The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-02

20t to 40. The events leading up TO il
were almost unparalleled in our annals.
AT IL o'clock, after preliminary skirmish
of an hour over the barley schedule, the
bill was reported TO the House and the
closing speeches were made. Such a vast
concourse of people as assembled to hear
these last arguments upon the great eco
nomic issue about to be submitted for final
arbitrament TO the Representatives of the
American people had never before been
seen within the precincts of the Nations
legislative Capitol. Nothing like it was ever
known in the history of the oldest inhabi-
tants of the capital.
For hours before the debate began the
corridors leading to the galleries were a
surging mass of humanity which finally
became so great that men cried out in
terror and women tainted in fright 1t was
estimated that over twenty thousand at
tempted to gain admittance to the CALLER
les of the House to-day Their seating ca
pacity is about three thousand and every
available seat was occupied long before
the gavel dropped. The people were lined
against the walls and banked against the
doors, and SO great did the crush become
that the members of the House secured
permission to bring their wives upon the
floor
Shortly after the House convened, at IL
o'clock, the crowds in the immense gallery
on the north side Of the chamber became
SO great that there was imminent danger
that some of the people would be pressed
over the railing into the house below.
Those in the corridors kept crushing into
the doorways and those still further back
pressed forward until the stairs and aisles
of the gallery were literally packed with
mob of restless, impatient men. In one of
the aisles a fight was precipitated between
two men over the color question. One of
the combatants was negro, demanding
his full rights American citizen, and
the other was q white man, making the
same claim. This claim included the right
to stand on the same square foot of terri
tory, and, as 1t was too small for both men,
a race war resulted. The belligerents were
hustled from the gallery as fast as the OBJ
structing human wall would permit, and
comparative quiet soon restored.
The crowding in at the doors, however,
continued until Speaker Crisp, who had
been nervously noting the dangerous pack
ing of people, interrupted the roll call long
enough to say that it was in the interest
of safety to human life that the doorway
should be cleared. He asked the door
keeper of the gallery to clear out some of
those who stood in the entrances, so as to
make those already inside as comfortable
as possible without being in danger. 1t
was next to impossible, however to at
once execute this order, as there was alb
solutely no room for the ejectment of those
who had found entrance to the aisles, but
the policemen kept pressing back the peo-
pie until they had materially reduced the
danger that was very apparent
THE SPEECHES.
When Mr.. Reed, the first speaker, arose
at last to deliver the final plea for pro-
lection the overhanging galleries were
black and dense with the spectators who
thronged them. Every inch of space on the
floor was taken 1t was a brilliant as
we'll as a large, assembly. Only ten of the
S54 members of the House were absent;
many grave and reverend Senator's and
other distinguished personages were on
the floor, and in the galleries were Mrs.
Cleveland, Mrs. Stevenson and other won-
en- of eninence and distinction their dress
es fiecking the landscape with color. Then
for three hours the oratory Of the cham
pionS OF the two economic systems fol-
lowed-Reed, Crisp and Wilson-while their
partisans made the air vocal with their
shouts of approval. The appearance of
the Speaker of the House upon the floor
engaged in debate was in itself a remarka-
bic, as we'll as an unusual, thing. Each of
the speakers seemed to be in his best form.
and the speeches which they delivered to-
day will rank among the most brilliant of
their lives. When these were finished Mr.
Wilson, who spoke last, was lifted on the
shoulders of his admiring colleagues and
carried triumphantly from the hall amid a
scene of unmatched enthusiasm.
-
the measure was overwhelming. The vote
upon the income tax proposition (taken in
connection with the internal revenue
amendmenO stood 1S2 to So Only twelve
Republicans voted upon this proposition
seven for and five against. The Democrat
ic opposition amounted to forty-fve The
last effort WAS made by those Democrats
who are opposed to the measure, in whole
or in part, led by Mr., Covert, of New
York, to recomnit the bill, but the Repub-
| licans refused to join in this attempt to
scotch the measure, and it ended in dismal
| failure. But thirty-six Democrats voted for
| it, not even enough to secure the yeas and
nays-a record-making vote The vote on
| the final passage of the oil was surprise
| Amid the most intense enthusiasm Demo-
| crat after Democrat who had been counted
to vote against the measure like
| Blanchard BeltZhoover, Boatner, Cochran.
| Coombs, Dunn, English, Geissenhainer Nc
| Aleer, Ryan and others, recorded their
| votes in the affirmative.
Only seventeen Democrats of all the
| bOasted Democratic opposition to the meas
| ure stood out to the end and voted against
| it. AS each one cast his vote ii vas greeted
| by applause, and cheers from the Repub-
| lican side. Those who voted against il
| were Bartlett Campbell, Covert Cum
| mings, Haines Hendrix, Schermerhorn
/ and Sickles Of New York, Cadmus of New
| Jersey, Sperry and Page of Connecticut.
| Geary Of California, Sibley of Pennsylva-
mia, and Dayey, Meyer, Price and Rob-
| ertson of Louisiana. The ma iority for the
bill (6D exceeded the most sanguine expec-
| tations of the Democratic members of the
| ways and means committee When the
| Speaker announced the vote cheer after
| cheer came from the Democratic side. and
| papers, Congressional Records and in
| fact, everything which the Democrats could
| lay their hands on, were flung high i'm the
| air, and, amid perfect pantiemonium Of
| joy, the House adjourned.
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL
| Speeches by Reed, Crisp and Wilson.
| and the Final Vote.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 1.-The hour which