The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-17
UNCLE SANS CHARITY
House Bill Passed for Relief of
KlOndikers.
PELAGIC SEALING BILL
ALSO PASSED BY A sUBsTAN-
TIAL MAJORITY.
Opposition to the Bill Was Spirited,
and Afforded Sallies of Wit and
Caustic Queries of the Majority
Extension of Time for Bankrupt
Bill.


Washington, Dec. 16-The house to-
day passed bill appropriating $4,000
for the relief of the people who are in
the Yukon River country, and also the
bill passed by the senate yesterday 20
prohibit pelagic sealing by American
citizens.
The former bill encountered pracu-
cally no opposition. The sum carried by
it is to be expended under the direc-
ton of the secretary of war for the pur-
chase of transportation and dlStrlDu-
ton of subsistence stores. 1t provides
that these, subsistence stores may be
SOLD at prices fixed by the secretary of
war. or donated where the people are
unable to pay for them. 1t empowers
him to purchase reindeer and employ
drivers not citizens of the United States
and afterWard to dispose of the rein
deer
The bill to prohibit pelagic sealing
was warmly antagoniZed by Mr.. john
son of North Dakota, Mr.. Loud OF Cal
ifornia, Mr.. Hepburn and others, and
in the course of debate, there was some
exceedingly caustic criticism on the
course of our Bering sea negotiations,
past and present.
KLONDIKE RELIEF.
Mr.. Cannon Rep., IlIs.), brought for
ward the bill for the relief of the min
ers in the Klondike region, and MI
Sayers Dem., Tex, and Mr.. Bailey
(Dem., Tex, spoke in favor of it.
Mr. Cannon submitted to the house
statement prepared by DR.. Sheldon
Jackson, one of the agents of the COM
missioners OF education. who was in
the KIondike region as late as Sept. 10,
that there would be no suffering as far
up the river as Fort Yukon, but that
the food supply on the Upper Yukon
would not last beyond March, and he
endorses the recommendation of the
secretary of war that food be sent in
by reindeer, via Dyea.
Mr.. Cannon said: Whether these
miners were in American or in British
territory whether they were Americans
or British subjects, if they were starV-
ing, it does not become the American
congress to hesitate about voting them
relief.
Mr.. Bailey said he had never been
able to be charitable out of the public
| funds Hesbelieved charity ought to be
voluntary, and he had never voted for
relief funds to those stricken by fire or
flood. But he realized that distress ap-
pealed to the hearts of all, and he
would not protest against a bill de-
signed to relieve the distress. But he
did protest against the government set
ting up stere-houses and becoming a
vendor of provisions.
The bill was passed without division,
although there were scattered noes
when the speaker called for the mega
tive vote.
! Secretary Alger was on the floor dur
I ing the debate.
PELAGIC SEALING.
Mr. Hit (Rep. Ills.), chairman of the
committee on foreign affairs, secured
unanimous consent for the consldera-
/ ton of the bill passed by the senate
yesterday to prohibit pelagic sealing by
citizens of the United States. He eX-
planned its scope and the purposes and
; the necessity for its enactment in view
of the pending negotiations with Great
Britain.
Mr.. Hopkins Rep., Il1s.) thought
I that a time limit should be placed on
/ the operation of the act, so that in case
the negotiations should collapse, our
! citizens should not be at disadVan-
| tage Mr. Hit said our government
| did not admit that pelagic sealing was
a right; it was barbarity. We were
pressing upon Great Britain negotia-
/ ton for the protection of the seals
that three governments had already
| agreed to. If we are sincere we Should
! pass this measure.
BOLSTERING UP BRITISH.
Mr.. johnson (Rep., N. d. made a
! vigorous speech of an hour in opposi-
! ton to the bill. He argued that the
effect of this bill and the negotiations
now being conducted would be the
bolstering up of the two great British
/ industries, one in the Boring sea anC
the other in London The present hero
was not worth protecting. The purpose
| was to build up new herd. He de-
{ clared that Canada would only be toe
willing to join with us in prohibiting
pelagic sealing on condition that We
/ should allow her to write our tariff
laws.
GREAT SURRENDER"
Mr.. Johnson said we had been hui
inflated and shamed by the complete
| surrender of our rights and honor a.
the Paris tribunal. He was particularly
sarcastic in his references to Hon
John w. Foster, whom he termed thu
great surrenderer." So great was hi!
reputation in this line, he said, tina
/ China had paid him 500, eco for sur
rendering to Japan. He created much
amusement by enumerating some O
the expenses of the Paris tribunal, ant
said he did not marvel that the ex
perts who had already made so mucl
out of the government should desir
to keep up an agitation which permit
ted them to draw big salaries and row
over the world at the expense of tn
government.
Mr.. johnson, as another phase of tn
4 question, described the destruction o