Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-01-20
CONGRESS-.
Senate.

on the 10th by Senator Jones (Ark.) in two
close attention by sem senators on both sides Of
the chamber. Mr.. Jones took strong
grounds in favor of the free and independ-
the only method by which the distress IN
the country could be alieviated and the
treasury department relieved from it's pres
ent dependence upon the speculative holders
Of gold. There was no reply to Mr.. Jones'
argument, but the debate will be resumed
when the Senate meets again on the 18Th
Rep., n. CO., made a speech in favor of the
re-enactment Of the Mckinley law, and Mr.
White Dem, CALI made some remarks so
as to give the majority the power to bring
At the conclusion of Mr.. Whites speech
Mr. Morgan (Ala) introduced a resolution
it's stand for Independence: 1t was referred
to the committee on foreign relations.
Senator Morgan's speech on the silver
the. 18th, although a sharp personal col
loquy between MI. HILL Mr.. Pritchard and
Nj Butter enlivened the early hours. Mr.
Morgan frequently addressed himself per-
sonally to Mr.. Sherman, who sat across the
aisle, and for two hours arraigned the Ohio
senator for the series of financial acts with
which he is identified. At times Mr. Nor
gan was bitterly personal. He referred to
Mr. Sherman as that Napoleon of finance
who was near his Waterloo and who would
however, the speech was scholarly pres
entation Of the silver question. Mr.. Hills
colloquy with the two North Carolina sena--
tors brought out considerable discussion Of
the New York senator's political consist
ency and was amusing to the crowded gal
leries for the sharp sallies and witty re-
JoinderS during the triangular debate.
The bill granting pension of $50 monthly
to the widow of the late Brighten. Coggs-
Well Vel, a representative in Congress from
caused a long debate in the Senate on the
18th. Mr.. Hill and Mr. Mills wanted in
formation as to the system pursued in
Allen pop, Neb.) opposed determinations,
saying: II want to go on record as opposed
to any. distinction between the widow. of
the private soldier and that of brgadier-
erals" 1t was the plain private soldier,
he added who met the brunt Of the war,
that EMBELLISHMENTS won the war. It
was a species Of ''n3mby- pambyiSm and
fiunkeyis1n." 1t was an un-American dis
elimination. Later the bond silver bill was
taken up, but there was no action on it.
Senator Mills speech on finance, with
frequent direct criticisms of the President
main feature of the session of the Senate
on the 10Th. There was added interest in
the speech from the, fact that Mr. Mills has
of the presidential policy. His criticisms
were temperate and dignifed, the senator
giving. expression to his high personal re-
With With him radically on the question Of inan
cial policy. Mr.. PETER followed with a
speech against bonds and in favor of silver
coinage. During the day Mr.. Pugh Dem,
Ala.) gave notice that on the Goth he would
press to a vote without debate a resolution
that ali government obligations should be
paid in either silver or gold.
The consideration OF the silver bond bill
proceeded in the Senate on the 10th, with
Mr.; PETER continuing his speech of the day
before. AS, yet no suggestion has been
made as to bringing the measure to Il vote
Foreign questions received considerable at
tention during the day. MI Hale spoke for
an hour in favor Of Pacific cable connect
ing the United States and Hawaii. The
senator expressed the opinion that the an
nexation Of the Hawaiian islands to the
United States was certain to be accomplished
at an early day The Cuban question was
briefly discussed in connection with Mr.
Calls resolution calling on the state de-
partment for information on the status of
the uprising The Monroe doctrine also re-
ceived attention in a resolution by Mr.:
Sewell IN. J.) declaring the limitations Of
the doctrine and stating that President
the doctrine beyond it's original scope
resolution was adopted requesting the state
department for further information on Turk
iSh-Armenian affairs.
The House gave its time on the 10th to
the rules of the Fffty-first Congress. which
were Professionally adopted early in the SEES
sion to govern the House. Two interesting
discussions relieved the monotony Of the
technical debate. One was precipitated by
Mr. Walker (Mass), chairman of the COM
committees on banking and currency and on
mittee on banking and currency, who made
fight against the proposition to drop. the
committee on banking and currency from
the list of committees privileged to report
bills to the House at any time. A partisan
debate resulted, in which Mr.. Walker was
supported by the Democrats and a Repub-
lican contingent which included many free
silver men. The last Congress added the
coinage weights and measures to the privi-
legged list, but the committee on rules de-
cided not to alter the list of the Fifty first
Congress- Mr.. Walker failed to carry his
point Another surprise was brought into
the debate by Mr. Hepburn Rep.. La, who
made vigorous speech against the usual
rule putting in the hands of the speaker
discretion in the matter of recognizing mem
bers to speak.
The House on the 18th resumed the dis
cussion of the proposed amendments to
the rules as soon as the journal had been
read The debate was entirely technical
The. House after deyoting an hour to the
18th, went into committee Of the whole and
took up the pension appropriation bill
General debate on the bill consumed the
day. w. A. Stone Pa.) in charge of
the bill. explained it's provisions. 1t car
ried $141 ,325, $50, a reduction Of $53, $50 from
the estimates. The amendments to exist
ing law attached to the bill provided that
pensions granted under the act of 1890
should date from the first application, no
matter how many times they had been re-
jected or dismissed for defect or informality
in the application. and repealed the pro-
vision of the act of 1890 requiring widow
to prove that she was dependent for her
support on her daily labor. Instead, by the
terms of the amendment, she must prove
that her net income does not exceed $500
a year In answer to a question Mr.. Stone
said he did not know how many widows
would receive pensions under the amend
ment, but it mattered not whether it would
result i'll giving pensions TO one or 100000
widows. The government was not so poor
that it could not afford to pension the
widows of the defenders of the Union. ZAP
plauSe.)
The House spent the 14th in further de
bate upon the pension appropriation bill.
The speakers, with single exception, We're
Republicans, and all favored a liberal adj
ministration of the pension laws and the
adoption of the changes to existing laws
proposed by the bill. Among the speakers
was Gen. John A Walker. who served with
distinction in the Confederate army from
Manassas to AppomattoX. He is the only
Republican representative from Virginia.
His assurance of the good feeling that ex-
listed in the South toward the Union soldier
and the lack of hostility toward the pension
system was warmly received on both sides
of the House.
Another day was consumed by the House
in oratory ul'on the pension appropriation
bill on the 18TH in the course of which the
policy of the present adminiStratiO toward