The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-03-15
Our Representatives Speak With One Voice.,
THE RULE OF PATRIOTISM.
Fifty Millions of Dollars Voted for the
Oountry's Defense ALI Sections and
All Parties United to Protect
National Honor.

National Honor.
In spirit Of patriotism, with elCQu.
ent words ringing in their ears, every
member OF the House of Representa-.
tives responded to the Presidents first
call to meet the Spanish situation bv
casting his vote for bill placing ia
President McKinley's hands fifty mil
liors OF dollars to be expended at his
discretion for the national defense
Party lines were swept away, and with
aBunanimous voice Congress- voted its
confidence in the administration. Many
members who were paired with absent
colleagues took the responsibility OF
breaking their pairs, an unprecedented
thing in Legislative annals. in order
that they might go on record in sup
port of this vast appropriation to main
tain the dignity and honor OF their
country Speaker Reed, who, as the
presiding officer, seldom votes except
In case of tie, had his name calleu
and voted in his capacity as a repre-
sentative. The scene of enthusiasm
which greeted the announcement of
the vote-ayes, 3ll; nays, O-has sell
dom been paralleled in the House. All
day long the galleries were jammcd
with enthusiastic spectators. applaud
ing the patriotism of the words OF elo
quence which were uttered by the
members on the floor. The speeches
were all brief. Although four hours
were allowed for debate, so great was
The pressure for time that no one me M
| Der was given more than two minutes
and most OF them had to content them
selves with u beggarly fraction Of a
minute. In all, 80 speeches were made.
With one acclaim members from the
North, the South, the East and West,
the States and the territories. battle
SCARED veterans of the Union and the
| Confederate armies, all Joined in pro-
claiming their support OF the countrys
chief magistrate in the face OF u pos
sible foreign war.
In the whole debate there was only
a slight discordant note caused by the
speech OF General Bing CHAM OF Penn
sylvania, who served with distinction
under Hancock. He spoke too conser-
vatlVely for the aroused temper OF the
House, and when he insisted that our
relations with Spair were rs friendly
as they had been for years, many of the
members hissed him. While almost
every member who spoke deprecated
the possibility Of war, wide diver
gence of opinion as to how close were
hoitilities manifested itself in the de-
majority, among them the leaders on
| botn sides, was that this appropriation
| by preparing for war would prove the
surest guarantee Of peace. Others in
| sisted that wars alarms would soon
be heard, and Mr.. Mann of Illinois de-
clared that war actually existed in all
save name. The speeches which at
t"acted most attention were those Of
Messrs. Cannon, Henderson and Doll
! yer on the Sepu bican side and Messrs.
Bailey and Sayres on the Democratic
side.
Mr.. Cannon, in opening the debate on
the bill, said that in the present criti-
cal condition of affairs the committee
had deemed it wise TO appropriate this
sum, placing Its expenditure in the
complete discretion of the President.
He referred 10 the fact that the com
mittee had been unanimous in its ac-
tion, and had only changed the word
Ing of the bill he introduced yesterday
by making the appropriation available
until July l, 1899, instead OF June
80, 1899.
We have the money in the treasury
to meet this appropriation if it is eX-
pended" he continued, "and therefore
there is not presented with this propo-
sltlon one to borrow money or to in
crease taxation to which almost any
other nation on earth would have been
obliged to resort" tremendous APP
applause.)
He insisted that this appropriation
must not be construed into q threat.
Nothing was further from the minds of
those who reported it, he said This
appropriation was to be placed in the
hands OF a wise and patriotic execu-
tive TO make proper preparations to
hDnnr hi
more.
1t Is not war appropriation" said
he emphatically. " say that in my
judgment. measuring my words, that
1T ls peace measure. Great ap-
plause.) The government OF the United
States would not, If it could, trench
upon the rights OF any nation on earth"
(Renewed applause)
Mr.. Sayres, OF Texas, the ranking
member OF the minority, followed Mr..
Cannon. His first statement to the
fleet that in the presence of possible
danger this appropriation had met with
the hearty and unanimous endorsement
OF the appropriation committee, with
out regard to party, aroused the
house to enthusiasm. He, too, declared
that 1t could not be construed as
as threat. 1t was simply q wise and
patriotic precaution-the arming of
the executive with power to maintain
our dignity after Congress adjourned.
Mr.. Livingston (Dem.) OF Georgia
supported the measure in vigorous
speech. He said he took this position
because he believed that an emergency
| exists, but he cOntended that If the
| administration had acted as it should
| have done II months ago in declaring
u state OF helligerency the present oc.
| casion for voting emergency money
would have been avoided. However,
the Democrats who have clamOred for
| action in the past would not put any
| obstacle in the way. They would vote
fifty or five hundred millions il neces-
sary, only asking that the President
should move promptly and steadily in
mis- efforts TO prote ct American honor
and dignity.
Mr.. Allen (Dem.) Of Mississippi was
next recognized. He did not make a
humorous speech, but patriotic one
81 desire," he begun, to say for the
people | represent, and for the South
ern section OF the country, for the en-
tire country, that there was never
time when all were 80 ready to give an
administration all the mon it may
need to preserve the honor, the dignity
and the general welfare OF the country.
to say nothing OF fair play and Justice"
THE people Of the South" he con-
| tinued, Task for nothing more. They
do not want to hurt anybody ahd are
not urging any rash action, but they
are ready to honor any draft whether