The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-09
DOLLARS FOR THE DEFENSE.
HOUSE PASSES $5O,OOO,O0O APPRO-
PRIATION UNANIMOUSLY.


Cast His vote-Members Break
Pairs in Order 10 Get on Record.
Fifty-Nine Speeches Made During
the Four Hours of Debate-A Re-
publican From Pennsylvania
Sounds the Only Discordant Note
and Is Kissed.
Washington, March s--A noble and Inn
pressive object lesson was given the coun-
try to-day in the debate over the resolu-
tion providing for an appropriation of $780,
100000 for national defenses. Never be-
fore has there been such an exhibition of
unanimity among the contending parties
in the national Congress. In the face of
a probable conflict with foreign power,
party lines were brushed aside and for
gotten for the time being, and only ex-
pressions of the loftiest patriotism were
heard from both sides of the chamber.
Southern congressman clearly carried
off the honors of the debate and demon
strated to the world that when national
honor is threatened, the representatives
south of the Mason and Dixon line know
no North and no South, but are ready to
brothers of the North and West in defense
of "Old Glory"
South Carolina, Georgia and North Car
olina were all conspicuously represented
in the debate, and the short, telling
speeches Of Col Livingston, Judge Flem-
ing and Judge Bartlett of Georgia, pro-
voked enthusiastic applause on the floor
and in the galleries. Col Elliott and DR..
Stokes of South Carolina also aroused
great enthusiasm rbft1 ~,
the old Palmetto State they announced
that they had in their possession letters
from their constituents announcing their
| readiness to take up arms, if necessary,
in defense of the nation against Spain.
Judge Linney, OF the Old North state
While deprecating war, and graphically
picturing the horrors of the terrible con-
fiict OF 6l-65. through which he passed, de-
| elared that North Carolina was prepared
to send her full quota of defenders to the
front should Spain offer insult to the
| American flag
| All of the speeches were pitched to one
| tone, and that was that although the
Southern people had been the greatest suf-
ferers from the late civil war, they are,
nevertheless, ready to go to the front
again to preserve the honor and integrity
| of the nation.
1t would have done the heart of brave
|
the cheers and applause which greeted the
/ announcement of Representative Hay Of
Virginia, that Virginia had always
! been represented in the front rank of all
the wars since the foundation of this gov
ernment, and to-day "Fitz Lee is on guard
at Havana" Republican leaders Joined
their Democratic associates in boisterous
applause and the galleries took up the
| cheers, which started on the floor, until
4 kN11 1aI xxvf4h
ovation for our gallant consul general at
| Havana.
Party lines were swept away,
| and with a unanimous vote Con-
gress voted its confidence I'M the ad-
ministration. Many members who were
paired with absent colleagues, took the
responsibility of breaking their pairs, an
unprecedented thing in legislative annals.
in order that they might so on record in
support of this vast appropriation 10
maintain the dignity and honor of their
country.
Speaker Reed, who, as presiding officer,
| seldom votes except in case of a tie, had
his name called and voted in his capacity
as a representative.
The scene of enthusiasm which
greeted the announcement of the
vote-ayes 81, nays none-has seldom
| been parallelled in the House All day
thusiastc spectators applauding the pa
triotism of the words of eloquence which
were uttered by the members 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 allowed more than Eve
minutes and most OF them had to content
themselves with a beggarly fraction of a
minute. In all ffty-nne speeches were
| do
the North, South East and West. the
states and territories, battle-scarred vet
Grams of The Union and the Confederate
armies, all joined in proclaiming their sup
port of the countrys chief magistrate in
the face Of a possible foreign war.
In the whole debate there was
only slight discordant note
Bingham, whosserved with distinction un-
der Gen. Hancock. He spoke too conserv-
atively for the aroused temper of the
House, when he insisted that our relations
with Spain were as friendly as they had
been for years, many of the members hiss
ing him.
While almost every member who spoke
deprecated the possibility Of war; a wide
divergence of opinion as to how close were
hostillties manifested itself in the debate.
The general contention by The majority.
among them the leaders on both sides, was
that this appropriation for preparing for
war would prove the surest guarantee for
peace. Others insisted that war alarms
would soon be heard and Mr.. Mann of
Illinois declared that war actually exist.
ed in all save name.
The speeches which attracted most at
tention were those OF Messrs. Cannon,
Henderson and Dolliver on the Republican
side, and Messrs. Bailey and Sayers on the
Democratic side.
Mr.. Cannon, in opening the debate on the
bill, said that in the present critical con-
dition OF affairs, the committee had deem
ed it wise 10 appropriate this sum, plac-
ing its expenditure In the complete dis
cretion of the President. He referred TO
the fact that the committee had been
unanimous In this action and had only
changed the wording Of the bill he intro
duced yesterday by making the appropria-
lion available until Jan. !, 1899, instead Of
June 30, 1899
1--WE have the money in the treasury to
meet this appropriation If 1t is expended"
he, continued, "and therefore there is not
presented with this proposition one to bor-
row money or TO increase taxation to
which almost any other nation on earth
would have been Obliged to resort" Gre
mendous applause)