Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-09

Fifty Million Dollars Placed in the
I Presidents Hands for the Nation
al Defense-Pairs Were Broken
| That Members Might Go on Rec
! ord In Defense or the Country's
Honor, ana Even Speaker Reed
| Voted for the Measure.
! WASHINGTON, March Sin spirit
of patriotism, with eloquent words ring
| ing in their ears, every member of the
! House of Representatives to-day respond
/ ed to the Presidents first call to meet
! the Spanish situation by casting his vote
for bill placing in President McKinIyes
! hands $50,000,G00 to be expended at his dis
| erection, for the national defense. Party
! lines We're swept away and with a unan-
lmous voice Congress voted its confidence
in the administration. Many members
! who were paired with absent colleagues
/ took the responsibility of breaking their
! pairs, an Unprecedented thing in legisla-
tive annals in order that they might go
/ on record in support of this vast appro-
| priation to maintain the dignity and hon
! or of their country. Speaker Reed, who
was the presiding officer, seldom votes
| except in case of a tie, had his name
! called and voted in his capacity as a Rep
resentative
! The scene of enthusiasm which greeted
! the announcement of the vote-ayes 3D.
nays none-has seldom been heard paral-
| leled in the House All day long the gal
| leries We're jammed with enthusiastic
| spectators applauding to the echo the
! sterling patriotism Of the words Of elo-
| quence which We're uttered by the MEM
! bers on the floor All the speeches were
! brief. Although four hours were allow
! ed 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 content themselves with a
! beggarly fraction of q. minute. In all, 50
! speeches We're made.
! WITH ONE ACCLAIM
members from the North and the South,
I the East and the West. the States and
I the Territories, battle SCARED veterans
= of the Union and the Confederate army
; all joined in proclaiming their support Of
| the country's chief magistrate in the face
! OF possible foreign war
! Gen. Grosvenor, of Ohio, seid that if
war did not come, the $50,000000 appropri-
! ated by this bill would be wisely expend-
[ ed if it only served to show the world
! that when threatened from without the
hearts of the American people beat as
| one.
In the whole debate there was only a
| slight dfscordant note, caused by the
! speech of Gen. Bingham, OF Pennsylvania,
| a gallant soldier who served with distinc-
/ ton under Hancock. He spoke too con-
I servatively for the aroused temper of the
| House, and when he insisted that our re-
| lations with Spain were as friendly as
they had been for years, many of the
members Kissed him.
! While almost every member who spoke
| deprecated the possibility Of war. a wide
divergence of opinion as to how close
( were hostilities manifested itself in the
1 debate
THE GENERAL CONTENTION
/ by the majority, among leaders on both
/ sides. was that this appropriation, by
! preparing for war, would prove the sur
! est guarantee of peace. Others insisted
| that wars alarums would soon be heard,
I and Mr. Mann. Of Illinois, declared that
/ war actually existed in all save name.
| The speeches which attracted the most
| attention were those of Messrs. Cannon.
| Henderson and Dolliver. on the Republi-
| can side. and Messrs. Bailey and Savers
| on the Democratic side.
| Mr.. Dockery Dem, MOD began by
saying that the hour for action had ar
rived and the American people must
face an important emergency-an en-
Urgency in which no American citizen
could falter or hesitate as to his duty.
At such time he said, party lines
should fade away and the country
should act as one man.
Mr. Allen Dem, Mises.) was next
recognized amid general expectancy.
He did not make a humorous speech,
but patriotic one. 81 desire he be-
gan, ITO say for the people ! represent
and for the southern section of the
country, for the entire country, that
there was never a time when all were
so ready to give an administration all
the money it needs to preserve the
honor, the dignity and the general wei
fare Of the country to say nothing Of
fair play and justice.
The people of the South, he con-
tinued. asked for nothing more. They
are not iingoes, nor extremists, but
they are facing the emergency calmly
and quietly, only asking that the
country's institutions and traditions
may be protected and respected. They
do not want to hurt anybody and are
not using any rash action, but they
are ready to honor any draft whether
for men or money to
KEEP THE FLAG AFLOAT.
Mr.. McRae Dem., Ark.) followed in
similar strain.
Mr.. Ball Pop, Colo) spoke earnest
J., g. .Lo biI1 1bara xyprp ha said