may have
 even tendency to benefit the people or the South-their own section-comes
 up for consideration in the shape of an
 appropriation bill.
 For the past eight years Congress mas appropriated something over SlOO,- 900 annually to expedite fast mail ser | vice between New York and New Or leans, thereby quickening the delivery or mall matter to the whole South, In every direction. from eight to twenty hours; and yet at every session Of Con gress some wild-eyed Southern mem l Der, with disheveled hair and frenzied gesticulation, will roar and below, ana characterize the expenditure as a sup sidy and steal: and at the same time will not hesitate to swallow with a
 keen relish, and without a murmur. other so-called subsidies in the same
 bill, which go to build up or profit sec
 tions other than their own fair South- land.
 ITO illustrates: The general postof- flee appropriation bill makes provision
 for the use of pneumatic tubes for handling mails in New York, Chicago and other large cities to cost annually a a hol lnIl
 word of complaint did these watch dogs Of the Treasury urge against this
 ibem. Another suosldy m the Dill is an appropriation or SOUVUUO, to quicken the transportation of mall matter on
 the hign seas, In suDsidlzed snlps, be- tween the united States and IorelSn countries. Not single objection Was anywnere made by these elt-consti- tuted guardians of the Government s interests agaInst that proposition. This expenditure of million dollars, in the two instances cited, nelp the South in the smallest degree; StlIl, with gIarlng inconsistency and purely for demdgoglc purposes, Southern men, like the mem
 Ders mentioned, will vote tor vast ex- penditureS in which we are in no wise interested; and not only vote against a little measure designed to greatly in- crease and improve the faclliUeS for quick transportation and delivery of the mails to their own people, but never tall, when occasion presents itself, to dSperSe the motives or tnelr Democratic
 brethren for. conscientiously supporting
 the same.
 These conveniences, when applied to the South, are denounced as subsidies and steals, but when applied elsewhere are characterized merely as needed and praisworthy business facilities. Tt Is about time the Southern news papers were showing up these big mouthed demagog1es in their true col ors. l have no patience with them. As Representative Wiley, when a member of our City Council, once tersely eX- pressed it, Let the peoples money be expended for the peoples good.' Let us have done with such unpa- triotic, narrow minded conduct on the part of Southern Congressmen. If the motto, The old flag and an appropria- tion,' is good for the North, 1t Is equal ly good for the South. The average Northern Representative takes every thing he can get out of Uncle Sam s treasure house. It is this sort of ineX- cusable asaninity that demoralizes the Democratic Party and breaN down the influence of our leaders.
 Tt is particularly desirable at this tune that the South should have fast mail facilities, now that the Federal Government has undertaken at Panama the construction of an Isthmian canal
 or waterway to connect the two great
 oceans of the world, thereby shortening
 the distance to the Orient several thous- and miles.
 T am glad to note that the entire l Alabama delegation voted for this ser
 vice. They deserve commendation.'