The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-24

his opinion, a stupendous mistake on
the part of the Republicans, looking at
it from a political standpoint. They
had missed an opportunity to popular
fze this measure. If by voting against
this conference report he could achieve
reverse of the decision on these
points he would gladly do so and stay
here another month But he realized
that his vote would be useless, and
with much reluctance and many re-
grets he announced he should vote for
the report.
Mr.. Pettus (Ala.) followed, antago-
niZing the action of the conference on
cotton ties. cotton baggdng, etc. Ill
asking that they be placed on the free
list, he said, he was pleading for the
American farmer. The profession that
this bill was to be enacted in the in.
terests of American labor he denounced
as damnable pretense. Mr.. Pettus
spoke leisurely and at length against
the bill He referred to the vote of a
Democratic senator, McEnery, for the
BILL although, Mr.. Pettus said, not
more than 500 men owned sugar lands
in Louisiana.
Mr.. McEnery challenged this state
ment, saying that one-half the people
of Louisiana were interested directly
or indirectly in sugar production. Mr..
Pettus closed with an arraignment of
trusts and as he sat down he received
several scattered handclaps.
Mr.. Allen (Neb) reviewed what he
called the remarkable things of this
remarkable extra session. He spoke
OF the large campaign funds raised
last fall and the influence it had in
corrupting the vote of Ohio, Illinois and
other states.
the aisle, arose and said: THE vote of
Ohio was an honest one and I never
until this moment heard 1t insinuated
that it was not an honest vote.''
Then the senator hears it now,"
responded Mr.. Allen.
'On what ground does the senator
make such an assertion?' asked Mr..
Foraker.
"On the ground" Mr.. Allen replied.
,ilau if the vote of Ohio in 1896 was
fair and honest one. there is one
voter for every two and a half or three
CT the population, and in the city Of
Cleveland almost the whole population
were voters. The honest men of the
Cnlted States believe it was a fraud,
and [ believe it was produced by
money and other corrupting in
fuences." Mr.. Allen said the same
was true of Illinois, where the vote
OF chicago was swollen over 200, 600
votes.
AT o'clock a motion by Mr.. Pettus
to go into executive session was lost.
Mr.. Allen had resumed his tariff
speech when Mr.. Foraker came for
! ward with census figures for the pur-
pose of disproving Mr.. Aliens charge
as to the swollen vote in Ohio. He
said Mr.. Allen must have spoken in
ignorance of the facts. Hurriediv
reading from statistics Mr. Foraker
SAID the vote in Ohio in 1886 was 1,O02,- =
a26, while the population was about
Iouf million or about one vote for
every four persons, In Cleveland the
statistics showed about one vote for
every TOUR parsons. That ratio was
ABOUT the average on a full vote
Did not Mr.. Bryan have a larger
vote in '96 than Mr.. Harrison had in
'S2?' asked Mr.. Allen
4es, answered Mr.. Foraker "be-
cause neither of the candidates of '92
was calculated to bring out the full
party strength, and in my Judgment
there was not full vote for either Mr.
Harrison or Mr.. Cleveland. On the
other hand the campaign of 1896 was
unusually energetic and an exception
ally full vote was polled
Not since 1885 has a question of
fraud arisen in Ohio and then Gov.
hoadley' a democrat, exposed and de-
nounced the frauds that had been prac-
ticed. Since then neither Democrats
nor Republicans have insinuated fraud
and today the Nebraska senator makes
the hrst 1nslnuation of that character
He bases it on the ratio of the vote to
the population, and 1 have shown that
ms ratios are incorrect. 1 ask the
senator to confess he was in ignorance
and withdraw his charge
But Mr.. Allen made no withdrawal
and Mr. Teller caused a temporary di-
version by citing the fact that the Ohio
vote in 1892 was only $4,000, and in
1896 mad increased to 1,014,297
Again Mr.. Foraker insisted that the
vote in 1892 was exceptionally small.
L do not doubt" said he, that 200 O00
votes did not go to the polls to vote for
either Grover Cleveland or Benjamin
Harrison" Having explained his own
party vote, Mr.. Foraker turned to Mr.
Allen and said: "And now how do YOU
explain the increase of your vote in
Ohio by 75,000?"
Because a good many of the people
OF ONO had come to their Senses" an
swered Mr.. Allen.
NO" proceeded Mr.. Foraker, "vou
got your increase just as we did. be-
cause 1t was a great contest and a. full
vote was cast.
Then" Mr.. Foraker added, with a.
tlnge OF sarcasm, Il was mainly desir-
Gus of knowing whether the senator
wanted to slander his native state by
such charges"
oh, that's all balderdash," retorted
Mr.. Allen, contemptuously. He was
about to go on but Mr.. Foraker insist
ed ON interrupting.
Il do not allow the senator. even
when I enjoy the courtesy of his yield
ing the floor to me, to dismiss this as
'balderdash.' 1t is not balderdash. You
make serious charges against your ma
tive state, against the great state of
Ohio, state where honest elections are
held. have shown the facts by figures
and | ask whether you except the
facts?'
ooh, the senator is getting warm "
answered Mr.. Allen deprecatinglv
"He is becoming irrascible He will
cool off by morning"
mot at all" responded Mr.. Foraker
calmly, eve usually understand that
the man who INDUCES in epithets and
talks Of 'balderash' is the one who be-
gins to feel uncomfortable. was
never more composed in my life"
Mr.. Allen said he would dismiss the
matter, for every one knew the ballot
box in Ohio had been used by repeat
ers in the last election.
'I challenge that statement" inter
posed Mr.. Foraker. II challenge the