?l)c Smitljficli) Hefalfc. price one dollar per tear. "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR GOD." single copies five cents. VOL. 25. SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY. APRIL 20. 100(S. 7. POU FOR SUBSIDY. Item Passes House bv a Nar row Margin. Mr. Pou's Reasons for Supporting the Measure?His Action Criti cised by News and Observer ?Position Supported by Other Papers. Last Friday when theNatioual House of Representatives sitting as a Committee of the Whole, and i having under consideration the Post-Office Appropriation Bill,' the discussion turned upon the j clause in the bill relating to j special mail facilities, more gen erally understood as the Fast Mail Subsidy. This clause of the bill contained an item appro priating $142,728.75 to trunk; fines (the Southern Railway) for carrying the mails between Wash ington City and New Orleans. Mr. Moon, the ranking member of the minority party in the com mittee having the bill under con sideration, moved that this item be stricken out and that the bill j be re-referred to the committee. The vote was taken, and stood | 1)0 against striking out and 901 tor. ?even memoers answereu present and 180 did not vote. According to this vote, the fast mail subsidy was retained in the bill by a majority of three. Later it was found that it was carried by a majority of only one. The North Carolina delegation in the House voted as follows: Messrs. Pou, Gudger, and Small for the appropriation, Mr. Thomas, the Kitchiu Brothers, Patterson, Page, and Webb vot ed against, while Mr. Blackburn j was paired in favor of the bill. The Herald regrets to learn that our townsman, Congress-! man Pou, voted in favor of this subsidy, and while we do not! agree with him at all in this mat- j ter, we wish to be entirely fair to i him. In order to do this, we publish in full, his speech made in explanation of the stand he has taken. His speech follows: Mr. Chairm.an, since I havej been a Member of this body 1 be lieve 1 have always supported that item in the post-office sup ply bill known as thei'appropria tion for the maintenance of neces sary and special mail facilities { on trunk lines between Washing ton, Atlanta, and New Orleans,", except when this item was con sidered in the Committee of the Whole two years ago. It was then repeatedly stated that the Government received little or no i benefit from that item in the bill, i Indeed, 1 think it was urged that i mail was being delivered in At- j I onto Qtlf) \ nnr f k rtl <-??-? n n 1 1UUCU CAUU A1CVV v/l ICTCXLin UVfl 1 roads which did not receive this appropriation practically as soon i as the mail delivered by the fast i train. 1 did not investigate the matter carefully, and I think I j voted to strike out that item I along with other items attacked iu that debate. Now, Mr. Chairman, so much has been said about this appro priation that 1 have investigated it with some care and with a sin cere purpose to ascertain what the facts are. What are the facts? In the first place, this is not an appropriation made by Congress to the Southern Railroad, but, as I understand the evidence of the Second Assistant Postmaster General, the money goes to that railroad which makes the quick est schedule between Washing ton. Atlanta, and New Orleans, subject to the approval of the Government. Formerly the Coast Cine had the contract to carry the fast mail, but voluntarily abandoned the contract because of the difficulty in making the schedule required by the Govern ment. Therefore the Southern Railroad is carrying the fast mails ou a train which carries nothing else except express, un der a schedule approved by the Postmaster-General, for the rea son that it makes a quicker schedule than any other road. Let me read this item in the bill: "For necessary and special facilities on trunk lines from Washington to Atlanta and New Orleans, $142,728.75: Provided, That no part of the appropria tion made by this paragraph shall te expended unless the Post master-General shall deem such expenditure necessary in order to promote the interest of the postal service." Now, Mr. Chairman, let us stick to the facts. 1 find that Mr. Shallenberger, the Second Assis tant Postmaster-General, in the hearing recently had by the Post Office Committee, after stating that the fast train expedited the delivery of the mail about six hours, also used the following words, speaking of the service rendered: "There are so many advan tages that 1 would not be able to state just what they are. In a general way it tends to quicken all service and to expedite service on lateral lines that make con nection with this particular train." Now, is this true? So far as I know, this statement has not been challenged. Gentlemen from Louisiana, Members of this House, tell me that this service puts mail in the city of New Or leans fully twelve hours sooner than mail is put there by any other traiu. Another Member of this body, a distinguished Representative from the State of Alabama, tells me that fully 2,000,000 people receive direct benefit from this appropriation, and probably as many more re ceive indirect benefit, while the entire mail service south of Wash ington is stimulated by this ser vice. In other words, he calcu- j lates that 2,000,000 persons liv ing immediately along the route get their mail very much sooner by having it delivered