Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-08

sage Was In the Interests of Wall Street
Also That Americans Were in No Dan.
ger ut Havana Manifestations Cham
pion on the Floor OF the House EcpIies
Fully and with Decided Warmth.
Washington, April S.-Tnere was a
scene Of great excitement in the house
late yesterday afternoon during the
consideration of the bill for the reof-
ganization of the army. 1t was caused
Mr.. Lentz, an Ohio Democrat. who made
a vicious assault on the administration.
charging that the policy of delay was IN
the interest Of stock jobhers in Wall
street. He alleged that Wall street
was in the possession OF information
that the message would not go in long
before it was known at the Capitol.
and profted heavily by the advance in
the price of stocks which resulted. He
charged that there was no warrant for
the alarming statements about the sit
uation in Havana, made as justi-
Tying the delay of the message. Lentz'
speech created profound sensation.
Grosvenor Makes a Hot Defense.
He was met with an emphatic reply
from Grosvenor. now generally regard
ed as the administration spokesman on
the floor. Grosvenor indignantly denied
that there was justification for the re-
ports, and held Lentz up to scorn for
alleging corrupt motives against the
president. Lentz disclaimed this, but
the irate friend of the president gave
him no mercy. He was thoroughly
aroused and laid about him with a
veritable bludgeon, charging that the
Democrats were seeking political ad-
vantage and paying his respects to John
j. McCook and others. Before he con-
cluded he expressed the opinion that
war was as certain as that we would
live until next week, unless 1t was
averted by Spain.
Says There Will be No War.
In the course of his speech Lentz
said: Yesterday we had this house
filled, the galleries overlooked. and the
Capitol grounds were covered with peo-
pie, all expecting the presidents mes
sage which might lead to war. But
finally in the afternoon came word
that a message had been received from
Consul General Lee in Havana, indicat-
ing that he wanted time, and the mes
sage was delayed on that account Now
/ don't believe anybody had authority
for the statement from the administra-
ton or any other official that justified
the rumor that prevailed here yester-
day a telegram by the Associated
Press yesterday said that all was quiet
in h0t tal
a correspondent that he had not been
requested to leave. The other newspa-
pers, notably the New York Journal.
have similar dispatches. If these state
ments are true there was nothing to
justify the statement sent to the Capitol
yesterday. l say there will be no war"
Thinks We Are Worse Than Judas.
Continuing, he charged that congress
was being overwhelmed by kilograms
dictated By commercial greed" all of
which he declared emanated principally
from Wall street and Lombard street.
1T is the old question of the almighty
dollar" said he. 1T is the fall of stocks
the gentlemen who control the admins
tration fear more than war. They care
nothing for the 266 assasslnated Ameri-
cans who went Gown in Havana har-
Dor. but they care everything for SO
cents plus l cent. / say. my friends,
that we owe an apology to Judas
Iscariot. I say he ought to be brought
back and deified. If Judas lived in this
age he would not have gone to the pot
ters' field and hanged himself He
would have been sent to the United
States senate in due time, such a
Spectator as he was" Laughter and
applause on Democratic side.l