The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-09
A BILL TALKED TO DEATH.
The Revenue Marine Retirement Meas
uTe Under Fire.


as Steal, Despite Mr.. Mallory's Ex-
PLANTATION Of the Good Reasons for Its
Passage-Mr. CLARK Delivers Speech
That Furnishes the House a Good
Deal of Amusement.
Washington, Dec. s.-Less than 100 men,
bers were in their seats when Speaker
Crisp called the House to order at noon
to-day.
The bill reported last session by the COM
mittee on interstate and foreign COM
merce to provide a retired list for the rev.
enue cutter service and thereby promote
its efficiency was taken up in committee
Of the whole.
Mr.. Mallory of Florida In advocating the
passage of the bill, stated that the officers
in the cutter service were appointed by
the President for life and when incapaci-
tated by age or inhrmity from dlscharging
their duties. there was no way under the
present law Of providing for them save by
putting them on waiting orders at three
quarter pay. At present thirty Of the 220
officers in the service were on waiting
orders. Such a course prevented pro-
motion to the active officers. who were
sometimes compelled TO perform the duties
of officers Of high rank without re-
ceiving commensurate pay therefor. Every
consideration that impelled the establish
ment Of a retired list for the army or navy
was an argument in favor Of the passage
of this bill.
The bill was further advocated by
Messrs. English. dem, Of New Jersey, and
Covert, dem, of New York, and then Mr..
Clark, dem, of Missouri, entertained tho
House with one of his characteristic
speeches in opposition. Openly avowing
his purpose to talk the bill to death, If he
could. He said that the last half OF the
well-known quatrain:
Truth crushed to earth will rise again.
THE eternal years of God are hers,
but error wounded. writhes in pain
"And dies amid her worshippers."
Was lie and that the history of the bill
demonstrated IL.
II thought twice last summer" contin-
ued Mr.. Clark, that l had killed II. l re-
joiced in the thought that had been en-
abled to kill one steal in my one session in
congress- and I did not believe 1t would
be my last and, to give you pointer, l
do not think 1t will be the last one yet.
daughter and applause.)
IT would like to take the American peo-
pie into my confidence and to state TO
them honestly and patriotically. as a man
and a citizen that more dangerous, a
more venal a more vicious, more Tar
reaching bill Of evil was never introduced
in this House than this is. am demo-
crat (cries of ''Glad to hear II" Good
and great laughter)
"I am not the sort of democrat as the
man who first uttered that declaration.
He ought 10 amend his using OF IL. am
a democrat now"
MIR. Dalzell, rep, of Pennsylvania-Are
you sure?
Mr.. Ciark-The gentleman who repre-
sents the Pittsburg district ought 10 keep
pretty still on democracy that does not
mean the spoils of Office. (Derisive laugh
ter from republicans and counter cheers
from the democratic side)
THAT sounds ridiculous to some, / sup
pose" Uaughter)
Mr.. Cameron, rep, of Illinois-The gem
tleman is a humorist as well as a demo-
crat.
Mr.. Clark-It does not sound humorous.
1t means that the people of the country
are going to rule this country lRepubh-
can applause Yes, you clap; you under
stand exactly what you are for, and
you clapped for the declara-
lion of the distinguished orator
from New York yesterday-the repubh-
cans did; not the democrats-when he was
fighting for the principles of the corpora
tions and monopolies against the princi-
pies of the people (Applause on the
democratic side.) Deny 1t; / give you
fair chance to deny it. When Mr.. Bryan,
the most eloquent tribune the people have
had in this hall daughter by the republi-
cans) for the last thirty years, stood up
here
Mr.. Boutelle, rep, of Maine-The last Of
the tribunes.
Mr.. clark-You keep your mouth shut.
Qaughter)
when Mr.. Bryan, the most eloquent
tribune OF the people that ever stood
in this congress. stood up here and laid
down the principles of democracy and the
principles of the people as against the
rules of the corporations, railroad at
torney that was elected TO congress that
has not even a seat on this floor except
by courtesy, sat and smirked and grinned,
and pulled his spectacles off and put them
on. and rubbed his torso, and the cor
poration butterflies of the coming con-
gress sat around him and grinned and
smirked in the hope of favors yet to
come, II looked pretty hard for demo-
cratic principles. But / am here to as
sert them, and one is this-that a man
who does not earn his pay has got no right
to it. This is my view and that is de-
mocracy. These people can go, the hired
tools of the corporations in this House, can
ieer as far as l am concerned they can
20 to the everlasting duce." Qaughter)
Continuing Mr. Clark said there has been
so much Internal demagoguery on this
floor on both sides of the House about
"rebels" and 'federals' that have got
sick of it, l was just about six months
or a year too young to enter the army. l
tried my everlasting best to get into both
of them. All that ! wanted was a chance
to fight. OF course, l have got better
sense now. If any man that served IN
the federal army faithfully and got hurt
wanted a pension would vote to give it
to him, although my heart was with Nor
gan and that gang of rough riders Q-augh-
teri. If one of Morgan's men should rise
up out of the grave and ask for pension.
] would give it to him, not because he
deserved it for serving the government
but because of his spirit as an American
But when a fellow goes around, sails up
and down the coast eating oysters and
canvas back ducks, drinks and has the
entree to Washington society, whatever
that may be-" Oaughter).
Here the gavel fell and the hour expired
the committee rose, Chairman Dockery
declining to entertain request for unan-
imous consent that Mr.. Clark might pro-
caa5 and fhe hill went over