The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-14
SHIRAS MERcILESSLY SCORED
DE ARMOND VIRTUALLY ACCUSES
HIM OF TAKING A BRIBE.

His sudden Change of Front on the
COnstitutionRIity of the Income
Tax Law the Ground for the
Charge-The Fiery Onslaught
Brought ON by References TO the
Revenue Of the Government While
Debating the sundry Civil Appro-
printion Bill.
Washington, Feb. 3.-General debate on
| the sundry civil appropriation bill gave
opportunity for several speeches upon rad
| ically different topics, ranging from the
policy of river and harbor improvements
20 Cuban independence. The House plung-
| ed at once into consideration of the meas
ure, it having been taken up for a short
! time Friday afternoon The largest single
| item in the bill is the appropriation for
| works in continuation of their improve
ments of rivers and harbors amounting to
about Sl6O0O,0O0, and the river and harbor
! system naturally came in for a large share
/ of the discussion.
| After genral speeches on the bill by Mr..
! Cannon, chairman of the committee on
| appropriations, and by Mr. Sayres, the
leader of the minority on the committee,
! Messrs. Dockery and Hepburn spoke
against the contract system for making
itself, and Mr. Catchings defended both.
MIR. Mcmillan. responding to a statement
by Mr.. Hopkins that under republican ad-
ministration of the Mckinley law it pro-
duced revenue sufficient TO meet the eX-
penditures of the government with a
sumptuous surplus beside, criticised the
! decision of the supreme court which made
| the income tax feature of the Wilson law
| ineffective.
But" he said, "the whole country ought
not TO suffer from the action of one man.
| Everybody knows that the man who tore
| down the constitution, uprooted the de-
cisions of 100 years and destroyed the
! power of the government TO tax the wealth
| of the country was named Shiras, and his
| name should always be remembered in
connection with that reprehensible and
/ eVer-tO- e-criticised decision"
To9this, Mr.. Grosvenor replied. He said
| he should leave criticism of the supreme
| court and of Mr.. Shras, who could not
respond, to the gentleman from Tennes-
| see. He desired, however, to let the gem
| tleman have full benefit of tn PROPOSE
| ton that the Mckinley law was made
| quate as a revenue raiser and that the
| Wilson bill was splendid production.
That would strike the country as some,
| thing remarkable. THE Mckinley law,
Mr.. Grosvenor asserted, produced not
! only revenue for the expenditures of the
| government, but surplus as well, until
| God, Tor some reason which he has not
I made known, menaced the future of ,he
| country by permitting the election OF
Grover Cleveland and democratic con-
Mr.. lie Almond, referring to Mr.. Gros-
| venor's reply to Mr.. McMillan's Just crti-
cism OF the supreme court, in the mat
ter OF the income tax, said he yielded tC
4 decisions of the supreme court that gem
eral respect which every lawyer was
taught wa was due i!n,,.9 70 the Law tribunal o. ol
| long 70 that class of people, and repre-
| sent a constituency who do not believe
that any institution of the country or any
l N 4 q
the affairs of the nation is so sacred that
it is not subject to just criticism. one
| of the greatest menaces to the prosperity
and progress of the republic lies in the
| usurpations by the judiciary, lies in the
use of that subtle, neVer-ceasing power
| which OVerturns the decisions of a hum
! dred years, affects the elections of Presi-
dents and makes strange law by strange
! Methods
| Justice Shiras, Mr.. DE Almond said: He
| changed his mind in such way as 70
| lift from wealth a tax of from $40 000,0O(
to S60,00OOO0 year and transfer IL "a
| poverty and toll Men may change their
minds, but when SAC, 900. 900 to $50 600, 600 an
nually are in the scale, and trained
| judge, without further argument and adj
| ditinal light, changes his mind, why should
| there not be comment on II? His name
| viii be kept alive, not in honor, but he
cause the American people have been out
| ragged by him."
He would go further, Mr.. De Almond
said, and charge that the crime of the
| hour was that the power of the judiciary
was not more strictly limited. There was
| a sentiment in the House and Senate
both, which tended to minimize the power
| OF the legislatures and to secure additional
| power 10 the executive and to the su-
| preme court. There was every reason
| why the legislative power should be
| strengthened that il might more proper.
| ~ represent the people, and why that OF
the executive and the courts should, be
Mr.. De Almond closed with fervid, i'm
| passioned appeal for Intervention in be.
| half OF the Cuban revolutonists. If asked
| upon what ground the Intervention should
be made he would say that 1t should be
| done upon the high ground that this ma.
| ton of free men, sons Of free men, sympa-
! thized with the efforts of those near ouI
| shores to become themselves free men
The CuDans, he said, had been lured into
| the rebellion by the people Of the United
| States. Every wind from this shore car
ried to them messages of sympathy and
support. He had hoped that this admins.
| tration would respond In some suitable
way TO the swelling sentiment of the coun.
| try In favor Of the Cubans and his hope
now was that the incoming administra-
tion would put itself in harmony with the
| overwhelming desires of the people. CAP
| plause). Had the election last November
| resulted In the elevation of that matchless
! leader, William j. Bryan Qoud democratic
doubt that American sentiment would
| have been fully and promptly carried into
effect upon his accession to power"
Mr.. De Almond, with usual vigor OF ut
| terance, denounced the condition OF affairs
in Cuba as shameful. and a disgrace upor
| civilization and 70 the self imposed inquiry
| What shall we do?" responded do any.
| thing that will put stop to the outrages
| do anything that we ought to do, or have q
| right to do Why should not the govern
| ment, representing the people, say that II
would never see the flag of Spain floating
over the island. but that 1t would see the
flag Of free Cuba float there forever. ZAP
| plauseJ What cannot be done by the slow
| process Of law should be done by the SHARP
| edge Of the sword"
Messrs Hopkins and Grosvenor defend.
| ed the Mckinley law against the charge
! Of Messrs. Dockery and Mcmillan that II
| was a dencit-producing measure. And
finally, Mr.. Pitney, rep, OF New Jersey
| charged the responsibility for the largely
! increased appropriations in late years "a
| the policy OF the House which divided the
| work and responsibility Of the appropria-
| tions committee among several commit
| tees Mr. Cannon gave notice that he would
| try 70 pass the bill Monday under suspen-
| sion Df the rules.
| At SIS o'clock the House adjourned.
/ -s-o-e
VENEZUELA's BOUNDARY TREATY