)
THE ALLIANCE-INDEPENDENT.
It
wm
AND
whirs
Congressman Kem Discusses the Eiver
And Harbor Appropriation
Bill.
The Character and History of the Bill
Briefly Stated Mr. Kem Gives
His own Record on the
Measure.
An Interesting Letter.
Washington, d. C , July 7, 1892.
I cheerfully respond to your request
that I write a short article on the mucb
abusod, littlo-understood river and har
bor bill. I think it is a very important
subject and one which should bo more
thoroughly discussed and generally
understood by tho people. If I can
throw any light on the subject or in
crease popular interest in it, I shall
feel that I have accomplished my chief
object in writing this article.
In tho first place lot me say that no
measure has passed this house which
has been more persistently misrepre
sented by tho press than this river and
harbor bill. In view of this fact, I
feel that I owo it to my constituents to
state why I supported this bill.
In tho discussion of this subject, there
are two questions to bo considered:
1st. Is tho appropriation of money by
tho general government for tho im
provement of rivers and harbors, in ao
cord with sound principles and wise
policy? 2nd. Was this particular bill
doserving of support?
If tho first question is answered in
the negative, it is useless to discuss
the 'second.
Of all tho powers exercised by
congress under tho constitution, there
is nono more important than tho con
trol and improvement of our harbors
and rivers. The rivers aro the nation
"al highways of internal commerce.
They belong to the whole people. Any
person who has a suitablo craft may
enter them withsut money and without
prico. They are the only tracks of
commerco vpon which tho monopolist
has not laid his greedy fingers. They
aro tho only rCal lines of transporta
tion with which the railroads have to
compete. But for tho action of the
government in building canals, and
keeping tho channels of our rivers
open for navigation, we. would bo
wholly at the mercy of tho railroad
corporations, and the cost of getting
our produce to tho seaboard would bo
greatly enhanced.
Water transportation is the cheapest
in the world, and every year millions
of tons are carried on tho natural and
artificial waterways of the country.
If the general government did not
control and improve our rivers, and
harbors, it would have to be left either
to private corporations, or to tho vari
ous states. The former is not to be
thought of, and tho. latter would prove
very unsuccessful and unsatisfactory.
Therefore if our rivers and harbors are
to be improved at all it must be done
by the general government.
The principle and policy of govern
ment control over the rivers and har
bors of the nation have been endorsed
and defended by nearly every Ameri
can statesman of any note.
I certainly believe no independent
will question the principle involved.
An independent who advocates govern
ment ownership of railroads would
make himself ridiculous by opposing
government control and improvement
of rivers and harbors.
It appeared to mc a matter of impor
tance that tho representatives of the
new party should put themselves on
record as favoring the principle of the
river and harbor bill, if they could
without compromising themselves by
voting for a bad bill. A majority of
the Alliance members held the same
view, and eupported the bill which
passed tho house Juno 10th.
Tho next question to be determined
is: Was that bill worthy of support?
Was tho amount it carried excessive?
This we can only determine by condi
tions and comparisons. Tho statements
made by the press that the bill as pass
ed by the house June 10th aggregated
more by millions than the one passed
by tho flst congress, is a most flagrant
violation of tho truth, as will be shown
by tho report of the committee having
tho bi'l in charge. This report shows
tho bill to carry in the aggregate a? it
left the house, $21,200,975, whilo the
river and harbor bill of tho previous
session carried $24,981,29"), making a
difference in favor of tho present bill of
$3,090,320. Tho government en
gineers had favorab'y recommended to
tho committee having charge of this
bill, projects for river and harbor im
provement, tho estimated cost of
which exceeded sixty-nine millions of
dollars, But the committee reported
a bill carrying less than one-third that
amount.
It is true that tho bill I am discus
sing provides for the making of con
tracts requiring future appropriations
which exceed those provided for in the
previous bill. But it provides for a
period running three times as long as
tho contracts provided for in tho pre
vious bill. By extending theso con
tracts, it is claimed and demonstrated
by government experts that thore will
bo a saving of about four millions.
Taking this into account, this bill for
tho present fiscal year carried in the
neighborhood of seven and one half
millions less than the bill for the last
fiscal year carried.
Regarding the details of tho bill, I
will say that it is not within the power
of any living man to become acquaint
ed with the whole territory covered by
such a bill sufficiently to judge of the
merit or demerit, of all the proposed
improvements. The members of tho
house committee having charge of
the present bill spent nearly
all their time for three months. They
had before them the reports of the
government engineers regarding tho
feasibility and merit of the various
projects. They called witnesses and
took a groat amount of testimony re
garding each particular project.
In the discussion of the. measure in
the houso not a particle of evidence
was introduced to show that there were
any steals embodied In the bill If
there had been a particle of evidence
to that effect, I should have opposed
the bill. I believed the appropria'ion
was larger than it ought to, but I was
powerless to reduce it. But inasmuch
su I felt sure a large majority of the
improvements provided for were meri
torious, and a failure to pass the bill
would occasion a loss of millions to the
government in the case of improve
ments that are under way, but not fin
ished, I voted for the bill with some re
luctance. In a speech on the sundry civil bill,
which was published in the Alliance
Independent not long ago, I referred
to the charges made after tho passage
of the measuro, to the effect that it
contained stca's, and declared my opin
ion that a heroic remedy should be ap
plied to prevent the possibility of any
steals being embodied in future bills,
and to restore the popular confidence
in such legislation. And the remedy
I proposed was that the house "should
absolutely refuse to pass any appropri
ation bills until they had been thor
oughly investigated' and all possible
steals eliminated. I am convinced that
only such heroic treatment will ever
cure tho evil, and I am ready.to apply it.
