The San Francisco call., 1898-01-19
AN EXCITING
 CONTEST IN
 THE HOUSE Democrats Defeated in a Parliament
 tary Battle. Amendm ents Made to the Consular Bill in Behalf
 of Cuba. De Arn1ond's Struggle to Bring Up the Resolution Recog- nizing Belligerency.
IS RULED OUT OF ORDER.
Appeals of Leaders Cause the Repub- licans to Uphold the Adnninis-
 tratiOn's Policy.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

0dI OlIlce, 1llSSS t1OuSc,
 Washington, Jan. IS. Cuba had a hearing in the House to- day, and for a time it looked as if par liamentary precedents would be set aside and the Senate resolution rec ognizing the insurgents as belligerents would be attached as a rider to the dip lomatic and consular appropriation bill. De Armond, a Missouri Democrat, pre- cipitated the issue by offering the reso- lution as an amendment, but point of order against it was sustained. De Armond appealed. He urged the Re publicans who had professed friendship for the struggling Cubans to override the decision of the chair as the only chance of securing action on the propo- sition. Bailey, the leader of the minor ity, and other Democrats joined in the appeal. The excitement became in- tense, but the appeals of Dingley, the floor leader of the majority, as well as other Republican leaders to their asso- ciates not to join in the programme succeeded.
 Colson (R.) of Kentucky warned his side that unless he was soon given an opportunity to vote his sentiments on the Cuban question he would cooper ate in any revolutionary method to se- cure action. The Republican tactics kept to the front the point that the mi nority were seeking to override the rules of the House, and they got every Republican vote, sustaining the chair by the vote of 152 to 114. A Democrat, Fleming of Georgia, voted with them, on the ground that he could not vio- late his oath by voting against the rules. During the debate Bailey chal- lenged Hit to give the House any as- surances that an opportunity would be offered to vote on the resolution passed by the Senate at the last session. but he received no reply. Before the diplo- matic bill came up the army bill was passed.
 Hit, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, called up the diplo- matic and consular appropriation bill. general debate The bill carried s1,72s,- 00S. an increase of S3S, 100 over the law for the current year.
 As soon as the enacting clause had been read De Armond (D) of Missouri offered amendment to recognize the Cuban in surgents as bellgerents. Hit raised the point of order that the amendment was new legislation and obnoxious to the rules of the House,
 De Armond, speaking to the point of order, said he fully understood the rules of the House, which were designed to suppress, when desired. the will of the House. The chairman of the Foreign Af- fairs Committee might, he said, feel con- strained to raise this point of order, but he reminded the House that there still  time, at any place, on any bill, to place what the House believed should be there. For months, he declared, those in control of the House had declined to allow the House to consider what the people of the country, without regard to party, de- sires, namely, that Congress consider and the belligerency of the struggling patriots in Cuba. When the people of the coun- try felt as they did 1t was the duty of the members to override these petty little rules which had been used to suppress action.
 The newspapers were filled daily with narrowing tales of starvation and cruelty in Cuba. Should we emulate the example of Nero who fiddled while Rome burned. and supinely and indifferently stand by when men almost within sight of our shores were fighting valorously for principles, as holy as patriots eyer espoused or heroes ever defended? He taunted the Republicans with being sub- servient to those who desired to prevent action on this question. Futher inaction. he insisted, was a disgrace to American manhood.
 The autonomy offered by Spain, he de- clared, was a revolting mockery, 0 sham and a delusion. He warned the other side that the queston could not be evad- ed or dodged: With this opportunity be- fore them they could not go back to their constituents and plead the rules as an excuse for non-action- He was pro- for following the example of it's prede- cessor in sending out the United States navy to hunt down the sympathizers AI
 Steele (R) of Indiana and Hit both called the attention of the chair to the fact that De Armond was not discussing De Armond said he well understood this, but he would not finch from his purpose. He would say no more. But if the point of order was sustained he de- clared that it was his purpose to appeal from the decision of the chair and give the House the opportunity to determine strained to, do this, he said, out of a sense of public duty.
 Bailey, the Democratic leader re-en. forced the views of De Armond, arguing that a proposition to recognize a state of war in Cuba was certainly germane to this bill. It had been his purpose he said, to have offered the same Cuban ment. The climax of his speech came when he offered to withdraw the amend ment if Hit, the chairman of the For eign Affairs Committee, would give as- surances that the Senate resolution would receive consideration within a reasonable time; sns;o The Democrats applauded this answer, but Hit did not rise.
 'The gentleman (Hitt), added Bailey. ,'is as silent as the Republican party on cheered and the gallery also applauded.
 Then Hit arose, but instead of reply ing to Baileys challenge he called the attention of the chair to the fact that Bailey was not discussing the point of order
 Tt is an attempt to have two general cebates, said he. The Democrats jeered then sustained the point of order, where upon De Armond, in order to get the question. before the House in a better form, offered the Senate Cuban resolution as an amendment, and when 1t was over ruled, made his appeal from the decision of the chair.
 isted in the House. The galleries had fll-