Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-03-23
nCKINLEY CAN'T.
Representative Norton of Ohio Scores
Dilly-Dallying


DilIy-DalIying.
The debate in the House on the post
office appropriation bill Friday, drift
ed into the Cuban question. Follow
ing Mr.. Grosvenor's defense of the
president, Mr.. Norton, of Ohio, rising
to a question of personal privilege, ex-
pressed his amazement that the Re
publican side of the house had been so
long silent in the face of the ontrages
and indignities heaped upon this gov
ernment and upon the flag by Spain.
He cou'd not understand why the
Maine had been sent to Havana har-
Dor. 1t was said to have been the act
of one friendly nation toward another.
'Mr. Chairman" he continued, "no
foot of water nor of land over which
the Spanish flag ever floated has been
for one hour friendly to the American
government tapplause). 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, mortifi-
cation, remorse, anger, to the cheek of
every American upon this floor. Think
of the Virginus 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 treach-
cry to this governmen and every other
she could deceive or rob. In 1873,
when she attempted to murder So
ing u, Grant, God bless his name,
and all honor to his courage and man
hood, his bravery and his Ameaican-
ism, was ready to intervene. Hami1-
ton Fish said that the nation which
would permit such an outrage to go
unpublished, was not fit to live. Yet
10 months elapsed and then this gov
ernment made compromise that will
be a stain and blot upon its escut-
cheon for a thousand years and ac-
cepted $4,000 to pay for the insult to
its honor. Why? For the same reas-
ons that prevail now. 1 love the pres
ident of the United States. He is a
son of Ohio and l know that if left to
himself he would exercise his judg-
ment, his honesty and his patriotism
as perhaps no other man in the coun-
try would do, but as he is, with a
trocha drawn about him that would
require the strength, the courage and
the genius of God to surmount, he,
too will take the position of Grant
and Fish and see humiliation and dis
grace perch upon our banner. A few
days ago we surrendered the right of
congress by voting 10 the president
an emergency fund of $4,000, 900. If
war was not upon us we had no right
to make that appropriation and the
president should give back to this
house the confidence we reposed in
him. Why does not the adrninistra-
tion explain to this side of the house
the emergency? 1 look across to the
other side to my honorable colleague
(Mr. Grosvenor.) Igrasp his hand in
every patriotic act and move he makes,
but 1 say that it is commonly under
stood throughout the land and by the
public that he has the ear of the presi-
dent and is in his councils, yet no
word comes across the political aisle.
We on this side are ready to go for
ward, but we demand what we ought
to have had free speech and an hon.
est understanding of the situation; that
we may know and ask of the president,
What of the hour?'"