Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-10-09
WHAT HAS He DoNE7

| oAhSO 0ChotOA All y IA iioo 1hhOuhSC
his candidacy to succeed himself in
the United States senate it will be 10
order for his supporters to give to the
pubic list OF the important mea-
sures introduced in the house and
senate by him during the last forty
four years. Usage Press.
1t would be quite as easy for the
Press to give list of the measures of
large and permanent Importance en-.
acted by congress the past forty-four
years in which the hand of Senator
Allison has not appeared. His record
is that OF the republican party in
congress during this period. His
friends approve his record and there
fore approve him. Others cannot con-
denim him except by condemning the
part the republican party has borne
in administering the affairs of this
nation during the period of his men,
bership in congress. No other man
living has record so long and inti-
mately connected with that of the re-
publican party in congress. No other
man living has accomplished so much
work of Importance in connection
with the laws of our country. None
other has been of such influence
through this period of forty -four years
in determining the form and SUBJ
! stance of the measures to be offered to
the executive and to the nation in the
name Of the republican party in con.
gress. His record in this respect is
without an equal in the careers of
American statesmen living or dead.
The man who asks "what has Allison
done?" might properly be answered (:
Go raad the history of your country,
beginning with his services for the
Union cause in Iowa at the outbreak
of the civil war, or with his entrance
to congress in 1868. Read of his ele-
vation as early IS 1865 to the house
committee on ways and means. which
then had charge not only of the reve-
nue., but also of loans. currency, the
standard of money and the measures
required for carrying the government
through the most perilous period of
its existence. Read of the days of
1868. when the tax on whisky was So
gallon and illicit distilling so COM
mon that the price of whisky was only
dollar a gallon. Read of the meas
ure to remedy these frauds upon
(which the subcommittee of which
Senator Allison was member labored
and which so efficiently revised the
internal revenue laws relating to
liquors and tobacco that tax of 75
cents gallon on whisky Immediately
yielded revenue Of $50. 900. 900 a
year when the 50 tax had yielded only
$l4, 900. 600.
Then follow Mr.. Allison to the sem
ate in 1878 Read of the model gov
ernment this author of the commits
sion plan gave to the District of Co.
lumbia. Observe that appreciation of
his work in the house, which has not
yet penetrated into the sanctum of the
Usage Press. was already established
in the senate, then as now the great
est deliberative body in the world.
Observe that he was Immediately ap-
pointed to the committee on appro-
priations, the most important COM
mittee in the senate, was also placed
on the important committee on In
dian affairs and became chairman of
the latter as early as 1875, which
position he retained until he became
chairman of appropriations in 1881
The history of the financial legisla-
tion of the 70's and Senator Allison
constructive part in it should be
familiar to the editor of the Usage
Press and known in some degree to
every school boy in Iowa. To assume
that it need be traversed here. or that
it is necessary to state his relation tc
all the important measures of finan'
cial legislation adopted by congress
since his entrance to that body,
would be decided uncomplimentary to
the Usage Press and to our OWL
readers. Senator Allison succeeded
the late Senator Logan on the com
mittee on finance in 1877 and might
have been its chairman in 1899. but
preferred to continue at the head OF
the important committee on appro
priations. where he has been since
1881, except during an interval OF two
years, when the democrats were IL
the majority and Senator Cockrel
was chairman.
Those who know how laws are made
by congress appreciate the Importance
of the senate committee on appropria
tions. The senator who has been iti
chairman for quarter century may
be said to have introduced Thousand
bills in the form of amendments tt
existing laws or to measures Offered
by Others in either house. With Ger
tain exceptions specified by law. o.
/ the rules of the senate, all measures