directly from this train, and that proba bly as many more not living directly on the route get their mail sooner by reason of the fact that they live on routes which receive mail delivered from this fast train. ? Mr. Chairman, 1 am perfectly satisfied, not only that the (rov-i ernment gets value for this ex penditure but that millions of of people living in the South are benefited by having their mail delivered sooner than it other wisei would be. Knowing the facts as they are admitted now upon all sides, 1 feel that I would be doing the people of my section an injustice if I were to vote to strike out this item, when every one of us knows that an item will be left in the bill appropriat ing nearly a million dollars for the maintenance of the pneu matic-tube service in our great cities, which only expedites the ,1 ?i: e ^ I ?? Unlivery 01 me mull 111 tnose cities a few minutes. Why are Representatives on this floor from the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, with few exceptions, asking for this appropriation? I think they are pretty good Democrats and patriotic men. Would they ask for a useless ap propriation? Why are gentle men from South Carolina, from my own State, from Virginia, supporting this appropriation? It seems to me if our colleagues an the committee are willing to ;ive this fast service to the peo ale of the South, if the service s putting the mail all through that section sooner thau it other vise would be delivered, as it andoubtedly does, we would be noting against the interest of aur own people to deny it to | them. Recently, Mr. Chairman,! the Government has instituted a lew system of mail delivery. | Vbout $28,000,000 will be ap aropriated this year to deliver nail to people living in thecoun- i try. The installment of thissys- j tem is delivering mail every ; norning, except Sunday, to mil ious of persons not living in the towns who, before the establish nent of the service, only received heir mail once or twice per week, j Shall we stop the fast trains which puts the mail quickly at distributing points? Now Mr. Chairmau, when we ! pass this bill we will vote away $191,000,000 of the people's money, and when the Assistant L'ostinaster-General tells us that all mail service in the South is expedited by this appropriation, when the amount is a mere pit tance compared to thegreatsum carried by the bill, 1 repeat that I feel 1 would be doing the peo ple of my section an injustice if, kuowing the facts as i thiuk 1 do, 1 voted to strike this item out. In conclusion I will say, Mr. Chairman, that 1 have no inter est directly or indirectly, iu any railroad under the sun. For nearly twenty years 1 have ap peared against them in the courts, the Southern Railroad in particular. 1 do not accept their favors. I am uuder no obliga tions of any kind to any of them. 1 know 1 am doing what I think is right. 1 believe I am voting in the interest of the people of the great progressive South. Possibly the district I represent will not receive as much benefit from this fast mail as will other districts in my State; but, Mr. Chairman, if I only voted for measures which directly benefited the people of my district, I would, I think, be unworty of a seat in this body. I hope 1 am broad enough to look beyond the lines which mark out my own district on the map. 1 wili not impugn the motive of any gentleman.1 and I hope it is not necessary here or elsewhere for me to say anythiug in vindication of my own, and i will conclude by sav ing simply I am doing what I think is right. [Applause.] The News and Ovserver has seen tit to criticize Mr. I'ou for his vote. Below will be seen some of the?e criticisms: The father of all corruption in politics is found in the subsidies, in the protective tariff law, and all other voting of public money to private concerns. You will never purifv politics until private parties get no subsidy from the government or no right to tax the consumer for their enrich ment.?News aud Observer The vote of Mr.Small, Mr. i'ou and Mr. Gudger, of North Caro lina gives J. L'ierpont Morgan & Company a gift of $142,7*28 per year. That sum would establish 198 free rural delivery routes that are badly needed. Is it best to give the money to the trans portation monopoly or to estab lish rural delivery routes that help the people? The money spent in free rural delivery would help the South; the money voted to .J. l'ierpont Morgan will never get South of New York city.? News and Observer. In stating his position, at tempting to defend himself in changing from an opponent of < the subsidy to a supporter of it,1 r^ ' ? *? - ' congressman rou quoted one expression from Assistant Post master-General Shallenberger which gave the advantages of the fast mail, in which he said "in a general way it tends to quicken all service and to expe dite service on lateral lines that make connection with this par ticular train." That may be true in other States, but it is not true in North Carolina. Mr. Pou ought to have added to the quotation from Mr. Shallenber ger's statement all that he said, in order to let the public see the full position of that officer, who, while pointing out advantages, 1 pointed out also the objections to the appropriation. The fol lowing is a colloquy between Mr. Sballenberger, Assistant ' Postmaster-General, and Mr. 1 Moon, the ranking Democratic 