The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
WASHINGTON.

egislation than the congressman are,
md in election years, if at no other
ime, the expressed disapprobation of
he people is quickly deferred to by
he men who control Congress. A
:ase in point is the Pacific Railroads
)ill which has been reported to both
House and Senate. Now, although
his bill involves an enormous amount
IF money, and that it is much more
favorable to &. p. Huntington and
lis ring of capitalists than to the gov
eminent, as was so ably shown by
the protest written by Senator Morgan,
from a sick bed and presented to the
Senate as minority report, it was
proposed to railroad it through Con
sress during the last days of the ses-
sion. This programme had the sup
port of Speaker Reed and of leading
men IN the Senate, and was being
whooped up by Huntington and his
lobby. The bill has been SO generally
condemned by the people that halt
has been called in the programme, and
it is now said that the bill will not be
acted upon at this session Of Congress,
if it ever is in its present shape.
Senator Cockrell succeeded in his
humane effort to have the Senate
amend the Indian appropriation bill
so that it provides that two years
shall be allowed the sectarian (Catho.
tc) Indian Schools to prepare to turn
,heir scholars over to government
schools, if they do not wish to teach
them at their own expense; but there
IS no certainty that the a. p. A g,
which has shown its control of the
House several times during the ses-
sion, will agree to it.
President Cleveland assured the
delegates to the National Arbitration
Conference which met in Washington
this week, who called on him, that he
was thoroughly in sympathy with their
aim to bring about system of inter
national arbitration of all disputes
not affecting the sovereignty of nations.
The unseating of Representative
Cobb, of Ala. in favor of GOODWIN,
the populst who contested the seat,
by the republican majority of the
House, was a part of the deal through
which it is expected to carry Alabama
this year by republican-populist
combine. This was so palpable that
few republican members refused to
vote for it, but not enough to defeat
it. The danger of putting young
men with more egotism than parlia-
mentary knowledge in the Speakers
chair was exemplifed during the
debate in this case. Speaker Reed
desiring to consult with some of his
boomers called Representative Bar
rett, of Mass, to the chair and retired
to his private room to figure on his
chances for the Presidential nomina-
ton. Mr.. Barrett got tangled up,
and was about to get the House in
the biggest sort of a row by attempt.
ing to shut off Mr.. Cobb, who had
been allowed one hour to speak in
his own behalf. Fortunately some
body sent for Mr.. Reed and he re
turned to the chair and Strengthened
out matters. He also tried to let
Mr.. Barrett down easy by saying that
he had misunderstood the agreement
under which the House was acting,
but Representative Bailey, of Texas,
promptly called him down by shout
ing: IGNORANCE, not misunderstood
ing" This man hopes to be Speaker
of the next House, if Reed becomes
President and the House remains
repubhcan-a formidable ''if."
Senator Smith, of N. j., has proba.
oily been scratched off Andy Car
negie's list of friends, if he was ever
on it. The reason is an amendment
which Mr., Smith wishes to have at
tached to the Naval appropriation
bill. This amendment instructs the
Secretary Of the Navy to make nc
contracts for armor plate for the
battle ships provided for in that bill
unless the price be at least as low as
5000 a ton Of 1900 pounds. Car
negie is now making Uncle Sam pay
$500 ton for armor plate, but has
promised to reduce the price, to
prevent the government undertaking
to make its own armor. Senator
Smith wants to make sure that the
reduction is what it should be, ant
yet there is no injustice in the figures
he names as that is the price at which
Carnegie and his associates have
taken a Russian contract. 1t remains
to be seen whether Carnegie's friends
in Congress can head off that Smith
amendment.
There has been some excitement
in Congress this week on account o.
statement made by Representative
Sulzer, of n. Y. to the effect thai
Walter DVeert, q Young American