Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-30


could be relied upon it was clear, he said. that
Germany while protesting not to intend to dis
regard her treaty stipuations, was assuming
the absolute control of the government Of Sa-
moa and had, substantially,
SET UP GERMAN GOVERNMENT THERE.
Referring to Mr.. Cleveland's message on the
subject Mr.. Reagan remarked that the Presi-
dent understood that he had exhausted the au-
thority conferred on him by the Constitution,
and felt that he must ask Congress what fur
ther steps should be taken. In reply to that
was the pending proposition to appropriate
$780, 900 for the execution Of the Obligations
and the protection of the interests Of the
United States.
What policy, Mr.. Reagan asked, was here
indicated; or what power was given to the
President which he did not already possess and
which he had not already endeavored to exc
cute? What was the president to
understand by that language? Reverting
Mr.. Reagan declared that no American citi-
zen could read the correspondence without
feeling humiliation to see the rights of the
United States brutally overridden and trodden
down by German subalterns while the German
prime minister was processing friendship and
desire to maintain proper relations with the
government Of the United States.
His purpose was, he said, to call attention to
the fact that the proposed amendment was too
feeble to answer the purpose. It was too fee
people in the matter. He had been sorry to
hear the Senator from Ohio. (Mr.
Sherman) say yesterday that his PROPOSE
ton was limited to the extension of the good
offices Of the United States. Good offices, Mr..
Reagan exclaimed, to people already con-
quered and subjugated by Germany, And we
propose now to appropriate S500.000 for
that purpose. II We mean anything let
us signify it by our action If we believe
that we have rights which have been violated,
we should assert those right as becomes great
and powerful nation. We should not be pre-
tending to apologize for the fact that we have
| assumed relations to Samoa. If Congress was
possessed of Bismarck's force of will the
trouble would be quickly settled, and without
war. But. If we hesitate, if we vacillate, if we
show we have rights, but will not vindicate
them, we will certainly lose what rights We
have In Samoa. l am not in favor OF
war. ! know too well the calamities
OF war. But the humiliation of great nation,
In the face Of an arrogant power. Is worse than
war. Iwould give the President power to de-
termine what our rights in the matter are, and
the power to assert those rights in way that
could not be mistaken. If we do this We may
expect to maintain our rights and to see the
restoration of the status quo. ! would sug-
gest to add to the pending amendment the
words ''and for the protection of the rights OF
American citizens"
THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
The Senate then went into executive session,
on motion of Mr.. Riddleberger, and is presum-
ably considering the British extradition treaty.
House of Representatives.
On motion of Mr.. Townshend (Ill.) the SEN
ate amendment was concurred in to the House
bin to authorize the furnishing of obsolete
serviceable cannon to soldiers homes
The Oklahoma hill hrouoht to ba attain
tion of the House by MIR. Springer nl.) with
motion to go into the committee of the whole
for its consideration.
quorum"
A roll-call followed, and the motion was
agreed to-yeas, 1874; nays, "a. Mr.. Dockery
(Io.) being assigned to preside over the COM
mittee.
The pending amendment was one offered by
Mr.. Payson Oil }, expressly providing that the
rights Of honorabiy discharged Union soldiers
and sailors Of the late civil war to make homes
on the public lands under the existing home
stead law shall not, in any degree, be impaired
by the passage Of this bill. but that such rights
shall extend to any and all lands which shall be
open to any settlement under the provisions of
this bill
Mr.. Payson advocated the amendment and
asserted that the rights of the soldiers to make
homestead entries were not fully protected
under the bill
On the contrary, the bill provided that the
soldier should pay S1.25 per acre, the same as
anybody else. The only argument presented
against his amendment was based upon the
ground Of economy.
Mr.. Symes (Col.) said that, as a member of
the G. A. R., he rose to oppose the amend
ment. Some of the gentlemen who advocated
the amendment must excuse him for saying
that their actions showed that they were more
anxious to defeat the bill than to grant
special benefits to few G. A. r. soldiers The
gentlemen from Illinois and Indiana (Messrs.
Payson and Holman) had had many good op-
portunities during the past ten years to estab-
lish precedents for this amendment. but they
had never even attempted to do SO. Those
gentlemen had had special supervision of the
subject of the disposal of the public lands for
many years and they had never attempted to
pass such measure for the benefit of the SOL
diers.
Mr.. Payson-I speak for myself as well as the
gentleman from Indiana when say that under
our direction the House, in three different Con-
crosses, has passed a measure which restricts
the entry of all land to the homestead feature
of the land and that alone.
Mr.. Symes-Why has this love for the soldier
come to the surface on this subject
Mr.. Payson (interrupting This is the first
time he was ever attacked.
Mr.. Symes Continuing Like the sudden
outbursting of a fountain from the earth with
OrlSludl, spontaneous anu ndllVe 1Orce.
Mr.. Symes proceeded to cite various bills
passed by the House for the opening up of
Indian reservations, to show that no such pro-
vision as was now proposed had been incor-
porated in them.
The government could not make an excep-
ton in favor of the G. A. R., because the gov
ernment did not acquire the title to the land,
and did not become the owner of
the proceeds of the sale of it. |
The money passed from the settler to the In
dian in pursuance of negotiations in which the |
United States simply acted trustee. He
would not presume to speak for the G.. A. R., |
but he had the right to speak as one of its
members. He had the right to say that the |
members of the G. A. r. were not beggars |
They did not come before the House asking |,
that 200 or 800 of them, who might be able to
with the boomers into Oklahoma, should have |
a present of $500 to $500 each, while |
thousands who were unable to go there and |
who we're in want would receive nothing at all |
While the dependent pension bill remained
vetoed, the healthy, hearty, able-bodied men,
bers of the G. A. r. who were able to go to the
wilds of Oklahoma and redeem the country did
c,rn