Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-01
FAv0RS ANNEXATION
Senator Pettus Speaks on the Ha-
waiian Resolution.
SHARP REBUKE TO TEE PILIBUSqERS
Point of "No Quorum" Raised
Contrary to His Request.
SPEECH TO THE DEMOCRATS

At the opening Of tcday's session Of the
Senate Mr.. Morrill, (vt.) reported from the
committee on public buildings and grounds
bill to authorize the purchase of site
Tor building for the accommoda ton Of
the Supreme Court of the United States.
MI Sewell (N.JD of the committee on mil
itary affairs called up and secured the
passage of bill to provide for tenn
department of the army.
Mr.. Cullom Qll.) directed attention to the
present Construction of the law providing
for the payment of the volunteer troops
In some instances the various regiments
had not received as much from the United
States as they were evidently entitled to.
and he fnstanced an Illinois regiment to
which about 5000 was due.
Mr.. Sswell said that the matter would
undoubtedly be taken care Of properly.
The Hawaiian annexation resolutions
were then taken up, and MIR. Pettus (Ala.)
addressed the Senate. His was the first
formal speech delivered since the opening
of the present discussion in favor of the
resolutions. In beginning he said he pro-
those with whom. during all his life, he
had been associated with politically. He
requested that nobody should call quo
rum while he was speaking.
d II.
Is. d. made the point of no quorum. The
roll was called and disclosed the presence
o. forty-hve senators-a quorum.
Resuming, Mr.. Pettus said he had no re-
spect for legislative fllibustering and just
as little respect for majority that would
attempt to prevent full and free debate
Filibustering was, in his opinion, beneath
the dignity of a senator land such crime
as filibustering should not be charged ex-
cept on evidence sufficient to convinct. On
the other hand, to deny the right of full
and free discussion would be to eliminate
principle guaranteed to US by the Consti-
tuition
In opening his argument bearing directly
upon Hawaiian annexation, he said it was
not party question and could not be made
so by one man or a few men. Even If it
We're party question:" said he, I'VE were
all Americans, and. hope, patriots before
we Joined any party"
Mr. PettUs then entered upon legal and
constitutional argument in support of the
resolutions. taking. in the course of It,
sharp issue with Mr.. Bacon (Ga.), who had
antagonized the resolutions on constitution
al grounds. He maintained that no law
yer, no court, could construe correctly
provision of the Constitution without con-
sidering all other parts of the instrument
While Mr.. Pettus was defining some of
the powers of Congress, Mr.. Mallory (Fla.)
inquired: Has Congress the power to
make peace?'
"It has the power to make peace as we'll
as war" responded the Alabama senator.
Can President make peace? Never. OF
course admit the President has the power
to make treaties, but only under such lin
itations as have alluded to-"
Mr. Pettus took issue with Mr.. Caffcry
La). who had argued that the acquisition
of Louisiana territory by act of Congress
was unconstitutional. Mr.. Pettus took ex-
cfption to the point. He related the anec-
dota of the 'possum hunter who sawed off
the limb of tree on which 'possum had
taken refuge. thus letting the 'possum fall
to the ground, bat himself falling to the
ground with it.
He applied the anecdote to Mr.. Caffery.
who. he said, had sawed himself off, for
II there was force in Mr.. Caffery's argu-
ment. Louisiana was not legally In the
Union, and he had come to the Senate
bringing with him the contentious that he
had no right to a seat.
"It will be strange news to the people of
Louisiana" he said. chat their senator
is denying his right to represent them
here
Mr.. Pettus rdiculed Mr.. Caffery's argu-
ment that the question ought to be sub
mitted to the people Of Hawaii. He said
such an argument had a moral, but no con-
stitutional bearing, and while 1t might be
fit presentation to children in the nursery,
it would have no force with senator's It
was too adolescent.
Mr. Caffery replied tartly that as be-
tween the adolescent expressions of SYM
pathy and the senilities of age he would
prefer the former.
Mr.. Pettus Indignant.
tcttuS, Sung " tHe QUICK ny MI.
Caffery's retort. said: THE senator from
Louisiana has made use of custom of the
Senate for grossly improper purpose. He
rose to ask me question. and under the
fraud of asking me the question he sought
to denounce me personally. Senators ought
not to do such small things. No interrupt
ton is proper except Tor the purpose CT a
question or of obtaining Information. And
the man who does interrupt another for
the purpose of offering an insult-well, Mr..
President, was brought up Presbyterian
and cannot properly characterize such con-
duct"
Mr.. Caffery-"Win the senator permit me
to interrupt him."
NO. 1 will not" declared Mr.. Pettus. ct
will not again be Interrupted. / am an old
n an, Mr.. President, but this Is the first
time / was ever insulted in the United
States Senate by such language, and don't
intend to tolerate it."
Mr.. Caffery absolutely disclaimed that he
had intended his remark as an insult. 1t
was, he said, merely a set-of to Mr.. Pet
tus's statement regarding adolescence.
Mr. Pettus had begun a discussion Of the
present war, when he was interrupted by
his colleague, Mr.. Morgan. who read an
Associated Press dispatch from Playa del
Este announcing that the battle of Santi-
ago had begun ard fighting was proceeding
along the entire line.
Yes, Mr.. President" said Mr. Pettus,
the fight is going on along the entire line,
and it behooves every man. adolescent on
port the army and navy of the United
States in all his actions. We ought to sup
port the President of the United States
How many will die in the fight today no.
body can say. But 1 pray God that those
brave men of ours IL die they must, may
die with shouts of victory in their ears"
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. McCleary (Minn) Of the committee
on banking and currency. who presented
the recent report upon the banking and
currency bill, arose today in the House to
question Of personal privilege, reading
from a Washington paper In which the
committee was charged with plagiarism in
taking much of its report from the June
number Of the Journal of Banking. He de-
MED the charge. explaining that a synop-
sis Of the report. constituting quite a small
part Of the entire report. had been pre-
pared by the monetary commission and had
been Incorporated in the report in order.
to make 1t frankable. and also because it
covered completely the ground of the full
report. Pending the printing Of the report
the synopsis was furnished by the none
tary commission to the Journal of Bank
ing. Mr.. McCleary referred in severe terms
to his colleague on the committee. Mr..