The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-04


IiveFed by Mr.. Vest of Missouri. in which
lie ridiculed the idea OF demonstrating any
part of Alaska or OF constructing railroads in
that district. His motion to eliminate the
homestead feature of the bill by striking
ont the first section was defeated.
After the opening exercises at noon the
resolution providing for a congressional in
vestigaticn into the murder of the postmas-
ter at Lake City, S. c., and his family, and
the burning of his home was laid before the
Senate. Mr.. Lodge sent to the clerks desk
10 have read a communication from William
Henry Ferris, of the Harvard Divinity
school, giving the proceedings of mass
meeting of colored citizens of Boston held
on Feb IS to express adherence Of the
action of the South Carolina mob.
Mr.. Allen charged Mr. Lodge with intro
ducing politics into the discussion Of the
resolution and thought the communication
ought not to be read by the clerk The
communication was read, however. and
then Mr.. Lodge said that there was
question of politics in the communication
so far as he was aware. The act he re-
ferTed to, he said, met with the repfoba-
lion Of men of all parties. and he WOULD not
in any way introduce politics into it.
Mr.. McLaurin, of South Carolina, said
he had hoped the resolution would go to the
committee without discussion. The state
authorities were exceedingly active in their
investigation Of the crime, and he was as
sured that every effort was being made to
bring the perpetrators Of the outrage to jus
tice. He then had read q clipping from the
Columbia Is. CO State (lewspaper) to show
that the people of South Carolina were not
only not in sympathy with those who COM
n1itted the crime, but keenly reprobated it.
Mr.. Hawley said the crime was clearly
brought within federal jurisdiction by the
fact that 1t was a federal official who had
been murdered and government property
that had been destroyed. He expressed the
opinion that the federal authorities ought
to maintain close watch on the proceed
ings. The resolution was referred to the
, committee on contingent expenses.
Bills were passed as follows: Granting
free entry to a set of bells presented by the
Gar of Russia to the Orthodox Russian
Church at Bridgeport, Conn.,. to provide
for the transfer of the Fort Sidney military
post reserve to the State of Nebraska for
educational purposes, and to establish an
assay Office at Seattle, Wash.
The motion of Mr.. Hoar (Mass.) to nom
concur in the House amendments to the
bankruptcy bill was laid before the Sen
ate and Mr.. Stewart resumed his speech on
the House measure. AT the conclusion of
his speech Mr.. Stewart offered resolu-
ton that the Senate conferees be instructed
ID insist on the Senate bill. The resolution
created some debate of o parliamentary
character. Mr.. Stewart then withdrew his
resolution and Mr.. Hoar's motion to nom
concur in the House amendment to the
bankruptcy bill and that q committee of
conference be appointed was adopted. The
Vice President appointed Messrs. Hodr, Mel
son and Lindsay.
The ALASKAN homestead and railway right
. OF way bill was then taken up and Mr.. Tur-
ner addressed the Senate. He recognized,
he said, the necessity of some Such ieglSla-
lion as that proposed because quite 100000
adult Americans were preparing to go into
Alaska, and If proper transportation facili,
ties were not provided 1t would be cruel
and short-sighted policy. He said he be-
lieved the measure proposed by the commit
tee was generally fair, and with ,,,i some n.
his opinion the bill sufficiently hedged about
the transportation companies, as the re-
strictons placed upon them by the bill were
even more severe than those placed upon
them by the general law.
To meet a point advanced by Mr. Turner,
committee amendment retaining the first
section of the House BILL except wherein
It provided for: the approval of the Pres.
ident and modified the committee amend
nlent with proviso that no entry shall be
allowed extending more than forty rods
along the shore of any navigable water,
and along such shore a space of at least
forty rods shall be reserved from entry be-
tween all such claims.9 The committee
amendment was adopted.
After the section amended Mr. Vest
moved to strike out the entire section. He
said frankly that he desired to test the
sense of the Senate on the proposition to
extend the homestead laws TO the district
OF Alaska. So far as the construction of
railroads was concerned, II would be a most
difficult and expensive undertaking. If con-
structors could find valleys for their rail-
road, they would be met with ali sorts of
difficulties and dangers. He thought that
after tine ephemeral gold-seeking rush had
subsidized there would be no possible reason
for the construction of railways in Alaska.
Mr.. Vest ridicuIed the report made by Rev.
DR. Sheldon Jackson on the agriculture of
Alaska. Alaska" declared Mr.. Vest, "is
not agricultural section and it can never
be made one / speak from personal knowl-
edge and not from government reports.
He said that in that great section, two and
a half times larger than the State of Texas
and ten times larger than the State of Geor-
gia there was not single farm; yet the re-
port of DR.. jackson pictured the wonderful
potatoes and the remarkable cabbage pro-
duced there. Mr.. Vest said he knew some
thing OF those potatoes and cabbages. The
potatoes were large and-full of water,
nothing else. He saw. he said cabbages
that spread over the ground like the blank
ct of Sancho Panza, and caulifiower that
weighed twenty-five pounds; yet when they
were cut they contained nothing but water.
ferred to SO eloquently, it was vegetable
blasphemy" to compare them with the blue
grass of Kentucky. He thought the pur-
chase Of Alaska for 81, 500 900 had been made
recklessiy and heedlessly Since 1891 ii had
cost the government SAL, coo, and to REV.
Sheldon Jackson, d. d., and LII. D., mis-
sionary to the Aleuts and manager of rein
deer $4,000 for spending his winters in
Washington and his summers in Alaska !"
The motion of Mr.. Vest to strike out the
first section was by yea and nay vote was
defeated-31 to Is.
Section of the bill was amended by the
insertion of declaration that all such
rights (tidelands and beds of navigable riv-
ers) shall continue to be held by the United
states in trust for the people of any State
or States which may hereafter be created
out of said district. and it was further
amended by the adoption of the following
provision offered by tile committee: That
IN charges for the transportation of freight
and passengers on raj roads in the district
OF Alaska shall he fixed subject to the APP
llroval OF the secretary of the interior, and
when so approved shall be printed and post
ed as required by Section of the act to
regulate commerce as amended on March 2,
1899 and new rates of charges may be pre-
scribed by the secretary of the interior from
time to time as he may deem necessary
Without completing the bill the Senate, at
$40 D. M, adjourned.