Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-20
THE rnrrx-rlRsr CONGRESS-,

THE FnFTX.BlRsT CONGRESS-. Vice Preaiaens Morton as His Post fin the Senate-A Remarkable Speech by senator Voorhees, on AgKicul.
 tural Depression Work of che
 House.
 WAsHINaroN, D. O., March 19.-Vise President Morton having returned to the city after two weeks absence occupied the chair at the opening of to-day's session. An un- usually large number of petitions were pre- scented and referred. The resolution offered by Mir. Voorhees, last Monday as to sgricul- tural depression was taken up and MT. Voor- hees Addressed the senate in relation to 1t. He spoke of the deep strong current of anxi- ety, discontent and alarm prevailing in the farming committees and said that hs pro- posed to aid them in the inquiry as to the causes of the existing depression. It was now nearly thirty years since the close of . terrible war had given to unhallewed avarics an opportunity to prey upon the self.sacri. fcing patriots of the country such as had never before been presented to the bas" est passions and most sordid and odtous vice. The measures then resorted to for the taxation of one class of citizens and for the enrichment of another class had been the legislation by which the burden of the pub lie debt had been doubled ,silver demonetized and high protective tariff established. Tho farms of the state of Ohio were now under mortgage to the amount of $500, ,000, 900. In the state of Illinois things were no better, the mortgages in that state amounting to $4e2, ,OOO, 600. Twenty-three per cent. of the whole face of the state of Illinois was under mortgage. The state of Michigan was still worse. Forty-seven per cent. of the whole surface of that state was under mort gage. In the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa. Nebraska and the whole northwest from twenty to fifty per cent. of the farm lands were under mortgage at such rates of interest as the farmers could never pay out of their crops, to say nothing of the principal. The farmers were thus brought face to face with the loss of their homes, with ruin and hun dreds of thousands of them were standing in that attitude at the present day and hour. ent in that respect from those of the western states. There was the same decadence in Vermont and New Hampshire where there was a movement to recolonize them with Scandinavians and where farm lands could be purchased at from $1 to g an acre. In the face of such appalling facts who, he asked, would eulogize the workings and re- suits of system of tariff protection which had for continuous term of twenty eight years accomplished nothing save the concen- tration and amassment of wealth in the hands of few protected people. He went on to speak of tho recent Carnegie banquet in Washington, reading some of the news paper headlines, such as "Like Old Lucul- Jus, ," Gorgeous Dinner that Outrivalled an Ancient Roman Feast, IA Menu Which Almost the Whole World Furnished" That banquet brought to his mind that other his- torical feast which Belshazzar, that king who gave to thousand of his lords, and when the king saw tha fingers of mans hand write on the wall Cover against the candle- stick" the "Mene, meme, teke1 upharsin," :" his earnest prayer and belief was that the handwriting on the wall of the Carnegie ban quet would presage the overthrow of sys- tenn of extortion and robbery more wicked in the sight of God and man than all the sins of Babylon when her robes were scarlet with iniquity. The remedies to be applied were, of legal tender money; third, the free coin- age of silver; fourth, the suppression by law of gambling in futures; fifth, liberal policy of pensions. Summing up, he said: In the face of these things (referring to tho subsi- dizing ut the press, the purchasing of votes Gin blocks of fve," official patronage, etc. and with full knowledge of what Is before forward to the fight. The battle may be long and weary, but the sun will go own on a great and final victory of the eternal right over legalized wrong, of freedom and equality over caste. Hail mighty day of the swift coming futurei
 As MT. Voorhees, took his seat there was some applause in the galleries and on the floor.
 Mir. Wilson of Iowa said that he desired, as to read letter from farmer in Iowa, who knew by practical experience more about the condition of the farming class than the sena- tor from Indiana had ever learned from his readings and theories. He then read letter, which has been already published, showing the comparatively low prices of farm pro ducts and the high prices of manufactured goods before the war.
 MT. Stewart said that, while agreeing with MT. Voorhees, as to the deplorabls condition of the farming class, he differed with him in his views as to the principal cause of the ex- istinR depression. In his (Mr. Stewart's) be. lief an insufficient money circulation was the only cause. What ailed the country was l contraction of the currency and nothing else The Blair educational bill was then, al 2:15, taken up as the "unfnished business, I the senate. He hoped, he said, to have ar opportunity of voting to postpone the bill till the second Tuesday In December. Ht should vote for such postponemsnt in the hope that the bill would be amended go ai to divest it of it's objectionable features and yet secure in large degree what seemed te him its most righteous objects. Before republican party should carry out it's pledge to the old soldiers and pass the dependent pension bill.
 Messrs. Evarts and Call spoke in favor o | the bill
 MT. Bate obtained the floor and the bill | went over till to morrow.
 | MT. Allison from the finance committe, reported back with amendments the house
 bill to simplify the laws in relation to tht collection of the revenue and it was placed on the calendar.
 The senate at 5:30 o'clock adjourned til tomorrow.
 | Mir. Cooper of Ohio, a member of the com
 mittee on elections, called up the Maryland
 contested case of Mudd against Compton, i
 being agreed that debate shall be limited t
 six hours, at the end of which time the pre-
 vious question shall be considered as order l ed.s MT. Lacey of Iowa opened the discus
 sion with an argument in support of tn
 claims of the contestant.
 Mir. Dalzell of Pennsylvania and Nil
 Greenhalge of Massachusetts advocated tn
 case of the contestant and the case of tn
 sitting member was upheld by MT. Moore c
 Texas and Mir. Gibson of Maryland.
 Pending vote the house at 4:30 o'cloc
 adjourned.
 THE SNOW STORM.
 The Most Severe of the Winter on tn
 Massachusetts Coast - Fears Enter
 tained for she safety of Schooners
 Blinding Snow at Cape Cod.
 CoHAssET, Mass, March 19.-The storl
 here is the most severe of the winter.
 commenced showing at nine o'clock tn
 morning and has continued with increasir
 severity since that time. The wind is qui
 heavy from northeast and the snow is drif
 ing badly. It was rumored this afternoe
 that three masted schooner was ashore
 Beach island, but investigation shows I
 wrecks. Between Glades' point and Blat . rock tho bay was full of vessels when Il storm commenced and it is probable tn wrecks may be found on the south shore the morning. The storm at present sho1