Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-23
VEST DRAWSACROWD
SENATE GALLERIES FILLED TO
HEAR HIN SPEAK. .
AND THEN HE SPAKE NOT.
PACIFIC RAILROADS DISPLACE Gu
BAI IN THE DEBATE.
senators PcttiGrcyy and Morgan Bit
terly Attack the BOnd-Aided
Roads and Oppose the Fund
ing BIII-AdjOurn Until
january :.

WASHINGTON. Dec. Tho senate was un-
expectedly diverted to-day from Cuba to
the PaciGc railroads. An unusually large
crowd was in the Galleric-, anticipating
that Mr.. Vest would continue his speech
begun yesterday on the attitude of Mr..
OIney toward the Cameron resolution. The
Interest this had awakened was shown by
the presence in the diplomatic gallery of
First Assistant Secretary Of State Rock
hill. who is next in rank to Mr.. olney in
state affairs. and who has had special
charge or The reports coming from consuis
in cuba The foreign delegation also was
vel represented.
The large audience was considerably dis
appointed over the failure of Senator Vest
10 make the expected speech and the con-
sequeat failure Of Senator Hill to reply to
him.
- don't know" said Senator Vest, how
the impression got out that 1 would speak
to-day never said that 1 would"
u certainly can't reply to Senator Vest
IL he doesn't speak, said. Senator Hill.
The senate became aware of this condi-
ton OF affairs early in the day, but the
galleries remained in ignorance during a
greater part OF the session many retaining
their seats in the belief that they would
be regaled with such a debate as the pres
ent session has not witnessed.
The misapprehension as to Senator Vests
intentions grew out of the fact that he
had said that he would ''call up the reso-
luton to-day. He had said nothing of any
intention to make speech. but everyone
rushed to the conclusion that he could have
no other purpose in getting 1t up. The op-
ponents of the Cuban resolutions assert
that the Missouri senator's failure to talk
il due to the fact that he has been in
duced to look into authorities which do not
sustain his view of the question, and that
he has concluded to investigate further be-
fore speaking. The questlor k one requir-
ing close attention to preeedents and the
constitutional points, and all recognize
that II is necessary to proceed with care.
We've got them beat, said Senator
Hale sententiously. Hefspokef for the anti
Cubanites. w%
'On a vote2, was asked. =
The reply was in the affirmative.
Z Soon after the session opened, Mr.. Petti-
grew, of South Dakota, called up his reso-
luton relative to the trust notes of the
Pacific railroad The senator made, a
savage onslaught on the Pacific railroad
system In general. charging that ascombi-
nation of private interests was seeking TO
absorb the roads and close out the gov
ernment. This opened the entire question,
and Mr.. Morgan, of Alabama, followed
with a bitter arraignment of the Pacific
roads charging them with fraud and crime
on a gigantic scale. The speech lasted un-
III shortly before o'clock, when the morn
ing hour expired, thus sending over the
Cuban question until after the holidays.
Mr.. Call secured the adoption of reso-
luton asking the secretary of state for in
formation relative to the killing of Charles
Gavin, an American citizen, by the Spanish
Ea..N.r. @l,aW4 h f. hG
session was uneventfuI and the senate, Rd-
journed for the. holiday recess, lasting un-
I'll January 5.
Mr.. Pettigrew urged that the government
should embrace the present opportunity
for an experiment in government owner
ship of great continental line. He be-
leved the government should take pos
session and operate the Union Pacific road
and its branch lines.
MIR. Platt. Republican, of Connecticut,
spoke of the imperative necessity OF con-
sidering the important question of settle
ment with the Pacific roads. The indebted-
ness. reaching S1l5.OOQ0oO, was in danger OF
heing lost, and yet this vast debt and the
peril Of its loss seemed TO disturb no one
He hoped it would be one of the first sub
jects considered after the holidays.
Mr.. Morgan. Democrat, of Alabama, said
tire statements made by Mr.. Pettigrew were
OF most grave character. In effect, they
meant that certain individuals had made
fraudulent. combination to load down
those Pacific -Toads~so as to absorb them.
il was difficult fer-aay single mind to1grasp
uhe.'iabyrfnth of fraud and rascality'' that
had made this subject a perfect "saturnalia
of fraud"
It was. Mr. Morgan declared, a twin
brother TO the credit mobiler frauds, car
ried on By the same methods of bribery and
corruption.
The subject had been so deeply buried in
fraud and crime as to he almost beyond the
possibility, OF Intelligent consideration. A.
to the pending funding bill. MIR. Morgan
s:lid he opposed il, and when it came up
be would insist on the fullest latitude OF
debate.
Mr. Vest iuterpdscd at this point with
q question AS 10 the meaning of the presi-
dent in his recent message, that unless
congress acted on this Pacifca railroad
questions the eNeerTtive--branch would act
bs January l. e--.,.
Mr. Morgan gave "a tfeprecatory gesture
and said Now in aA Egypt. there was
only ono man. and, he was dIvineIy. in
stirred. who could interpret the dreams OF
Phvi"nlr. The senator ought not to ask
re SO interpret the presidents message
u gny man o. capable Of Interpreting tha,
u,csSaEc 1t IS the senator from Missouri
am not stunuing to- interpret the mes
saCu
NJ Vest with message in hand desired
- more exact answer. and proceeded to read
tho presidents worGs. hut he was cut on
amid laughter. ny Nj Morcans earnest
rcwsrk. = wish tho senator would moi
Ecther mo with that message
M. Morgan proceeded at considera bI,
lructh. urging that i; was Of supreme i'm.
rortauco that these roads should not fal
into private hands particularly the hand.
of foreign bondhoders. II was coming I,
the roin1 that an American StockhoIdcr II