The times., 1898-02-06
HELP FOR Mr.. D|NGLEY
The Republicans Pass Their Par
simOnious Fortifications Bill.
NO INCREASE Is ALLOWED
Every Amendment Offered by the
Democrats, in a Spirit of Pa
triotism, Is Voted Down, Willie
the Dom'nant Party Plays Politics
Mr.. Kings Warming.

The Republicans passed their par
| simonious fortifications and coast de-
fense bin yesterday in the House. but
in the act they We're caught in many
Inconsistencies by the Democrats, who
had largely the popular and patriotic
side of the debate.
1t was demonstrated conclusively
that the Republicans were playing pol
| itics instead of patriotism, and that it
was all done for the advantage and
glory of the man who never opened his
mouth in the debate. Mr.. Dingley. the,
/ father ofthe impotent tariff. Expenses
were to be kept down for the justifica-
ton of the revenue raiser that doesn't
1 raise.
! One of the curiosfties of the situation
/ was that Democrats came to TIE as
sistance of the Navy Department OF the
/ Government which had made sugges-
tions necessary for the defense of the
coasts, while the Republicans, feiSning
/ to believe in the friendly attitude of
/ Spain, consistently and persistently
voted against adequate sums for the
safeguarding of the coast.
Mr.. King, of Utah, put n fine point
on the debate. and illustrated tlle real
undercurrent on botn sides of the
| House when he said that while Spain
was arming for war. straining every
/ nerve and raising every cent for hos
! tile demonstration against this coun-
! try, the American Government had
sent a vessel to Cuba whose officers
! junketed and caroused with the officers
of that very Spanish government.
The Democrats at point in the
! discussion tried to get the Republicans
to obtain at reasonable cost a certain
kind OF annealed steel for high power
| guns for coast defense. The Republic
! ans opposed this on the ground that
/ the navy experts knew better what was
wanted, at higher cost. than the
| House, and that the House should be
warned by the attempt of the Govern
nient recently to force the Carnegie
Arm0r Plate Company to terms. AS a
result the Government could not now
get armOr plate except at the price
fixed by the Carnegie Company.
Later in the debate the Democrats
attacked the Carnegie Company for
frauds on the Government and the
chairman of the Committee of the
! Whole promptly strangled the speaker
who was making the specifications. He
was simply suppressed by the gentle
men in charge of the Notifications bill,
Mr. Hemenway.
Mr.. Mcclellan. of New York, clnched
when he showed that the House scaled
down the estimates for coast defenses
| made by the very experts whose ability
was exploited when the Republicans
wanted to keep the price of annealed
/ steel up to twenty-three cents against
the protest of the Democrats that it
could be had for twenty-five cents
pound
Mr.. Lewis of Washington. mildly sug-
] aI would he we'll N discover
first where the money for the appro-
priationS was to come from. For this
temerity he was crushed. but not be-
fore he had demonstrated that if the
Republican financial policy was pur-
sued the country would have to accept
a ten-cent dollar instead of the 5u saboo
fifty-cent dollar.
Mr. pitney. of New Jersey, magnifi-
Gently brushed aside this proposition
with a wave of the hand and the asser-
ton that Mr.. Lewiss appeal for the
preservation of the greenbackS, and of
silver currency at par was frl"ol DlIS.
There was a stir in the galleries when
Mr.. McRae. of Arkansas, said that this
Government would suffer even the dis
grace OF the flag before IL would go To
war.
When the House met the pending
matter was the Qualifications bill. car
ryiug s4 .1449i2, which is nearly 80 per
cent less than that of any year since
1890.
The Republican majority killed the
first amendment offered by Mr. Clay
ton of Alabama to increase the SoO.OO0
for sea walls and embankments at Mo-
bile, to s55, 900. The provision of $780,
600 for submarine mines, etc, was pass
ed.
Mr. Lewis of Washington introduced
the money question by an amendment
which involved the method OF raising
the revenue, against the retiring OF
sreeDbacks. and other related financial
questions.
II charge" said Mr.. Lewis, that
we'll digested and carefully prepared
plan has been agreed upon; that no
general plan for currency reform Will
be permitted to come before the House;
no bankruptcy bill; no proposition to
carry out the pledges of the Republic
an convention regarding Cuba. But the
appropriations bill will be pressed to
passage as rapidly as possible, and
when they have been disposed of this
House will adjourn
The chair, Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois,
ruled the amendment out.
Mr.. Lewis appealed from the decision
of the chair.
Mr.. Pitney, Republican, of New Jer-
sey. interjected that it was a frivolous
amendment, and while Mr.. Lewis was
still on his feet Mr.. Skinner of North
Carolina took the floor to explain bill
on coast defenses, which he introduced
some time ago.
Mr. Sayers of Texas made a speech
in which he said that this country was
at peace with nearly all the countries
of the world. and that the chance Of
war with Spain was about l in 10000.
He did not believe that any of the great
armored vessels of foreign countries
could cross the ocean for war purposes.
He believed that the present appropri-
ations were amply large in view of
present foreign relations An increase
of ships meant an increase of men.
When Mr. Sayers was speaking thir-
him.
He charged extravaganza in every
branch of the Government.
The appropriation for assembling
coast defense guns was passed.
Mr. McRae made the startling propo-
sition that this Government would sub
nit to any indignity or insult to the
flag before it would engage in a war.
He believed in the least possible ex-
penditureS in all matters. We could
not afford to spend large sums of money
with the great deficiency confronting
the Government. If the Republicans
continued at the present rate they
would be responsible for the next bond
issue if, in fact, another issue had not
already been contemplated.
A motion was made to reduce the
price of oil-tempered steel for high
pound to % cents.
Of cnnfpn6o6