The San Francisco call., 1897-02-18
Conference Report Finally
Adopted by a Vote of
81 to 81.
The Measure Has Already
Passed the House and Now
Goes to Cleveland.
Puts Up the Bars Against I litera
Aliens and Wings the "Birds
of Passage"

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. lin the
Senate to-day joint resolution was re-
ported by Sherman (R.) of Ohio from the
Committee on Foreign Relations, per-
mitting the Secretary OF War TO detail ar
army officer not above the rank of captain
| Tor the position of instructor in the mill
| tary school of the Greater Republic of
Central America, and it was passed.
Another resolution was offered by Petit
grew (SiL.) of South Dakota, and it was
agreed to, calling on the Secretary of
State for copy of Sir Julian Pauncefote's
reply to Secretary Gresham's letter calling
the attention of the British Government
to the utter failure of the regulations of
the Paris tribunal TO protect the seal herds
| of Alaska, and requesting an explanation
of the same.
Another resolution was introd uced by
Vest (D.) of Missouri, calling on the Secre-
tary of the Interior for information as to
the proposed erection of a steel elevator in
Yellowstone Canyon, Yellowstone Park,
and requesting him to withhold action
thereon until the propr;ety of the matter
can be determined by Congress. 1t was
adopted.
A resolution heretofore offered by Allen
(Pop.) of Nebraska, inquiring of the Civil
Service Commission in relation to the un-
usual discharge of certain employees in the
Bureau OF Animal Industry in South
Omaha, was taken up and discussed by
Allen. He related his unava ling efforts
TO get information on the subject and
spoke of the treatment which he had re-
Co,1
as violation of all the decencies and
proprieties of official life" The only ex-
cuse given for the discharge of two en-
ployes was that they had a picturetof Mr.
Bryan in their windows, while six other
employes in the bureau had pictures of
Mr.. Mckinley in their windows, but were
not even reprimanded. Two other of the
discharged employees had been the victims
of the civil service law because they were
supporters OF Mr.. Bryan. He denounced
the civil service law as q fraud, snare
and delusion. The resolution was
agreed to. 1t directs the Civil Service
Commission to report all the facts and cir
cumstances to the Senate.
The conference report on the immigra-
ton bill was laid before the Senate, and was
briefly explained by Lodge (R.) of Massa-
chusetts, in charge of the bill.
Palmer CD of Illinois denounced the
bill as an outgrowth of nativitism, a doc
trine for which he said he had the most
profound and earnest esteem. AS to the
exclusion of occasional laborers, which
was aimed at Canadians crossing the
border during the summer months, Palmer
said that if other nations followed that
miserable, narrow example," and made
retaliatory legislation American laborers
in Mexican and Canadian mines and
forests would suffer. Such legislation, he
declared to be IAN outrage on the comfy
of nations and on the civilization of the
age.'
In the course of his speech allusion was
made by Palmer to the State of Massa-
chusetts as the only Northern State which
refused suffrage to men who could not
read or write.
The defense of his States constitutional
provision in that regard was taken up by
Hoar (R.) of Massachusetts,, who spoke of
such statement as "pure demagoguery."
Hoar was reminded that during the war
Massachusetts, had sent emissaries to the
South and filed her quota of troops with
coloreC. men who could not read or write.
Carter (R.) of Montana gave notice that
if the conference report was agreed to he
would move for another conference, with
instr uctions to the Senate conferees to
insist upon an amendment that shall
apply to the citizens OF any country on
THIS sphere. He regarded 1t as an i'm
mature and unwise piece of legislation.
Caffery (D.) of Louisiana also oppos d
the conference report and had read
"Ouida's" letter N praise OF the 1lllterate
Italian peasantry as contrasted with the
trash of cities-emasculated, corrupt and
debauched.
Chandler (R) OF New Hampshire did
not let the opportunity pass OF remind
ing Caffery that in no State of the Union
were Italians treated so badly as in
Louisiana.
Caffery said that such Filings" had no
effect on him. The people of Louisiana
had no sort OF apology for the murder of
the Italians alluded to by the Senator
from New mpshire.
Chandler disclaimed any purpose to in
dulge in Cling at the people of Louisi-
ana. He only hoped that after reading
"Ouida's" letter they would not kill any
more Italians.
Gray O.) of Delaware also opposed the
conference report and the bill as a de-
parture from the settled policy of the
United States.
ment against the conference report and
against the bill, which, he declared, was
framed on the theory OF the fugitive 81 ave
law, and, like that law, its inhumanlty
would shock the moral sense of the
people.
Blanchard (D.) of Louisiana also
! spoke against the conference report. He
was rather in favor of encouraging immi-
grafton to build up the waste places in the
public domain. Perhaps not per cent of
the public domain was in actual cultiva-
tion. No such drastic measure should be
enacted into law.
Lodge (R.) of Massachusetts, closed the
debate with a speech in favor OF the re-
port. AS. to the effect of the bill on Amer
lean miners in British Columbia he did
not know how great their number was.
They would not be affe cted except by re-
taliatory legislation. He dill not know
there was going to be retaliatory legisla-
lation, and he did not see how Congress
could legisla;e on that basis. There was
great mass Of unemployed people in the
United States. When they were all en-
ployed then Congress might consider
whether 1T was wise to cease restricting
| Immigration.
At P. NJ. the debate was closed and a
vote was taken on the conference report
Ii was agreed to-ayes "a, noes 31-as fol-
lows:
Ayes: Repu ubllcans-Aldrich, Allison, Baker.
H.allA novf