The herald., 1898-03-09
SET ASIDE
TO BE USED FOR THE NATIONAL
DEFENSE
HOUSE VOTES UNANIMOUSLY
Appropriating Fifty Million Dollars
to Be Used at the Discretion Of
the President
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, March SIN a spirit
of patriotism, with eloquent words ring
ing in their ears, every member of the
house of representatives today responded
to the presidents first call to meet the
Spanish situation by casting his vote
for bill placing in President McKin-
ley's hands $5OO0O,OOO to be expended
at his discretion for the national defense.
Party lines were swept away, and with
unanimous voice congress voted its con-
| fidence in the administration. Many
members who were paired with absent
colleagues took the responsibility of
breaking their pairs, an unprecedented
thing in executive annals, in order that
| they might go on record in support of
this vast appropriation to maintain the
| dignity and honor of their country.
Speaker Reed, who, as presiding officer,
votes only in case of tie, had his name
called and voted in his capacity as
representative.
The scene of enthusiasm which greeted
the announcement of the vote-ayes 311,
nays none-has seldom been paral-
leled in the house.
| All day long the galleries were jammed
with enthusiastic spectators, applaud.
| ing to the echo the sterling patriotism
of the words of eloquence which were
uttered by the members on the floor.
All the speeches were brief. Although
four hours were allowed for debate, so
great was the pressure for time that not
one member was given more than five
minutes, and most of them had to con-
| tent themselves with beggarly frac-
| ton of minute. In all flfty-nine
speeches were made. With one accord
members from the north and south, the
east and west, the states and territories,
battle SCARED veterans of the union and
the confederate armies, all Joined in pro.
claiming their support of the country's
chief magistrate in the face Of possible
foreign war; In the whole debate there
was only slight discordant note, caused
| by the speech of General Bingham OF
Pennsylvania, a gallant soldier who
served with distinction under Hancock.
He spoke too conservatively for the
aroused temper of the house, and when
he insisted that our relations with Spain
were as friendly as they had been for
years, many of the members Kissed him.
While almost every member who spoke
deprecated the possibility of war, wide
divergence of opinion as to how close
were hostilities manifested itself in the
debate. The general contention by the
majority among the leaders on both
sides was that this appropriation by pre-
pairing for war, would prove the surest
guarantee of peace. Others insisted that
wars alarms would be soon heard, and
Mr.. Mann of Illinois declared that war
actually existed in all save name.
A CROWD PRESENT
WASHINGTON, March 8.-The gall
leries of the House were packed to the
doors today and long lines of people,
unable to gain admission, surged about
! the corridors. Public interest in the de-
bate on the bill appropriating $5o, eco, 900
for the national defense was reflected in
this large attendance in the galleries.
On the floor almost every member was
in his seat. In the faces of the leaders
on both sides sat an air of stern rssolu-
ton, indicating their deep appreciation
of the great business upon which Con-
gress and the country were entering,
making this vast appropriation for pos
sible war; AS soon as the journal had
been read, the Speaker raped for cr-
DER and amid deep silence Chairman
Cannon, as q deficiency bill, reported the