announcement on that or any other great subject. But the one situation he yearned so much to see adjusted was the preservation of the Union as it had been before 1861. His death removed the one insurmountable obstacle to the success of radical measures in reconstruction. As I once said before, his rare magnanimity, illumined by an intellect equally rare, peculiarly fitted him to pilot the ship through the rough breakers that hugged the shore of nationality as he had safely brought it through the stormy Civil War. He was broad enough to know that too much national prerogative was despotism, and too much State rights might lead to anarchy among the States. I want to say that when the bullet of the assassin laid him low the best friend the South had in authority had fallen. [Applause.] Jefferson Davis said that next to the fall of the Confederacy the death of Lincoln was the greatest stroke the South ever received.

What a beautiful thing it is to contemplate the change of attitude toward him. Fifty years ago many a child of that day in the North was rocked in the cradle over which was sung the lullaby:

Old Abe Lincoln is dead and gone,
Hurrah! Hurrah!

Then the people were divided. To-day, 50 years after, our differences, born in the heat of a great national issue that precipitated war, are no more. His name is spoken in reverence by a reunited Nation, whose finest product is embodied in the great war President.

His yearning for the cessation of strife was in his every impulse. When the scene of Appomattox had passed, no one was so happy over the prospects of a return to peace as he.

But in a moment of rejoicing all was changed. Another tragedy was to be added to the series of tragedies. It was not his to live to see the fruits of the war, and to so guide its reconstruction as to rebuild safely with the highest honor to all our people. No; it was his to die. He was surrounded by friends, including his official family, as his spirit went home to its God, with whom it had kept so closely throughout the dark hours of civil war.

Stanton, at the head of the bed, now virtually the head of the Nation, Seward having been attacked in his sick room, broke the silence of death when he said, "Now he belongs to the ages."

The next day the great Secretary, who had so often differed from his great chief, looked upon his face, now asleep in death, and pointing his hand toward him said, "There sleeps the mightiest man that ever ruled a nation."

It was thus left to one of his critics, who differed with and yet loved him, to pass the highest encomium upon him.

In my judgment Abraham Lincoln is the truest type of the American statesman, the broadest in comprehension, the sweetest in disposition, the deepest in humanity of secular history. And now as we are facing to-day as great problems as ever faced him in his day, let us renew our obligations to our common country by pledging ourselves in his words our last full measure of devotion in the hope that the Government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. [Applause.]

Mr. GOULDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address. the House for two minutes.

The SPEAKER. The gentleman from New York asks unanimous consent to address the House for two minutes. Is there objection? There was no objection.

Mr. GOULDEN. Mr. Speaker, I feel that I should apologize to the House, as well as to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio, who has just completed his splendid patriotic address. Perhaps I am the only man on the floor of the House who heard Lincoln's famous speech at Gettysburg. [Applause.] That is my excuse for injecting myself at this time. By the grace of God and the will of the Speaker, nine veterans of the Civil War, six who wore the gray and three who wore the blue, all that are left of that memorable struggle, were honored by an appointment to accompany the Vice President and himself to the fiftieth anniversary of the great Battle of Gettysburg last July. While standing there on the memorable spot on which Mr. Lincoln stood 50 years before, I heard that famous speech of his. I first heard and I can assure my colleagues that I was tired and wearythe splendid oration of Edward Everett, a brilliant speaker of that day, which lasted two hours. I knew, in my youthful impatience, I hoped that he would finish quickly so that the great war President might be heard, but he did not. He truly made a magnificent speech. I want to ask, Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the House, how many of you can recall or could even repeat even portions of the beautiful oration of Edward Everett on that occasion, while on the other hand the brief, touching speech of President Lincoln is known to every schoolboy and every schoolgirl, not only in this country but in many others. I stood within 30 feet of the platform and heard the President. As Mr. Lincoln stepped to the front, with that pathetic, sad look upon his face, the great audience of 25,000 people started an applause loud and long. A smile went over his countenance, and when he smiled you forgot the homeliness of his rugged countenance. He then made that famous address of his, which lasted less than three minutes, making a most profound impression on his listeners, at least one-half of whom could hear him distinctly. I saw Edward Everett step over and shake his hand, but I could not hear what he said; but we are told what he did say was that he would give his two hours of effort for the three minutes of Mr. Lincoln; and he was right. That was a great occasion, upon a battle field that more than 200,000 as brave men as ever lived fought three days for what they thought was right. It was one of the greatest in the history of this or any other Nation, marked to-day by more than 500 splendid monuments.

We do well, Mr. Speaker to call to mind the deeds of our great men, those who have so greatly aided in making the Nation a world power, respected everywhere, and I think none carries with it a greater lesson of patriotic sentiment so worthy of emulation than that of the lamented martyred President of the United States-Abraham Lincoln. [Loud applause.]

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DRAFT OF BILL TO PROVIDE FOR PUBLICITY IN THE MAKING OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

MARCH 16, 1914.-Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 11, 1914.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith draft of a bill to provide for publicity in the making of Government contracts, the enactment of which would repeal sections 512, 513, 514, and 515, Revised Statutes (which require that all contracts entered into by the War, Navy, and Interior Departments be filed in the returns office of the latter department), as well as sections 3744-3746 of the statutes relative thereto.

This matter was made the subject of an investigation by the departments mentioned in 1912, as shown by reports contained on pages 457-459 of the Reports of the President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency. (See H. Doc. No. 670, 62d Cong., 2d sess.)

