The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-26
SOME STRONG FIGURES
\ DECLINE IN THE PRICE OF 100
COMMODITIES.
Mr.. RICH ,RDSON vExES REPUBLICANS
The Strike of $4,000 Men in New England
Used With Good Effect Against Stone
Mr.. Dockery's Theory ef the
Present Strike.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. 25-Undcr the
parliamentary fiction of discussing the
Indian Appropriation bill, the House de-
voted almost the entire day to poll
teal debate in which the main question
was whether prosperity had come to the
country as a result of the advent of the
present administration. As the speech
cs were limited to FIVE minutes each,
many members participated and partisan
spirit kept the interest keyed up to a
high pitch. The acrimony which usual
ly characterizes such debates was al
most entirely absent but although good
naturcd, some hard knocks were given
and received.
Mr.. Richardson, (Dem., Tenn, speak
ing to a pro forma amendment adduced
figures and financial authorities to prove
that prosperity had not yet appeared. He
quoted Mr.. Wharton Barker to prove
that there had been decline equal TO
one per cent in the price of 100 standard
commodities.
IF prosperity has not returned" ask
ed Mr.. w. A. Stone (Rep.. Pa.). how
does it happen that in all the industrial
regions men are employed and are not
supported by charity as they were under
the Cleveland Administrations
THE trouble with the gentlemen" re-
piled Mr.. Richardson. sis that his
premises are all wrong. Labor is not
employed in all the industrial regions. In
New England 12J,000 workers are now
out on a strike"
Mr.. Grosvenor. Mr.. Stone. Mr. Dingley
and other Republicans all arose TO re-
ply and in the confusion Mr.. Richardson
called ont that he had no desire to inter-
fere with Mr.. Stones gubernatorial
boom.
Proceeding Mr.. Richardson said he was
reminded of a colloquy between a miu-
strel and an interlocutor in which the
former i'm reply to the latter said there
were only two things exactly alike-the
Cleveland panic and the Mckinley pros
perity.
Mr.. Grosvernor raised laugh by say
ing it was a very poor case which had
TO be bolstered up with the arguments
of Wharton Barker and illustrations
from minstrelsy. Mr.. Grosvenor cited
the wool raising industry and examples
of what the Dingley law had done.
Mr.. Dockery Dem, MOI, in discuss
ing the cotton mill strike contended
that the strike had been urged by the
operators in order that they might dis
pose of their surplus stock The trouble
was we were enormously over-prOduc-
ing in this country and in the face of
that fact TIE Republican party was re-
stricting and narrowing our markets.
The time was coming when this policy
would he reversed. The growing trend
of public sentiment could not be stayed
Eventually the tariff barriers would be
broken down and our products would 90
out upon the seas of the world.
The political debate continued for an
hour. thc Republicans maintaining, and
the Democrats denying the existence of
prosperity.
Mr.. Smith Dem. Arizona). made an
attack on the present system of educating
the Indian.
Mr.. Walker CRep., Mass.) agreed with
Mr.. Smith that the present policy was
unsatisfactory, illogical and impracti-
cable He moved to strike out the APP
preparation for the Carlisle school.
Without voting on the amendment the
committee rose and at 5:25 p. m. the
House adjourned.