The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-09

TWO questions TO the house, SeLClement
of the debt or Government ownership of
the Railroads.&c. Populistic proposition
pure and simple. Much of the opposition
to the measure, ne said, came from Cali
fornia. He asked the House to ignore the
fight between the people of that State and
Huntington. Let them do as they would.
Congress should vote on and dispose OF
this matter on business principles ana Tor
the interest of the whole country.
Cooper (R.) of Wisconsin, who had been
referred to by Johnson as being one ofthe
critics of the constructors, replied to the
attack upon Hearst by Johnson, reDelling
the aspersions cast upon him. He referred
to the fact that Johnson alone of all the
California delegation had championed the
funding bill and had been defeated for re-
election by NOR than 5000 notes.-the larg-
est majority given against a Republican
Congressional candidate in that State for
years. Were the gentleman's constituents
who voted to retire him from public life
all "blackmailed" by the gentleman resid-
ing in New York? Cooper referred to the
vast profits made by the constructors OF the
roads-nearly $780, 600, 00O-and contemptu-
ously dismissed the argument on their be-
half based upon the risk they took by
the statement that they did not invest
cent of their own money. The Govern
ment directors of the Union Pacific road
were unanimously in favor of foreclosure
of the mortgages.
Shafroth Pop of Colorado opposed the
bill. TWAS not based upon good business
principles he said, which justified credi-
tor in refusing to extend aid to debtor If
he had not fairly and honestly performed
his part of their joint obligation.
The railroad companies could not claim
to have thus fairly and honestly carried
out the requirements of the law under
which they had been operating. AS to
the provisions of the bill Shafroth said it
would be cheaper for the Government to
cancel it's indie Dtedness outright than to
enact into law the pro position involved in
them.
In the seven and half minutes allotted
to him by Hubbard. in charge of the time
against the bill, Parker (R. } of New Jersey
endeavored to state his objections to the
measure.
The general debate against the bill was
closed by Bell (Pop.) of Colorado.
Hepburn (R.) of Iowa, member of the
Pacific Railroads Committee, made
closing argument in favor of the bill. Re-
ferring to the objections made against the
bill by Hubbard (R.) of Missouri, that bet
ter propositions had been made by the
companies than that contained in the
pending bill, Mr.. Hepburn asserted that
either the proposition referred to had not
been authoritatively made or had been
shown to the satisfaction of the committee
to be beyond the power of the companies
10 carry out.
Hepburn contended that the proposition
for the Government 10 take control of the
roads would be but the entering wedge in
the Populist scheme to bring all the rail-
roads of the United States under Govern
ment ownership and control. Referring
to the com paint of the opponents of the
bill that the people of California were
writhing under the burden imposed by
Huntington and his associates in the man
agement of the Pacific Railroad, Hepburn
asked il it were probable or even possible
that the residents of the great City of San
Francisco-the wealthiest City of its siz
in the Union - the charges being true,
would sit supnely down and do nothing
further than complain to Congress.
Powers (R.) of Vermont interrupted to
ask if it were not true that the charges for
freight in California were less than they
were in New England.
Morse (R) of Massachusetts replied:
"They are, as l know from personal ex-
perience, in shipping freights.'
In conclusion Hepburn defended the
committees proposition as the best that
could be secured. 1t increased, he said,
the securities held by the Government.
despite the authorized mortgages, and in
that belief the committee submitted the
bill to the House for action.
The committee then rose and several
executive communications were laid be-
fore the Honse.
AT o'clock the House. under the rules,
took a recess until 8 P.M NJ.
The evening session of the House de-
voted under the rules TO the consideration
of private pension bills was rendered of
no avail tonight by absenteeism.
Upon the usual motion being made to
go into committee of the whole Erdman
CD of Pennsylvania suggested that by
the order adopted by the house relating to
the Pacific Railroad funding bill, nothing
else could be considered until it had been
disposed Of
He desired to offer an amendment to
that bill, but Thomas (R.) of Michigan
raised the point OF order that that could
not be done. The Speaker pro tenn,
Payne (R.) of New York, sustained the
point of order, from which ruling Erd-
man appealed. The decision of the chair
was sustained by a vote of 81 TO /.
Erdman made the point of no quorum
and the rest OF the evening was occupied
in proceedings under call of the House.
The customary resolution was passed di.
recting the sergeant -at-arms to arrest and
bring to the bar OF the House members
absent without leave, and in pursuance
thereof Stallings, Alabama, Woodward,
North Carolina and Kieburg, Texas, were
brought in.
After they had furnished the requisite
amount OF amusement by giving their ex-
cuses they were excused.
The return of the sergeant-at-arms upon
the execution of warrants issued to him
for the arrest of absent members was, on
motion of Thomas {R.) of Michigan, post
poned until after the reading OF the
journal on Tuesday next.
This brought out an inquiry from Chick
ering (R.) OF New York as to the status TO-
morrow and Monday of mem bers arrested
by the sergeant-at-arms, whether or not
they would be permitted to vote upon the
Pacific railroads funding bill.
The Speaker pro tent have no doubt
L. L,