The age-herald., 1898-03-09
HOW THE CANNON BILL PASSED
The Enthusiasm in the House Was Marvelous-The Patriotic Speeches Were Gut Short On Account of the Time Allowed Each Member.

Washington, March 8.-In spirit of pa triotism, with eloquent words ringing in their ears every member of the house of Representatives today responded to the presidents first call to met the Spanish situation by casting his vote for bill placing in President McKinley's hands $50, ,OOo, GOO to be expended at his discretion for the national defense.
 Party lines were swept away and with a unanimous voice congress voted its con- bers who were paired with absent coll leagues took the responsibility of breaking their pairs an unprecedented thing in leg isative annals, in order that they might 20 on record in support of this vast appro- priation to maintain the dignity and honor of their country. Speaker Reed, who, as the presiding officer, seldom votes except in case of tie, had his name called and voted in his capacity as a representative.
 The scene of enthusiasm which greeted the announcement of the yote-ayeS 3ll, nays none-has seldom been paralelled in the house. All day the galleries were nlmed with enthusiastic spectators ap- plauding the patriotism of the words Of eloquence which were uttered by the mem be1s on the floor. The speeches. were all brief Although four hours were allowed for debate so great was the pressure for time that no one member was given more than five minutes and most of them had to coll tent themselves with a beggarly fractloh of minute. In all fifty-nine speeches were made. With one acclaim, members from the north, south, east and west, the states and the territories, the battle scared veterans of the Union and Con- federate armies all joiend in proclaam1ng their support of the country's chief mag istrate in the face of possible foreign war;
 Bingfam's Foul Tongue
 In the whole debate there was only a slight discordant note caused by the speech Inf General Bingham, of Pennsylvania, who served with distinction under Hancock. He spoke too conServaItively for the arouseu U temper of the house and when ne ansas.eu that our relations with Spain were as friendly as they had been for years, Haiiy of the members missed him.
 While almost every member who spoke deprecated the possibility Of war, Wusue divergence of opinion as to how close were fostilities manifested itself dn the oepate' The general contention by the maJorIty, among them the leaders on both sides, was that this appropriation by preparing for war would porve the surest guarantee of peace. Others insisted that wars alarms would soon be heard and MT. Mann, or Illinois, declared that war actually existeu in all save name The speeches which at traoted most attention were those or Messrs. Cannon, Henderson and Dolluer' on the republican side and Messrs. Baaiey and Savers on the democratic side. MT. Cannon, on opening the debate on the bill, said that in the present condition oi political affairs the committee deemed II wise to appropriate this sum and place us expenditure in the complete discretion oi the president. He referred to the fact that the committee had been unanimous in its action, and had only changed the wording of the bill by making the appropriation available until Jan. 1, 1899, instead of June 30, 1899.
 Ahead of Other Nations
 ssWe have the money in the treasury to meet this appropriation If it is expended he continued, land therefore there is not presented with this appropriation one to borrow money or increase taxation, to which almost any other nation on earth would have been obliged to resort" Gre mendous applause)
 He insisted that the appropriation must not be construed into a therat. Nothing was further from the minds of those who reported 1t. he said This appropriation was to be placed in the hands of wise and patriotic executive to make proper prepara- Hons to maintain the nationals sbonor, noth'