The proposed legislation has also been investigated and passed upon favorably by a board representing the several departments concerned, and the Department of the Interior, in letters of November 8, 1911, and March 2, instant (copies herewith), concurs in the views of said board.

As it appears to be conclusively shown that the present law enforces a large amount of labor without compensating benefit, the enactment of the proposed legislation is respectfully requested.

Very respectfully,

LINDLEY M. GARRISON,
Secretary of War.

[Inclosure.]

The SECRETARY OF WAR.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Washington, November 8, 1911.

SIR: The department is in receipt of your letter of October 6, 1911, relative to the filing of copies of contracts made by the War Department and its officers in the returns office, established in this department under existing law, and expressing your opinion why the law should be repealed.

While I concur in the view expressed in your letter that compliance with the present law enforces a large amount of labor without compensating benefit, nevertheless, until repealed, it is the duty of this department to see that its provisions are complied with.

I shall be pleased to cooperate with you in the effort to secure its repeal and, in this connection, I inclose for your consideration and such suggestions as you may care to make in the premises, copy of a bill prepared for submission to Congress by my predecessor, having as its object the repeal of those provisions establishing the returns office of this department and proposed legislation in its stead.

Very respectfully,

CARMI A. THOMPSON,
Acting Secretary.

The SECRETARY OF WAR.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Washington, March 2, 1914.

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: I am in receipt of your communication of January 26, 1914, in which you call my attention to the fact that the law requiring all contracts entered into by the Secretary of War to be filed in the returns office of this department retards and embarrasses efficient service in the various bureaus of your department, and say that an effort to repeal the law by inserting a legislative provision in the appropriation bill did not meet with success. You ask the cooperation of this department in securing the enactment of legislation to eliminate a provision of law which, in your judgment, serves no useful purpose.

In response I have to invite your attention to department letter of November 8, 1911, relative to this subject, copy inclosed. I also inclose a copy of the draft of proposed legislation mentioned therein. As will be seen, it was the purpose of said proposed legislation to repeal sections 512, 513, 514, and 515 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, by which the returns office was established, and which requires all contracts made by the War, Navy, and Interior Departments to be filed in that office.

A copy of this proposed bill was forwarded to the Navy Department with letter of February 12, 1910. No action was taken by either of the departments looking to the introduction of said proposed bill in Congress.

I would have no objection to the repeal of the sections above mentioned and the abolishment of the returns office if legislation

along the lines of that contained in said draft of proposed bill were enacted.

Very truly, yours,

A. A. JONES, First Assistant Secretary.

A BILL To provide for publicity in the making of government contracts.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That sections five hundred and twelve, five hundred and thirteen, five hundred and fourteen, and five hundred and fifteen, Revised Statutes, be, and the same are hereby, repealed and the following provision is made in lieu thereof: It shall be the duty of the head of every executive department, or other establishment not under any of the executive departments or of their officers under them appointed or authorized to make contract on behalf of the Government, to cause such contract to be reduced to writing and signed by the contracting parties with their names at the end thereof, except as otherwise authorized by law. A copy of such contract, together with the originals of all advertisements, bids, offers, and proposals, made to obtain the same, shall be filed and kept open for inspection in the bureau or office of the executive department or other establishment not under any of the executive departments, having supervision of the business to which the contract relates. The head of each executive department or other establishment shall make rules and regulations to govern the filing and inspection of the papers herein referred to: Provided, That the requirements for filing, inspection, and furnishing copies shall not apply to any contract or related paper which, in the opinion of the head of the department or other establishment, is of such a nature that the publishing thereof would be contrary to the public interest.

SEC. 2. That the Secretary of the Interior shall, upon the request of the Secretary of War or the Secretary of the Navy, respectively, transmit to the department of which the Secretary making the request is the head, all returns made in connection with contracts that have not been fully performed. Such returns when received shall be filed and kept open for inspection in the same manner as returns under other contracts pro· vided for in section three hereof.

SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of every officer who signs a contract on behalf of the Government to transmit within thirty days after the signing thereof to the bureau or office designated under section one of this act as the depository of such contract, all papers required by said section to be filed and kept open for inspection, and he shall certify that the same includes an exact copy of a contract made by him personally with the contractor; that he made the same fairly, without any benefit or advantage to himself or knowledge of any such benefit or advantage corruptly to the said contractor, or any other person, and that the papers accompanying include all those relating to said contract. A certified copy of the papers and certificate so transmitted shall, subject to the exception made in section one hereof, be furnished to any person paying therefor at the rate of fifteen cents for every hundred words or fraction thereof.

SEC. 4. Every officer who makes any such contract and fails or neglects to transmit the required papers within the time specified in section three, unless prevented by unavoidable accident or causes not within his control, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $500; and every officer who shall knowingly make a false or fraudulent certificate as to the papers or copies of papers required to be made by him under this act shall be liable to the pains and penalties provided in section one hundred and six of the act to modify, revise, and amend the penal laws of the United States, approved March 4, 1909.

SEC. 5. A copy of the papers transmitted and of the certificate made under the provisions of this act, when authenticated by the seal of the department, or in the usual manner of authenticating copies of papers by any other establishment not under an executive department, shall be evidence in any prosecution against any officer for a violation of the provisions of this act.

SEC. 6. That so much of section thirty-seven hundred and forty-four, thirty-seven hundred and forty-five, and thirty-seven hundred and forty-six of the Revised Statutes as requires the heads of the executive departments therein mentioned to cause returns of contract to be made to the returns office of the Interior Department be, and the same is hereby, repealed.

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