Yesterday, July Gth, tho river and
harbor bill came back to tho house for
final action after passing through the
hands of a conference committee of the
houso and senate. The conference
added to the amount carried under the
time contract feature of the bill from
six to twelve millions, according to dif
ferent estimates. Hence I, voted
against its final passage, as did every
independent voting, with one excep
tion.
Thes'i are the facts in regard to the
character and history of this bill, as
plainly as I can state them in a brief
newspaper article.
As I said in the beginning I write
this article in tho hope of adding to
tho popular knowledge of the subject,
and for the especial information of the
people I represent whose right and
duty it'is to inquiro into the record
made by their representative.
Yours for success in the coming
campaign, O. M. Kem.
Condolence.
Eureka Alliance, N o. 2029, Ceda
County sends resolutions of condolence
on tho death of a member, S'ster
Oliver, and extends sympathy to the
bereaved family. Signed,
II A. Irwin,
II. C. Thomas,
J. L. Grant.
OUR CAMPAIGN SONGS
FOR THE
People's Party.
NEW WORDS
WEDDED TO NEW HARMONIES.
The Voice of the Industrial
Classes.
Powerfully voicing our rights and
wrongs, our needs and demands.
Melting and mirthful, sarcastic and
truthful, flashing and forceful.
Our national leaders aro welcoming the
"Songs of the People" most heartily
and declare "Music more than any thing
else will sweep victory to our door."
"With glee clubs formed all over the
west and south, I would have no doubt
as to the outcomo of this present con
test," says B. O. Flower, the editor of
the Arena. Our ' Songs of tho People"
aro to bo reviewed in the August
number of this great magazine.
They are pronounced admirable'
by our great literateur and party
leader, Bon. Ignatius Donnelly.
At our recent national convention they
were sold and carried into all the
states, from Maine to California.
Hon. James G. Field, our candidate
for vice-president, says of them:
"They aro indeed the voice of the people's
party and industrial classes. They contain
I he pure gospel ef industrial salvation and
are calculated to mova tho people mightily."
Order at once and awaken enthusiasm
with these songs of freedom. Addi
tional songs will soon be ready, includ.
ing "limothy Hat seed," "The Money
Power Arraigned," "A Politician Here
You See," etc.
The Workers' Battle Hymn of
Freedom 25
Right Shall Reign 25
The Weakest Must Go to the Wall. .35
The Taxpayers Settle the Bills 35
Sons of America 35
Get Off the Earth 35
The Flag of Liberty 35
The Coal Baron's Song 35
Truth's xppronching Triumph 30
God Save the People 30
We Have the Tariff Yet 35
The Alarm Beat '35
The Millennium Army 55
That 'Honest Dollar' " I35
Losses and Lies 35
Address all orders to the Alliance
Publishing Company, Lincoln, Ne
braska. -
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Disease
Are very common in this climate. The
general all around doctor, is not pre
pared to treat these cases. If he is in
terested in his patients, as he should bo,
he would advise them to consalt a
specialist in this line of work. Among
those who treat all forms of catarrhal
diseases of the eyes, ears, nose and
throat, none are more successful than
Drs. Moore and Dennis, Catarrh Spe
cialists of Lincoln Neb. Graduates of
the best medical colleges in America
they are thoroughly prepared to treat all
cases of polypus of the nose, obstructed
breathing, deafness, sore eyes, chronic
cold of the head, hay fever, asthma and
bronchial and lung troubles, all results
of nasal catarrh. Come and see us. A
consultation will cost you nothing.
Several hundred people have been suc
cessfully treated in Lincoln during the
past year. All classes, trades and pro
fessions, ladies and children are repre
sented by those who have been, or are
being cured by our treatment.
Diss. Moore & Dennis
Office Cor. O & 10th Sts.
Get up a club under our cam
paign offer.
Agent3 wanted, to sell the People's
Party Badges, in gold and silk. Send
10 cents for sample and term s. Circu
lars free. Big money and quick sales.
Address Geo. Bignell, 61G-3ind street,
Denver, Colo. Patented. 6 5t
WANTED: Reliable men to sell our
choice varieties of nursery stock; outfit
free. Address, Allen Nuhseky Co ,
Rochester N. Y.
A. J, RIGBY k CO.,
REAL ESTATE,
Loans, Law and Collections.
J, L. MACK, Alt'y & Mg'r.
1025 0 Street, Lincoln, Neb.
MONEY AT LOWEST RATES,
On City and Farm property. Make your
loans or renewals through us and save all
necessary delay and red tape. If 3Tou desire to
sell, buy or exchange property of any kind list
it with us and get the best service. Collections
of any kind made any.whero in the United
States. Special bargains in western and other
land. City property to exchange for farms.
CUSMNGHAM & MARY Attorneys.
Room 35 Richard's Bi'k, Lincoln, Neb.
-ARMERS ALLIANCE.
EMBLEM PIH
V'-rtikl.UofA"'
H1l ii , T.
EEciLii nm
Complete, G5e.
Lodge Seals.
f.UKDEtt NEW AND EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT.
'"or ivgnim we furnish a neiuly printed rihhou
nd frinco, which otn bo attached to the Kmblr-iu
in during lodsje services, showing each oflicer i h
ho regular order, with name mid number of tho
vliiance. Aficrlolge scrviets the pin inny lc
.etached aud woi n hs nn ovev dnv Km! lem Tin.
THE BRADLEY M Mi. CO.,
Tort Worth Ten?.
The UIDLAW BALE-TIE CO.
MANUFACTURERS OF
ADJUSTABLE WIRE BALE-TIES.
Headquarters for this Class off Goods
WRITE FOR PRICES.
Station A Kansas City, Mo.
FENCING
RuPESELVAfiE
TP Ti XT T UTTr
Fniftktftld, TTOTH WIM FE3CK C0,.CUIC3Q
A
