Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-10-30
TAFT is AGAINST
The PORK BARREL
Says Old Method Of improving
Waterways Must Cease.
SLAP At CONGRESSMAN

The President Declares In the Future
MEASURES That Are Useful to the
Country VIII Be Adopted and Not
Those Intended to REFLECT Certain
Conaressmen--starts Down the Mis-
sIssippi River.
81 Louis. Mo-, Oct 26. -- President
Taft started his 1200-mile trip down
the Mississippi river to the footing of
whistles and the cheers of thousands
Fifteen big Mississippi river steam
boats, bearing notable escort, swung
out behind the little United States
lighthouse tender Oleander on which
fhe president is quartered Included In
the escort are the vice president OF
the United States, two cabinet mem
bers. twenty United States senators,
four representatives of foreign nations,
the speaker of the house of representa-
tives with 176 of his fellow congress
men, and hundreds of prominent bust
ness men of the middle west.
II is the greatest show that was ever
pulled off in an effort to push legislo
tion through congress. The excursion
Ia running under the auspices of the
Lakes to the Gulf Deep Waterways
association, and is to end at the an
nual convention of the association in
New Orleans.
The president Is accompanied on the
Oleander only by his secretaries and
the secret service guard. He Is SEIZED
uled to make eight speeches on the
trip down the river, but he will have
to spare his voice If he expects TO
speak above whisper on the last lap
Of his trip.
Cannon Quotes From Bible.
Somebody wanted to know of Uncle
Joe before he sailed what he thought
Of the fight the insurgents were max
ing against him.
"Get out your pencil and write this
down" said he, which was done as fol
lows: "Old Paul. you will recollect, II
you refer to his journey, finally struck
an attitude and said, I have been i'm
prisoned. punished with stripes. met
the robbers on land and have been
shipwrecked and have met the best of
Ephesus, but none of all these could
discourage me. That is ALL
At the mass meeting in the Coliseum
President Taft served notice on Speak
er Cannon that the old pork barrel
method of apportioning the harbor and
river improvements TO the congress
.s.b IN
The speech caused a sensation among
the 1T congressman at the St Louis
meeting. who regarded 1t as a direct
slap at the speaker.
Against Pork Barrel"
And right here" said the president
II want TO clear away a superstition
which | am afraid has lodged in a
good many minds. The projects for
irrigation and for the improvement OF
waterways in the future are not to be
for the purpose of distributing pork
to every part of the country. Every
measure is to be adopted on the
ground that it will be useful TO the
whole country. They are not to be
adopted for sending certain congress
men back to Washington or for making
certain parts of the country profit
able during the expenditure of the
monSy.
I'VE should take up every compre
hensive project on its merits and de
termine whether the country where
the project is to be carried out has Sc
far developed as to Justify the enor
nous expenditure Of money and If i
will be useful when done When we de
eide in favor of a project I believe il
issuing bonds to carry it 70 compile
ton as rapidly as possible
1T has been proposed that we issue
bonds for $500. 100000 or 100000 00o
and cut it up and parcel the money
out in this and that section of the
country. | am opposed TO any such
proposition because it not only smells
of the pork barrel but would be .
pork barrel
Speaker Cannon, OF the house OF rep
resentatives who some time ago de
clared that he was opposed to any is
sue of bonds to improve the water
ways. sat just beside the president
while he was speaking,
Engineer Dead at Throttle,