The herald., 1898-03-17

or expressed a hope that congress would
| adjourn by a certain time, was absolutely
without foundation and ridiculous in the
| bargain. Congress could not adjourn eX-
cept by majority vote of its members, and
he had no doubt that every member re-
sponsible to his conscience and his coun-
try would do his duty as he saw it in the
matter of adjournment as in everything
| else.
| Norton, Democrat of Ohio, who followed
Grosvenor, expressed his amazement that
the Republican side of the house had been
so long silent in the face of the outrages
and indignities heaped upon this govern
ment and upon the Tag Of Spain. He could
not understand why the Maine had been
sent TO Havana harbor. II was said to have
been the act of one friendly nation toward
another.
| "Mr. Chairman" he continued "no foot
of water or land over which the Spanish
flag ever foated has been for one hour
| friendly to the American government. Gap
piause)
| From the hour of the birth of the nation
! Spain has been hostile to us. The recollec-
| tions that come to us should bring The
| blush of shame. aye. humility, mortifca-
| ton. remorse, anger TO the cheek of every
American upon this floor. Think of the
Virginius case and say that Spain has any
idea of being friendly to this government!
Her line is a crimson thread running
through the centuries. A line of deceit
and treachery to this government and ev-
cry other she could deceive or rob. In
1873, when she attempted to murder fifty
three Americans but only succeeded in
killing twelve, Grant, God bless his name,
and all honor to his courage and manhood
his bravery and his Americanism, was
ready to intervene. Hamilton Fish said
that the nation which would permit such
an outrage to go unpunished was not fit
to live. Yet sixteen months elapsed AMI
then this government made a compromise
that will be a stain and a blot upon its
escutcheon for a thousand years, and ac-
cepted $s00G0 to pay for the insult to its
honor. Why? For the same reasons that
prevail now. I love the president of the
United States. He is a son of Ohio and 1
know that if left to himself he would ex-
ercise his judgment, his honesty and his
patriotism as perhaps no other man in the
country would do; but as he is, with Il
trocha drawn about him that would require
the strength, the courage and the genius OF
a god to surmount, he, too, will take the
position of Grant and Fish and see humili-
alton and disgrace perch upon our BAN
ner.
IA few days ago we surrendered the right
of congress by voting to the president an
emergency fund of $5O.OOO.OoO. If war was
not upon us we had no right to make tina I
appropriation and the president should
eriv hoc or to he
repose in him. Why does not the admins
tration state to this side of the house the
exigency. 1 look across to the other side
to my honorable colleague (Grosvenor). L
grasp his hand in every patriotic act and
move he makes, but 1 say that it is COM
monty understood throughout the land
and by the public that he has the ear of the
president and in his councils, yet no word
comes across the political aisle. We on this
side are ready to go forward, but we de-
mand what we ought to have had, free
speech and an honest rstanding of the
situation that we may know and ask of the
president, What of the hour?"
The debate drifted back to the bill. and
Sperry, Republican. of Connecticut, Shat
roth, Populist. of Colorado Love- Demo-
crat, of Mississippi. Mcdowell, Democrat,
of Ohio, and Griffith, Republican, of In
diana, discussed various features. Colson
Republican, of Kentucky, took occasion
to denounce the election law passed by the
Kentucky legislature over the veto of
Gov. Bradley. Berry. Democrat, of Ken
lucky, replied to Colson's remarks about
the new Kentucky election law He also
announced his unqualified approval of the
proposition to annex the Hawaiian islands,
saying that he regarded the acquisition as
indispensable for the protection of the Pa
cific seaboard.
At sos p. m. the house adjourned.