The record-union., 1897-01-31

WASHINGTON. Jan. 30.-The nomi
nal business of the House to-day was
the consideration of the agricultural ap
preparation bill, which was passed be-
fore adjournment, but much of the time
was devoted to political discussion. In
cidental TO this discussion was a spirited
speech by MOndeIl (R) of Wyoming up
on the free silver Republicans of the
West who had bolted from their party
during the campaign. He declared that
the boiling Republican leaders had been
raised to prominence as much by their
party organization as by their own
worth, and had used that organization
to aid the PopuliStic com
binatiOn, and then after the election had
been rewarded by the treachery of their
allies. He cited the defeat i'm Idaho of
Senator Dubois, to whom he paid high
tribute
The free distribution of seeds by the
Department of Agriculture raised an in
teresting discussion. Northway (R.) of
Ohio asserted that Secretary Morton en-
deavored to discredit the custom by pro-
curing poor seeds, and BromWell (R.) of
Ohio charged that the seed firm of May
x Co. of Minneapolis had attempted to
bribe him by an offer of seeds free to re-
frain from calling the attention of Con-
gress to the quality Of the goods they
furnished the department. An amend
ment was offered by Mercer (R.) of Ne
g5raska for free distribution to members
of poultry, swine and other livestock, to
illustrate his opposition to seed gifts. AT
the request of the agricultural organiza-
tions of his State, Hill (R) of Connecti-
cut proposed to strike out the seeds, but
his proposition was lost, Speaker Reed
voting for the first time this session, and
against free seeds.
The question of the distribution of
seeds by the Secretary of Agriculture
was revived by an amendment offered
10 the seed section by Bromwell (R) of
Ohio providing that the Secretary
should be governed in the distribution
by the written instructions of Senators
and members.
The seed distribution was character
ized by Moody CR,) of Massachusetts
as the biggest humbug of the many
humbugs we see in Washington"
The first review by a Republican
member of the course of the boiling free
silver Republicans of the West was
made by Mondell (R.) of Wyoming, who
found his text in the recent defeat of
Senator Dubois of Idaho. He referred
TO the boilers as men raised to their
positions as much by Republican organ
izations as by their own merits" and
that TO join the enemy they must sacri-
fee the organization which had defend
ed them. He denied that their step in
volved moral courage, for it would have
required more courage to brave the
storm Of denunciation and suspicion at
home than TO break party ties. The men
VINO temporarily left the Republican
party had been lauded as unselfish pa
triots by their allies, but now the scales
had fallen from their eyes. He c0ntin
ued:
Nowhere in any Of these States where
the Republican organization was used TO
further the interests of the Democratic
and Populistic combination for the
Presidency has there been aught but
treachery and deceit practiced upon the
men who made it possible for these
creatures to WELD the weapons Of their
deception International convention
pledges were carried out by the opposi-
tion, because there was no way in which
they could be avoided but wherever
the Silver Republicans had not the i'm
mortal cinch' the cloven hoof of their
late allies had been exhibited. Slanders
and misrepresentation had been used
TO tear down from their high estates the
men who helped them TO win their vic
tory
Speaking Of Senator Dubois he said:
1T Will be claimed i'm extenuation of the
perfidy Of the men who defeated Dubois
that the Republican National Commit
tee was working against his reelection.
Can any man wonder that the Republ-
can National Committee would work
against the election of a man whom the
Democratic National Committee and
every man thereof from the Chairman
down. claimed TO be moving heaven and
earth TO elect? And they who make this
excuse in extenuation should remember
that by so doing they are not only
branding the members of the combina-
4ion in the Legislature who voted to
defeat the election of a Silver RepubE-
can to the Senate as guilty not only of
the heinous crime Of ingrautude. but
omen To a suspicion of exercising their
high prerogative influenced by a money
consideration.
Fred Dubois, whose eloquent tongue
and active brain has made him a power
ful accomplishment of results. was
thrown down, unhorsed, defeated by the
men h. made. in favor of a man profess
edly lacking in all the qualifications
that would render him of service to the
cause which the hypocrites claim to
have at heart. The dispatches this
morning bring us the news that the gen
tleman who succeeds him viii go into
the Democratic caucuses of the Senate
Of the United States, and thus the Re-
publican State of Idaho is turned over
boots, body and breeches to a minority
representing Jess that 10 per cent. of
her total vote, and thus Is the true ami
mus OF the campaign for personal ag-
grandlzenent under the guise of devo-
ton to the silver cause exposed to the
execration Of the nation"
In the course OF the seed debate
which had been diverted by Monden.
Bromwen (R) of Ohio asserted that a
seed firm. May & Co, of Minneapolis.
had offered him direct bribe of 800
packages Of seeds to prevent him from
calling the attention of Congress to the
poor qualities of seeds furnished the
Department of Agriculture by the firm.
Northway (R) of Ohio charged that
the Secretary of Agriculture procured
the poorest seeds to dscredit the prac-
tice of giving them away.
Hill (R.) Of Connecticut offered an