The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-13
WHEELS TURN.
Talk on Civil Service Having
Been Stopped
The House Begins to Spend
MOney-Passes a Bill.
URGENT DEFICIENCY.
It Carries SI,741,843 and
Provides
That Gold Owners Must Pay
Freight to the MINIS.

Washington, Jan. 13-The house yester-
day passed an urgent deficiency bill car
rying 81. 741.84S. One of the items, author
izing a further expenditure of $500 for
the Soldiers home at Danville Ill, for
which $150,OOO was appropriated in the
sundry civil bill, was used by Mr.. De Ar
mond CDem., MOI as a basis for bitter
personal attack upon Chairman Cannon,
whose home is a Danville.
He charged that Mr.. Cannon, after using
his power on the appropriations commit
tee to get the home located in his home
town, was now trying to take half mil
lion dollars out of the treasury to help
people interested in Danville town lots.
Mr.. Cannon replied in a sarcastic speech
and accused the member from Missouri
of being a common scold, such, he said,
as were ducked at the town pump in the
Olden days. He insisted that additional
barracks were needed at Danville, where
1900 veterans were now sleeping in cOrri-
doris, cellars and attics
Mr.. De Almonds motion was defeated
without division.
There was also a lively debate over the
provision in the bill requiring the owners
of bullion hereafter to pay the cost of
transporting bullion from assay offices to
the minis.
Mr.. Bell (Pop.. Col.) argued that if the
government declined to pay the cost of
transportation the gold would go to for
eign mints. 1t was, he said, another blow
aimed at the western miner
Mr.. Shafroth (Sflver Rep, Col.) argued
against the proviso. Not content with
the gold standard, he said, this was an
attempt to discourage the production OF
gold and still further appreciate its power
and value.
Mr. Cannon pointed out that if the law
was continued until an assay Office was
tablshed on the Yukon the government
would have to pay the mint price for gold
in the KIondike and then pay the cost
of and assume all risks incident to trans
porting it to the San Francisco or PhiIa-
delphia mint. The law was bounty on
gold mining. Why should it exist? He
protested against trying to complicate it
with the financial question.
Mr.. McRae (Dem., Ark.) argued that the
gold discoveries in the Yukon furnished
the best reason why the existing law
should not be discontinued. The govern
ment should offer every inducement to
miners to bring their gold to its minis.
Mr. Savers Dem, Tex.) supported the
proposed change in the government pol
icy. There was no more reason, he said,
why the government should give a bounty
to the gold miners than to the cotton or
wheat growers. No other country, he
said, paid the freight on pulnOn-
Mr.. Livingston Dem, GAP denied that
this proposition in any way affected the
financial issue. He favored it.
Mr.. Kelly Pop., S. ID, Mr.. Dockery
Dem, MOI and Mr. Bland Dem, MO-
opposed the proviso.
The latter his remarks said the present
law was part of the resumption act of
1879. 1t was intended to encourage and
facilitate gold production, and coupled
with it was the law providing for the sale
of bonds to provide gold. The new pro
viso was in the interest of bond sales.
After some further remarks by Messrs.
Simpson (Pop., Kan.) and Underwood
Dem, Ala.) against the proviso, Mr..
Bells motion to strike out the proviso
was defeated 125 to 10.
On motion Mr.. Bells (CoI) amendment
was adopted providing for the survey and
esta blishment of the eastern boundary
line of the southern Ute reservation in
Colorado.
Without further amendment the bill was
passed.
Mr. Hit, from the foreign affairs com
mittee, reported the diplomatic and con
sular appropriation bill and at ass p. m.
the house adjourned.