Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-08
The Funding Bill Being Discu-
ssed in the Lower Branch
Of Congress.
JACKSON DAY OBSERVED
The Railroad Strike Of 1894 and
falling of Debs Being In
quired Into.
NEW PRISON EMPLOYMENT

WASHINGTON, D. c., January g.
A resolution was agreed to, to-day
instructing the attorney general to Civ
all the correspondence and the tele
grams between his department an
public officers and all other persons
velative to the great railroad strike a
Chicago, in 1894, and the action of thu
government in suppressing the same
The house then further considered
the Pacific railroads funding bill.
MIR. Patterson. of Tennessee, said he
did not subscribe to the sentimental
side of the controversy, that the build
ers of these roads were great public
bensfsctors, opening up vast terri.
tory to the growth of the nation. The
other, or popular side, calling these
mon public robbers, he did not sub.
scribe to, either. 1t was no use, be
said, discussing matters beyond the
power of congress. The government
had loaned its credit to companies,
taking as security for repayment,
second mortgages upon certain prop
srty. which amounted to something
over SEC, 100000, and the security was
a second mortgage upon about 3.00O
miles of railroad. The question was,
what is the government going to DO
with this enormous Indebtedness OF
$175, ,O0O,GOOP Two practical propo-
sitions presented themselves. One
contemplated government ownership ;
the other, settlement with the owners.
To the first he was unalterably opposed,
preferring that the whole debt be can
celled, rather than that congress should
take the roads.
Mr.. Harrison, democrat. OF Ala.
bama, followed, in opposition to the
bill. He could not support the pendipg
measure, because it was far too favor
able to the companies. The Union
sPscihc had made much more advan-
tageous proposition to the government
than that contained in the present bill.
Mr.. Harrison, IN opposing the DILL,
favored the Union Pacific plan. That
company, he said, was much more able
to comply with the requirements OF the
pending bill than was the Central Pa
-oifc, and he could not understand why
they should be put upon an equality.
!. Mr.. johnson, of California, spoke
for the funding bill. His speech was
full of bitter sarcasm, directed against
the gentlemen who charged that the
projectors had made money out of the
enterprise. He said that the state Of
California had forced the bill, and the
representatives of California should
vote for the bill. But they were ter
rorized by two men, who we're respon-
sible tor the alleged opposition to the
measure-Mayor Sutro and w. K.
Hearst, of The EGan,iner, the latter OF
whom he made the subject OF re-
vituperative attack. ln
closing, he appealed to the house to set
tie the matter forever, so it might be
taken out of politics, and the railroad
companies relieved of the importunate
demands OF black alters.
WASHINGTON, D. c., January s.
The house Judiciary committee to-day
ordered a favorable report on the
senate contempt court bill, the measure
from the Chicago railway
strike and the imprisonment of Eugene
v. Dsbs, three years ago. Iu the pres
ent form, the bill provides that any
contempt in the presence of the court
may be punished by the court alone,
but that any contempt, outside the
court, except the refusal Of witnesses
to attend, must be tried by jdry, II
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