Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-04
Bailey Wants to Know the Govern
ment's Intentions.
OPPOSES AN EMERGENCY MEASURE
Declares That the Country De-
mands Action.
CHEERS IN THE GALLERIES

through the corridors of the House end of
tie Capitol this morning, clamoring for adj
mission to the galleries. Everybody seemed
to be in an excited frame of mind, and On
the floor the most disquieting rumors pre-
vailed. No one seemed to know what the
day would bring forth. Fears of an out
preak were expressed everywhere. but the
republican leaders seemed confident that
they would hold the House until tomorrow
at least. The leaders of. the aggressive re-
publicans who participated in the confer
ence counseled their associates to keep in
line today. They adjured them to do moth
Ing rash until the conference tonight The
report was circulated that the Presidents
message would be for Cuban independence
and intervention, and would be perfectly
satisfactory. This had it's effect
The floor of the House, owing to the i'm
mense crowds which thronged the aisles,
was cleared half an hour before noon.
Every seat in the reserved galleries and
the executive and diplomatic galleries was
occupied.
Speaker Reed assembled the rostrum at
noon and called the House to order Amid
an impressive silence that followed the
blind chaplain Irayed that the nations
legislature might with clear thought, wise
elaboration and unanimity of action meet
the grave situation which confronted the
country.
resolution to print several thousand
additional copies of the report Of the court
Of inquiry on the Maine disaster led Mr..
Livingston (Ga) to ask why the House
could not wait for the next message from
the President.
There Is an enormous demand for this
report in the country" replied Mr.. Perkins.
Where is the demand-in SPAIN" asked
Mr.. Livingston.
Forts ON Private Land.
Mr.. Cannon, chairman Of the committee
on appropriations, asked unanimous con-
sent for the consideration of the Senate
resolution suspending portion of section
800 of the Revised Statutes so as to per-
NIT the Gniteo States to erect Notifications
In case of emergency upon any land upon
obtaining the written consent of the owner.
This Is another war measure" inter-
posed Mr.. Bailey. II shall object until I
find OUT whether We are going to have any
war"
Mr.. Cannon explained that the passage
of this bill was urgently recommended by
the chief of engineers He moved to pass
the bill under suspension Of the rules
Demonstration in the Galleries.
Mr.. Bailey, the democratic leader, took
the floor after Mr.. Cannon's explanation,
and made a speech which aroused the gal
leries to pitch which brought down upon
them threat from the Speaker that they
would be cleared if such demonstrations
were repeated.
He called attention to the fact that on
several occasions within the last thirty
days the House had been called upon 10
ynt
Gated that war was directly ahead of us.
Yet, he said, Congress was not in posSes-
SIGN of any fact which warranted this be-
LIEF. He had voted, he said, for the extra
ordinary emergency s5O.009OOo appropria-
ton, but he had voted for it under the i'm
preston that We were perilously near to
war. If democratic President lad asked
democratic House to authorize such an
expenditure without control Limitation, he
should have denied 1t.
He should have demanded the estimates.
But IN this case. believing that danger was
at hand, he had voted for it, Much of that
vast appropriation had already been ex-
perded, yet information, except such as
came through the newspapers, was still
withheld. Today the House was asked to
meet another emergency. Last Wednes-
day, when the House was asked 10 meet
the vital question, the maj ority had refused
to meet 1t. 1t was then everywhere an
nounced that the President would be pre-
pared to send a message to Congress to-
day.
Country Wants Information.
The House adjourned Friday until today
with that impression. Yet now every we'll
Informed man knew there was to be none
today. When was the message to come?
he asked.
1t seems to me important" said he,
that the House and the country should
know what the government Is doing and
intends to do. We ought not to be asked to
vote blindly. If the occasion warrants 1t. we
are ready to vote for every proper measure
to prepare for war, and il war comes. we
are ready to vote for every. measure de-
signed to prosecute it to a successful con-
clusion"
perfect storm of applause swept the
galleries, which the Speaker had consider
able difficulty in subduing. The Speaker
warned the galleries that no demonstra-
lions of approval or disapproval would be
permitted. But the next utterance Of Mr..
Bailey redoubled the applause.
Those galleries." said Mr.. Bailey, waving
his hands about the thronged galleries,
are Out immature OF the American pto-
pie. If Congress could face the galleries
Of the people, they would force this House
to action"
This time the Speaker sternly warned the
galleries that If the demonstration was
again repeated he would order them
cleared:
"Oh. think that would hardly be fair"
interposed Mr.. Steele Qnd) The gentleman
is only talking to the galleries" Gaughter).
Bailey's Retort Applauded.
at is better" retorted Mr.. Bailey. ito
speak to the listening galleries than the
deaf ear Of the majority. I say now that
II the President wants one. two or even
three days to prepare a message which will
meet the approval Of the American people.
We on this side are willing that he should
have time, but il he wants one day or one
hour to continue negotiations with the
butchers of Spain not one minute will we
give him." Great applause on the demo-
cratic side and scattering applause on the
republican side).
Mr.. Hopkins Qll.) suggested that there
was mead Of discretion at such times as