The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-01-28

Springer squelcbed by tho speaker-The
Wounded Knee Fight and Elections Bill
WASHINGTON. Jan. 27.-After the House
journal had been approved to-day,
which required half an hour, Mr.
Springer of Illinois rose to q question of
privilege. and offered a resolution reciting
that the Speakers conduct yesterday in
deciding q motion to be dilatory was I'M
lawful.
Mr.. Mckinley of Ohio made the point of
order that the resolution was not a privi-
legged one-the Speaker having exercised
his right under the rules to decide . motion
to be dilatory.
The Speaker did not think that the action
of the Chair in deciding a motion to be out
of order on the ground that it was dilatory
could be made q question of privilege. If
IL could be then the purpose OF the rule
preventing dilatory motions was nugatory.
He sustained the point of order.
Mr.. Springer appealed. and MI. Mckinley
moved to table the appeal. The motion
was agreed to-yeas. 13S; nays, los.
The Speaker laid before the House q mes
sage from the President vetoing the bill
authorizing Oklahoma City to issue bonds
to provide q right of way through hat city
to the Choctaw Coal and Railway Com
pany.
The House then went into committee of
the whole on the military academy appro-
p~riation bill. In the course of The general
debate, Mr.. Rogers of Arkansas referred to
the recent Indian war as u~nprovOked and
Indefensible. If the reports of the mas
sacre at Wounded Knee were correct. that
massacre was the most shameful murder
in the annals of our national history. II
they were true, the committees to whom
resolutions of inquiry had been referred
should lose no time IN providing for Q thor
0ugh investigation.
Mr.. Flower of New York spoke in favor
of a searching investigation into the causes
of the Indian war. quoting from authorl-
ties 30 show that the Indians were starved
and then shot.
Mr.. Peel of Arkansas knew of no DISPOSE
ton on the part of the Indian committee to
suppress the fullest investi CATION. The
Commissioner of Indian Affairs was anx-
ious to forward the inquiry IN every man
ner IN his power.
Mr.. Cutcheon of Michigan, chairman of
the committee on military affairs. said that
he hoped and believed that a thorough in
vestigation would be had as to the battle
of Wounded Knee. In the fierce frenZies of
battle the United States army might have
done things that it ought not to have done
and things that could hardly be avoided,
bus he trusted that in due time the army,
and especially the Seventh Cavalry. would
be cleared of any suspicion Of having done
wrong =.
Mr.. Spinola of New York was in pursuit
Of the elections bill, when he was inter-
rupted by Mr.. Bland of Missouri with q re-
quest that Mr.. Spinola should yield to him
TO make q motion to lay the elections bill
on the table. MIR. Spinola replied
that he would not do so, being apprehen-
sive that the elections bill was not yet
quite dead. Until he saw hat bill placed
in its grave. and the sod thrown upon it,
and the benediction delivered. he would
not believe that the measure was out of the
way. Referring to the refusal of certain
Southern States To refrain from making
appropriations to the CARRYING on of the
tions bill was arrived at. re declared that
that refusal was not q bluff; it was not a
bluff on the part of Indiana or of New Jer-
sey; it was not n bluff on the part of Michi-
gan; it would not be a bluff on the part of
the great State of New York when she
Numbered out her voice on the question.
After further debate the committee rose
and the House adjourned.