The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-09
SCATHINC REBUKE
AGAINST HEARST
Delivered 10 Congress BY johnson 10
the Funding Bill Debate.
MAYOR sUTRo Is DENOUNCED
What They Would Have Done Had
They Built the Pacific Roads-Dem-
agOgism Must Go.


Washington. January s.-The second
days debate on the Pacific railroad re-
funding bill developed by far the most
sensational incident Of this session Of
congress.
johnson. Of California, the only mem
ber Of the California delegation who ia
vors the funding bill. In the course OF
his remarks took occasion TO make a
remarkable vltuperatiye personal at
tack on Editor Hearst. Of the San
Francisco Examiner. He denounced
Hearst and Mayor sutro as men who
were terrorizlng the Pacific coast men,
bers. and made statements concerning
the former which led Cooper 10 charac-
terize II later as the most disgraceful
attack In the legislative annals OF the
United States" The members. who
had been listening attentively to John
sons remarks. as he Is always one Of
the most entertaining speakers In the
houJe, were thunderstruck at the
lengths to which he went. Only at the
last session Johnson denounced Hearst.
but on that occasion he was called 20
order by MacQuire. OF California, but
today he completed his philippe with
out interruption. The speech created
a profound sensation. which was in
creased by Cooper's denunciation OF Il
as a cowardly attempt to blacken the
reputation OF a man OF positive gen.
ius." Cooper also took occasion TO score
the gentleman from California roundly
for his attitude toward the bill This
incident completely overshadowed the
interest in the debate on the funding
bill. and thereafter It proceeded quietly
TO the hour when recess was taken. The
general debate closed today. Tomor-
row the bill will be taken up for ar
gument under the five-minute rule.
johnson ridiculed the scareerow
which was always pushed into the horl-
zon. whenever scheme for the ad-
Justment OF the Pacific railroad debts
was proposed The fact that the pro-
jectors Of the roads made money was
something some members could not
forget. Everybody wanted to make
money. What would those who de-
nounoed Huntington have done. II they
had built the roads? II Mayor Sutro
and that Hearst" to whom he applied
an opprobrious adjective. had built
those roads they would not only have
made money, but they would have
bankrupted the government itself. He
declared with much feeling that there
was no member from California, except
possibly Bowers. who. IL he would ex-
press his honest sentiments, would not
support this measure, ''arsd that is the
man." said johnson. that has created
all this furor in California" He said
that Hearst intimidated the people and
created terrorism among them with his
paper The paper had made caricatures
of the chairman of the committee. Mr..
Powers. and the honorable speaker. II
will not speak for myself" he said,
because can get reasonably even
with this man before get through" :"
He said that Hearst had caused his
edict to be issued that any man who
dared favor the funding bill. shall be
driven from public life and ruined in
private life. and shall be disgraced be-
fore the people and the gods"
When johnson concluded his speech,
there was an ominous silence on the
floor. Cooper, OF Wisconsin, one of the
strongest foes of the Pacific railroad
funding bill. took the floor. About the
first word spoken from his lips inten-
sttied the situation. Cooper turned to
johnson and said: Let the CALLED jade
vince. The gentleman was in Repub-
lcan district, he boldly championed the
funding bill. and he is buried under a
majority of 5000"
'The gentleman from New York,
whom he so infamously and wilfully
maligned, is not the one responsible for
his defeat. 1t is acknowledged that
the people of the state of California
believe that the power of the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company, whom the
gentleman from California presumes tc
be championing here on the floor, in
the face of the people, has been used
to their detriment, They know of the
manner in which the corporation has
for years past treated the people Of
that state"
The evening session Of the house was
spent in a vain effort to procure 8
quoum, which was undertaken at the
instance of Erdman, Democrat Of
PENNSYLVANIA. A call of the house was
made and afterwards the sergeant-at
arms was directed to arrest and bring
in the absentees. Pending this pro
ceeding there were repeated motions t
adjourn. to suspend further proceedings
under call, etc,
At 10 o'clock the sergent-at-arms re
ported the presence Of three additiona
members, who were brought before the
bar Of the house and after making theil
explanations were in turn excused.
On motion of Thomas, warrants Is
sued for the arrest of absent member:
were made returnable Tuesday next.
Blue, of Kansas, asked that Speaker