The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-14

proposed The projectors Of the road
making some money was something thcy
could not forget. Everybody wanted TO
make money. What would those who
denounced Huntington do If they had the
business of the road! What would
Mayor Sutro and Editor Hearst have
done il they had built these roads, They
would not only have made money: they
would have bankrupted the government
itself. Suppose the projectors did make
money, the question with us aS members
and ctlstodians of the governments in
tcrcsts, il How shall we get the govern
ncnt's money backF
Mr.. johnson denounced the eX-mem-
beers who were lobbying ION the floor
against the bill" He then proceeded 10
argue that it was idle to insist that the
roads should pay more in interest than
they were able to.
Individually Mr.. johnson SAID, ne was
| willing to entirely wipe out the debts OF
| those roads, because that would be to
the interest Of the state Of California.
| II the roads did not have TO pay ms
debt they could reduce their rates. But,
! looking at the interests OF the govern
mcnt this bill should be passed. He de-
carcd with much feeling that there was
not a member from California, except
| possibc Mr. Bowers, who, II he would
| rXprcss his honest sentiments. would not
! support this measure. lie said they were
ali afraid of the newspapers OF San Fran
cisco. All this illumination against the
| bill, he said, was due TO Adolph SutrO
and William Il. Hearst. The mention ol
| these names seemed to arouse all the pcnt
M ire in Mr. .Johnsons nature and he
proceeded TO pour out the walls OF ms
wrath upon them.
Mr.. johnson is always n vigorous
talker inclined to use strong diction, but
| the members who sat listening TO MN
were not prepared for the philippe which
| he launched.
He detailed Mr.. Hearsts connection
| with the San Francisco Examiner and
how he had built up that paper and SAID
| the people of California admitted II.
He said they were suspicious at first and
| knew that Mr.. Hearst was cratic IN
| his conduct. lie then made insinuations
and allegations against Mr.. Iicarsts per-
| sonal habits, but added that the people
believed he was honest. This was FOL.
| lowed by more sensational charges and
| vitupcrativc language.
"And that is the man." he added, that
has created all this furorc in California
lie said that Hearst had inundated
| the people and created terrorism among
them with his paper. This paper had
maigncd and caricaturcd the speaker and
the leader of the committee Powers).
II would not speak for myself" said
| he. ''for | will get even with him"
When Mr.. Johnson concluded his
speech there was an ominous silence on
the floor.
Mr.. Arnold of Pennsylvania made a
brief speech for the measure, hut the
house was still buzzng with the sensa-
ton caused by the California member.
When Mr. Arnold had finished. Mr..
Cooper (rcp) of Wisconsin, one of the
strongest foes of the Pacific railroad bill
now as in the past, took the floor. About
the first words that fell from his lips
intensified the situation.
''ln view of what has been said 10y the
gentleman from California" he said,
"in view of the exhibition which we saw
hcrc-as l think, one of the most dis
graceful known in the annals of Ameri-
can lcgislation-the attacking of man
absent from the floor-in n manner
known only to towards, blackening his
name, running him Gf it were in the
power Of the gentleman from California
to ruin anybody who has ever had n
reputation Mt am to the best of his
ability, | feel it proper for me to say
a few words
Mr.. Cooper then paid high tribute
to Mr.. Hearst and the hard work he
had done to build up his papers and said
that he did not think anything he had
done warranted any member to attack
him as the gentepan from California
had done.
Mr.. Cooper then turned TO Mr.. John
son and continued:
LET the CALLED jade vince. The gen.
tleman was n candidate in Il republican
district He upheld the funding bill
lanchc of 5000 votes. The gentle
man from New York. whom he has SO
UNANIMOUSLY and wilfully maligned, is not
responsible for his defeat. 1t is the
knowledge that the people of the state
of California have that the power of the
Southern Pacific Railway company
whom the gentleman from California
presumes TO bc championing here on the
ioor in the name of the people. has
been used to their dctriment. They know
of the manner in which that corporation
has for years past treated the people OF
that state. The people of California
have been treated more shamcfuly by
this corporation than by any other cor.
poration-railroad or otherwise. They
have destroyed or crippled enterprise
they have destroyed the business of ndi.
viduals, they have dictated to the mer.
chants how they should conduct their
business, they have imposed hardships
upon the people, business men. mer.
chants, dry goods men. lumbermen-mer.
chants i'll every class of business-an
made life bear with heavy hand on
those who undertook to ship their freight
in opposition to this company"
Mr.. Cooper then Gained down and pro-
ceeded with his argument. Throughout
his reply to Mr.. johnson the latter sal
quietly III his seat at the rear of the hall
He made no response. The sensational
incident growing out of Mr.. Johnson's
attack almost drowned interest in the
debate.
Mr., Arnold (rcp,) of Pennsylvania fol
lowed in favor of the bill and Mcssrs
Pitncy (rcp.) of New Jersey, Bell pop,
of Colorado and Shafroth (rcp) of Colo
RADIO against it.
Mr., Hepburn (rcp) of Iowa supported
the measure in an extended argument n.
The only provision for settlement ut thi.
juncture. He argued that the govern
ment ownership of railroads was bount
up in the defeat of the pending bill
At 3 o'clock, upon the conclusion OF
Mr.. lcpburn's remarks the house tool
recess until s o'clock, the evening SEES
sion TO he devoted to private pension
bills.
EVENING SESSION.
The evening session was spent in ,
yam effort TO procure quorum, which