Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-21

Is expected to stay at his post and do
his duty, and the whole history OF the
army shows that the American soldier
obeys orders. and does his wosk &C.
cording to the best ability that In him
lies.
Work Is Being Pushed.
Unless some calamity for which ma.
ture is responsible shall overtake the
work on the isthmus. the Panama
canal will be opened for traffic by the
year 1915. and possibly earlier. The
latest report from the isthmus is con
tanned in the Canal Record. which
shows the work is going on with the
same spirit and at tho same rapid pace
that have marked he digging opera
lions since Col. George w. Goetha.s
and Lieut.. Coils. David Du b. Gaillard
and William l.. Sibert we're ordered
south to take charge nearly three
years ago
Chance for Water Ways.
It seems to have been finally de-
termined by congress that an annual
river and harbor bill is necessary to
SO improve the inland water ways
that eventually they may be In condi.
ton to act as proper auxiliaries to
the railroads in carrying the rapidly
increasing commerce between the
states of the Union. II al annual ap-
preparation bin for the water ways Is
made, the water improvement meas
ures will no longer be looked on as
the public buildings bill always has
been looked m, as a pork barrel
measure"
The term pork barrel" was first APP.
piled to the public buildings bill by a
man who was not a member of con-.
gress, but the name caught and to-
day there are few senators and repre-
sentatives who. speaking privately
about appropriations for public build.
ings do not use the expression as
though 1t were n not only of current
but of perfectly proper use. In the
past appropriations for rivers INT har.
bors largely have been extremely loca!
in their nature. and for this reason it
always has seemed to congress to be
necessary that every member who had
any kind OF q sheet of water in his
district should be given recognition In
the bill.
Public Building Methods.
The same conditions held in regard
TO public buildings measures. II a rep
resentative In congress succeeded In
getting from the government an ap.
preparation for a new federal court
house. a customs house, or a postof.
flee. 1t stood as stock in trade for him
when he sought reelection. II is per.
fectly true that there are towns In the
United States which have public build
ings entirely too big and too costly for
the volume OF business transacted
within their walls. 1t Is also perfectly
true that In the past appropriations
have been made for the improvement
of harbors which seldom float a ship.
and for the improvement of parts of
rivers where the whistle of q steam.
boat seldom Is heard
In order to escape concerted
strength of opposition to public build,
ings and rivers and harbors measures.
II has been the custom in the past for
the majority in congress to give Just
about as much recognition in these
appropriation bills to the requests of
minority members as to the requests
of the majority members. This ap.
pears to be a perfectly fair proposition
on It's face, but frequently conces.
sions were made to the minority sim.
ply to offset concessions made to the
majority, concessions which the public
service did not justify making at all
Learned Much From Europe.
Not long ago the congressional com.
mittee which was appointed to study
the waterways subject. returned from
Europe. 1t had acquired many new
views on the subject of Internal com
merce.
II was the agitation on behalf OF
the deep water ways from the lakes
to the gulf that was responsible for
the appointment of the congressional
commission. The middle west started
on a campaign for a l4.foot channel
from the lakes down through the state
OF Illinois. and thence down the
Mississippi to the gulf. Theodore Il
Burton of Ohio. now the United States
senator elected to succeed Joseph b
Foraker, was one Of the men who be.
lieved that the Mississippi valley over.
estimated the value OF the 14.foot
channel down the river. For a long
time Mr.. Burton was chairman OF the
7 house committee on rivers and har.
bors and he exercised a tremendous
influence. lie was able to check the
tide of demand for great a%ppropria.
,to,, ,.d for bond icauaa nm habale oP