The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-03-12
HOW THE HOUSE VOTED

on ne senate Free Homes amendment
What wa the Conference DO?
WASHINGTON, March II by vote
Of 1876 to 80 the house today refused to
concur ia the senate free homes
amendment TO the Indian appropria-
tion bill II goes now TO conference,
and, II the senate stands firm, may yet
be rut through But the chances are
that the senate will yield, and that the
free homes bill is dead until the next
congress.
The Republican opponents OF free
homes, under the skillful management
OF Speaker Reed, who took personal
interest in the Aght, Of Chairman
Lacey, of the committee on public
lands, and OF the personal friends of
ex Delegate Dennis Flynn, contrived
to bring pressure TO bear on Demo
cratic members who represented dis
tricts in which agricultural colleges
are located. In this way few Demo
Gratis voted against the senate amend
ment, but nearly all the leaders
worked aud voted for it, and Senator
Jones, chairman OF the Democratic
national committee, gave his hearty
support to IT,
Ali the Populists, except Howard, of
Alabama, were for II, and BOtkin and
Ridgeley, Of Kansas, did good work,
aiding Delegate Callahan in his great
fght against odds. The house con-
ferees are Sherman, cf New York; Lit.
tie, OF Arkansas, and Curtis, Of Kansas.
Both sherman and Curtis spoke and
voted against the amendment, and
they will be hostile TO 1t in the con.
ference.
When the bill comes back from con
ference the friends Of free homes will
force yea aud nay vote, Ia order TO
make the record complete.
Delegate Callahan, who made the
free homes bill an issue and compelled
the speaker TO lend his aid TO the op.
position in order to prevent the pas
sage of the bill, will continue the cam
paign before the conference untiriugly.
Mr.. Handy (Dem }, Of Delaware ad-
vocated an amendment to the free
homes clause SO as to amend the act OF
1862 for the endowment ofsg -icultural
colleges, SO as to strike out the words,
''arising out OF the sales OF public
lands II this amendment was not
made, he declared, that the sixty-four
colleges of the United States which
now receive ulOutN lfln tue hdle Oh
public lands would suffer.
Mr.. Lacey, (Rep Of Iowa, gave no.
tice that he would move TO concur
with an amendment TO exclude from
the operRti MS Of the free home clause
the trust lands, sggregating about
IS, coo 600 acres, situated prime ipally In
the Souix and Chippewa Indian reser-
va Ions
Mr. Norris, (Rep Of Minnesota, an
tagonized the proposition Of Mr. Lacey
re- ferring 70 the fact that a tin en-
bra. ug all reservations in this amend
men had twice passed the senate. "In
the last congress" " said he 1.-The bill
came back here nd died on the speak
et's table because the chairman OF the
public lands committee lacey then
drew hi, Hog cal distinction regarding
irust lands and because. perhaps, the
peaker Of the house opposed the bill"
Mr. Johnson, lRep Of North DA-
Hoia created something OF sensation
oy charg ing mat Secretary Bliss in his
pposition 10 the free homes clause not
Jnly procured his argument, and actu-
ally plagiar his language, from
the message Of James buchanan, veto.
lag the homestead bill before the war.
tie followed this statement with an
attack upon the secretary. asserting
that his interests, sympathies and
horizon were bounded by the Allie
cheney mountains and as a matter Of
fact he had never been west OF Buffalo
Mr. Bailey, OF Texas, announced
that he would vote for the senate
amendment because he stood commit
ted to 1t by the Chicago platform. AS
an original proposition, ne admitted,
he was against giving free homes to
the people. lie rated nothing more
important than that the people should
have homes, but that they should have
them by their industry and ;TugAlity.
But every man who accepted a nomi-
nation on platform he believed bound
himself 10 redeem It's every promise,
the smallest as well as the greatest,
and 80 he should vote today to redeem
pledge in the Chicago convention.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Repl Of Ohio and
MIR. Dslzsll rep OF Pennsy lvAnia also
opposed the amendment The latter
denied the right Of congress to tax the
farmers OF Pennsylvania TO give free
farms 10 the farmers OF Oklahoma,
North and South Dakota and Mime
sofa
Mr.. Grow (Rep of Pennsylvania a ,
/
original homestead law, warmly sup
ported the amendment.
Mr.. Dingley (Rep Of Maize, closed
the debate with brief speech IN oppO-
sition TO the amendment. He called
attention to the fact that all treaties
ceding Indian lands by the United
| States had been ratified by congress
with the understanding that the pur-
chase money paid by settlers should he
used TO reimburse the United States.
Never had . proposition been made TO
purchase Indian lands for the purpose G
Of donating them as free homes, To
his mind IL was Ap act OF bad faith on
the part of those who had induced con
gress TO buy these lands.
Mr.. HAndy's motion to concur with
an amendment changing the law relA-
tive to payments TO agricultural col
leges for the sale Of public lands"
was ruled out on poiRt Of order,
Mr. Lacey rep }, Of Iowa, then
offered his motion TO concur with an
amendment excluding the trust reser-
vAtions. 1t was voted down-IO 10 1913
Two other amendments designed 10
protect the pay ynents to agricultural
colleges were ruled out by Mr.. Hep
burn, who was in the chair, on points
OF order The vote was then taken on
the main proposition, and the house
non-concurred in the senate amend.
ment-99 TO 1876.
The conference substitute for the
senate amendment 20 ratify the Semir e
ole treaty, which also ratified the
Kiows, Comanche and ATs 'he ireAty,
went out on point OF order. and the