1 member of the committee, when 1 Mr. Sballenberger was before 1 the committeeon I'ostoffices and ] postroads giving estimates, that effectually auswers Mr. Pou: Mr. Sballenberger: "We have ' not asked Congress to give it. ' We pay it out simply because 1 when we have not asked for it, ' when there is no demand on th^ part of the Department for it.1 vou still insist and pass the lu.v. < We regard your action under euch circumstances mandatory and imperative upon ue to obey and pay the subsidy. Mr. Moon: "Then, General, let me come down to the very bot tom question of administration: Do you waut this money or not? General Shallenberger: "We are not asking it nor expressing an opinion in reference to it. Mr. Moon: "What is the reason that you all are silent on that I question? (ieu. Khalleuberger: "We are , not silent. Mr. Moon: "You say you do not ask it. General Shallenberger: "We do not estimate for it. Mr. Moon: "And what is the reason you do not ask for it? General Shallenberger. "lie cause, we think that the effect upon the service at large is bet ter if we do not select any parti cular route in any particular section for special favors. Mr. Moon: "Then you do not select it because you think that it is a bad example, and that it effects the railway mail service elsewhere to give this subsidy? General Shallenberger. "That is the situation. Mr. Moon: "That is the situa tion. So you think that for the good of the service the thing ought not to be done, taking the country at large? (tHIIPTrI Shwllpnliaroror* ('VVhr I think for the good of the Bervice at large it is better that po [ special favors be given to any I one particular road or system ") Mr. Pou should also have stated that Postmaster-General Cortelyou in his last report names the withdrawal of the subsidy as the first item in re commendations for curtailment' of postal expenses.?News and 1 (fbserver. There seems to be a difference of opinion regarding the subsidy among the State papers, and in order that both sides may be seen, we publish the following extracts from The Wilmington Messenger and Charlotte Obser ver which represent the other element of the party in theState: The enemies of the Southern Railway aud of some of its high officials, who are willing to do an injury to the people of their state and of a large section of the South for the sake of succeed ing in a piece of spite work i against that corporation, will have to wait auother year before they cau hope to induce Congress to deprive those people of the advantages of the Southern fast mail. The attempt to strike out the appropriation for this pur pose failed again, though by a very small vote this time. The proposition to strike out was lost by just three votes. Messrs.! Small, (iudger and I'ou, of this state, voted for this appropria tion, showing they feel that their | actions should be dictated by their convictions as to what is for the good and in the interest of the people. Thanks to them the people of a large section of the South will not, for one year more at least, be deprived of this much needed special mail facility, just because some editors and , politicians "have it in for" the company over whose linethef&st mail trains pass. Of course all who opposed this appropriation are not actuated by these mo- j tives. Many are sincere in their opposition. ? Wilmington Mes senger. The result of the House vote on the Southern fast mail pro vision in the postoifice appro-!1 priation bill is gratifying. It ; would have been disappointing had it been otherwise. This fast ] mail is a large convenience to many business men of the South and it is a singular thing that this provision was retained in the bill by the votes of Northern Representatives. If it had been left to those of the South it would have been stricken out by a large majority . Tue fact carries its own comment.?Charlotte Observer. There are over 1.100 rural free Jelivery routes in North Carolina, j GREAT EARTHQUAKE. And San Francisco Suffers Terrible Loss. Earthquake Followed by Fire De vastates Great City?Many Lives Lost and Much Property Destroyed. Sail Francisco, April lSth.? Sau FraLcisco was practically wrecked by earthquake at 5:10 o'clock this morning. The shock lasted three minutes, thousands of buildings being damaged und destroyed and hundreds if not thousands of people killed and injured. Terror and excitement were in describable. Most of the people were asleep and rushed into the streets undressed. The buildings swayed and crashed, burying their occupants. Added to the horrorcreated by the falling buildings, tire broke out and in an amazingly short time had swept a territory of two miles, taking in and consum ing vast blocks of business hous es, newspaper offices, churches and hotels. At a late hour to-night this conflagration, defying all con trol is increasing in violence, sweeping iu every direction iu both the business and residence quarters and threatening the en tire city with ruin. The thunder of dynamite explosions rises above the roar of the Hames, but the efforts to stay the progress of the tire by blowing up build ings iu its path have thus far | proved fruitless. The magnitude of the disaster staggers the reason. Nothing approaching its horrors has ever i been known in American history. The devastation wrought by the earthquake is not to be compar ed witn that already worked