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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
_<ife Pills to be the best remedy
die ever tried for keeping the
stomach, Liver and Bowels in
>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.