Congressman Allen Dissents

In the conslJeration of a bilí calling for public buildings in different places by congress one day last week, Capt Allen made r. speech in oppoeition to th bill in lauguage givcn as fo 1 ws by th daily prcss: "Mr. Chalrtnan," he said, "tli's seem to be i sort of au argument by whic tliere liall be a handing out of publi huililinirs accordiog to the politie if the parties interested. I have a Ijilicr snijrjïestion to tbe committee than tliMf, and It ia that postofllces sbould be built where needed regardless of the pol tics of tlit' yicinity. As I understand it you :ire going to give two republlcan pnstofflees for one democratie postoflisc Vliy, you ougbt to reverse that if you are goinjr int o that business and give the democrats two to one. They need them more. IV.itighter on the republican side. Bot the absurdity of the proposition is seen in the statement of it. Now sir, I do not propuse to attack the bilí that has paaaed the committee, although I do not bel leve such a bill should should pass. Blx tliousand dollars receipts! I have no loss than three towns In ray district Uiat never thought of liaving a postofflee ut government expense where the receipts are that raiicli every quarter. Aud whal this Conjrross ought to do, wbat should have been done years a;ro, is to ims a general law building postoffices accordiDg to the receipts of postofflees, in the committees and not dealing them out ai I propasad to be done to-day here and glvinj; tbe republicans two postorlïces to i Ih1 democrats one. Wliy, sir, Matthew Hale himself, who was so thoroughly aatonisbed wlien once he went upon a jury in dlsgulse, would be even more HStonlshed at this proposition. I teil you ihere is nnthing cquitable, there is ng honorable, ibout such au arrangement as that. The question is, does Bar Harbor want a postofflce? If so, she should have it. It uoes not follow that Bar Haibor should have a postofflce in consideration of the fact that Charleston, S. 0., or some other place in the south will have one. There should be tio consideration of this kind. If you are going Into this business at all ofgivingoutpostoftices uccording to the politics of the House, then I say, equity demanda thal you should divide thum equally, and not give two to one, either to the deuiocrats or to the republicana. But the whole system is vicious. It is calculated to demorali.e Congress and to demoralize the people, and every honest man should sit down on it. [Applause.] I understand quite well the danger there is of making such a statement as this, but never wliile ui y responsibllity of ofüce rests upou me in the shape of an oath will I sit idly by and heur men cooly talk übout dividlog postoffices accordinjr to the politics of this House. I say, sir, that we óught to ro back, and the committee should uring forward the bill which is now on the calendar, building postofflces in this country according tothcir receipts. Tbnt shonld become the law of the land Then towns in Michigan, wliere the postal receipts :irc tour times as mucli ns Ulo rtctipts of the one in queation liere, would reoelve what bdongs to them. I$ut as it now is t is understood that the ordinary member of Conress can only jet a postoffice where there are United States Courts or where (here are other roveniment ofllces, and it is reserved to the favored few to get postoflicos without these accompaniments.