by the flames. Tiiey reddeu the) night w ith an infernal glory. Be- j i ueath their destroying touch the) proudest monuments reared by j wealth and geni;;s iu the City of j' the Goldeu Bate are crumbling like houses budt of sand. The burned district extends from the water front south of;' Market Street to Market Street and west to Eleventh Street, ' north of Market. The lire ex- ' tends out Hayes and McAllister ' Streets nearly "to Fillmore and from the Water front along Mar- 1 ket to Montgomery and north ' from water front to Moutgom- t ery Street. Manufactories, hotels, ( wholesale houses, residences com- i prisiug the principal part of the l business quarter, have been de- ^ stroyed. The city hall, a struc ture costing $7,000,000 was first f wrecked by the earthquake, and , then destroyed by tire. Tne Pal ace Hotel, value estimated at , $11,000,000 also burueu. The j beautiful Claus Spreckles build ing, at Third and Market Streets, was gutted. The Kialto Build- , : i -i p nig uiiu uozens ui other costly t structures were also destroyed. Tue 11 ill of .Justice is tLreatened and Aid undoubtedly go. The c Fxaunner and Call buildings J are gone and the Crocker build- 1 ing across the street from the 1 Palace Hotel is on fire. 3 The freaks of the earthquake ? were many. Wide fissures were 1 made in the streets, street rail- A ways were twisted out of line, 1 sewers and water pipes were 1 burst, and it is feared that there ' will be an epidemic of disease. Provisions are sold at fancy prices and even water is vended t by the glass. I It is impossible to give a list c of the dead and wounded, oreven ? a list of the principal buildings. 8 In San Francisco the loss of t life is variously reported from t 200 to more than a thousand. t The entire business portion of the city is in ruins and the flames are still sweeping the city. There is no water with which to tight i the tire. Buildings are being v blown up with dynamite, in an f effort to check the conflagration. s Thousands of people are home- fc less and destitute. Thecitv isuu- I der martial law. Communiea- ' tion with outsidetowns is almost 1 entirely cut off The property J damage, it is estimated, will f reach one hundred million dol lars. In San Jose many buildings wrecked and from 15 to 20 per sons were killed. At Stanford many of the hand some university buildings were demolished. The splendid Me morial church is a mass of ruins. Two persons were killed, and six students seriously injured. At Redwood City the court house and other buildings col lapsed. Menton I'ark, Bur liugame and other fashionable places suffered greatly. Sau .lose, Sacramento, Berk ley, Almeda and other places heard from suffered severely, but so far there has been no loss of lifp reported. The State Insane Asylum at Aguews was demolished, burying many of the immates in the ruius. Los Angeles and other South ern California points were not effected, and these places are ready to give aid to the stricken cities wherever it is possible to do so. Many buildings weredestroyed in Salinas causing a property loss of $2,500,000. No lives were lost. The shock was felt in Sacra mento and some damage done there. Long sections of the Southern Pacific track have dis (llltinumd lre, .r?> rrlom Mp|.vuiou HWUJ V1CW. STATE NEWS. M. T. Norris, a Raleigh mer chant. charged with burning a house for the insurance, has been bound to court in a bond of $1,000. Capt. J. G. Morrison, last sur viving member of Stonewall Jack son's staff, died Wednesday night at the home of his sister, Mrs. Stonewall Jackson, in Charlotte. The Senate last week passed a bill appropriating $25,000 for a monument to Gen. Nathaniel Greene, to be erected on Guilford battle ground. The measure has yet to pass the House. The Chronicle says that Jim Jheathain, who was probably 100 years old, and who claimed to be 101, died Monday of last week at liia home in Lovelace township, Wilkes County. He was a soldier in the Cherokee In lian war. The barn of Sheriff McLeod, aear Lumberton, was burned Wednesday morning with nine teen bales of cotton, several tons )f guano, a pair of fine mules ind a lot of feed. Fire believed to be incendiary. Loss about ?5,000, with $500 insurance. The first shipment of strawber ries to be made from eastern Mortb Carolina this season was nade from Rocky Point, Pender bounty, Wednesday, two crates teing shipped. A few scattering ibipiu"nts will be made for the lext few days, but no shipments )f consequence will go from eas ern Carolina before the 20th. Mrs. Alice Smoot, the woman :onvicted with her husband. 5. L. Smoot.iu the Federal Court it (iieensboro of passing coun terfeit money and sentenced to a /ear in the Federal Penitentiary it Atlanta, had to be transferred .0 the Federal Prison at Nasu rille, as female prisoners are not eceived at Atlanta. The wo nan's husband remains in At anta. The State of South Dakota, icting upon the authority of iovernor S. H. Elrod, has de lined to become the collecting igent of the N-w York bond bylocks, who are seeking to oree the payment of carpet-bag >onds through the medium of ?ne of the sovereign States of he t'uiou.. A Luckv Postmistress s Mrs. Alexander, of Gary, Me., vho has found Dr King's New _erfect order. Y'ou'll agree with ler if you try these painless lurifiers that infuse new life, guaranteed by Hood Bros., dr 1 g rists. Price i'5c.