The record-union., 1898-08-19
BARHAM VS.. MAGU|RE.
THE LATTER IN A VERY AWK-
WARD POSITION.
He Complains of the Passage Of a
Bill Which He Con-
sented To.

! (From the Santa Rosa Republican,
| In his reception speech at San Fran
cisco the other night on his return from
washington, Congressman Mcguire de-
clared that Congressman Barham
passed through the last House the bill
under which the debts of the Central
and Western Pacific Railroads are to
be disposed Of. Congressman Barham' $
reply, which appeared as an interview
in all the San Francisco Sunday morn
ing papers. is a very interesting docu-
ment
1t will be noticed that Mr.. Barham
does not attempt to dodge the RESPONSE
bihty for what he did in this matter.
He tells the story just as it appears in
the Congressional Record" and makes
the subject so plain that there is no
difficulty about understanding it,
! Let it first be noted that the legisla-
ton under discussion is in no sense a
measure for the funding of the debts
| of the railroads. 1t is a bill under
which the debts are to be paid directly
to the General Government, principal
and accrued interest in full to date,
with interest in future at 3 per cent,
until the debts are extinguished. Con-
gresham Barham, Senator Morgan
and other earnest and active friends
OF the Nicaragua Canal project have
| found the controversy over these rail-
road debts very serious and well
nigh insurmountable obstacle in the
way Of securing desired canal legisla-
ton. Hence Senator Morgan tried to
| dispose of the railroad debt by an
amendment to the general deficiency
bill. AS stated by Mr.. Barham and
shown by the Congressional Record
lobjection was offered which at that
stage in the consideration of a Senate
bill would defeat the amendment. Later
in the day Senator White of California
again offered the amendment, and on
his pledge that the time of the Senate
in its closing hours should not be con-
sumed by discussion of the subject, Sc
cured the unanimous consent required
for it's adoption.
| The bill having thus passed the Sen
ate unanimously after being fathered
in turn by these two prominent Demo-
Gratis, neither of whom has ever been
accused of friendliness for the railroad,
went to the House. There it met with
some opposition. Congressman Barham
| declared that the amendment itself
must be amended so as to limit the
time in which negotiations for the set
tlement of these debts should be COM
pleted and all the interests Of the Unit
ed States be fully protected, or he
should antagoniZe the measure. Dis
patches We're received from San Fran
cisco politicians, who have long fat
tened on the alleged opposition to all
RAILROAD interests, opposing any action
in the. premises Mcguire at once as
sumed leadership of the opposition and
the struggle began Barham noted the
objections raised by Mcguire in a long
speech on the subject, and prepared an
amendment covering his own objections
to the bill as it then was, as well as
those stated by Mr. Mcguire. This
amendment was submitted to Mr. Ma
guire and received change at his hands.
It seems to have been the purpose OF
i both men to make the amendment as
strong as possible
Under the rules Of the House, at that
stage of the consideration of the bill,
Chairman Cannon Of the Appropriation
Committee who had charge of the bill,