The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-07
IN The BALANCE.
Some Measures That Made Hair.
breadth Escapes in
LAST SESSION OF CONGRESS.
The Rivers and Harbors Bill was in q
Very Ticklish Position Until scna.
tor Elkins Came to tho Rescue.
His Great Gencralship-The Omni-
bus Bill of Benefit to weat Virginia.
Mr.. Elkins Good Work In Behalf of
That Measure. =

Mr.. Elkins Good Work in Behalf of
That Measure.
Special Dispatch to the lnteiiigencer.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-The ad-
journment OF Congress at noon satur-
day, after an almost continuous ses-
sion of. both houses for twenty-four
hours. brought to an end most mem-
orable series OF events, considering
what has'transpIred since the vice pres
ident. was Installed over the SENATE and
Speaker Reed was last called to preside
In the house. The usual crowdlng OF
measures into the closing hours for
final consideration was feature OF the
wlndup of the FIfty-Hfth Congress, the
last session OF which came to IN end by
limitation at noon Saturday. Several
OF the more important appropriation
bills remained for the finishing touches,
and an all-nIght session was the result,
with the hair-breadth escape OF several
OF them as a.feature. is
The rivers and harbors bill was In
particularly precarious situation for
,ime-or at least 1t was believed to be-
owing to the persistence with which
Senator Warren held out for his pro-
ject OF promoting the irrigation OF arid
lands Of the west He was supported
by Senator'S Mantle. Carter and others
OF the northwest. but the Wyoming
statesman was the most violent Of them
all. He declared Friday night he would
talk to the noon hour the succeeding
day IL denied his motion for an appro-
prlatlon for irrigation schemes, and he
set out to do it.
The house conferees had absolutely
refused to concur in the amendment,
and Senator Warren was angry. Sem
ator Frye was Indifferent. The Con-
necticut senators. as well as those from
Massachusetts,, were smartiRg under
the loss OF appropriations for their riv-
ers, and as late as 2 o'clock Friday
night the matter was undecided.
Elkins' Gcncralship.
Here is where Senator Elkins' gener-
alship came into action. He was inter-
ested in holding the Nicaragua canal
amendment. as well as the appropria-
lions for objects iIwhich West Vir-
ginians are specially interested - the
Ohio, and Monongahela rivers improve
ments included. Chairman Burton, Of
the house, had added to the difficulty
by declaring that rather than indorse
the Irrigation scheme his colleagues
would refuse appropriations to New
York, Philadelphia, Boston and Balti-
more harbors, and the whole Of the At
lantlc coast. Conceding THAI, however,
the house. he said. would, como further.
Mr.. Elkins thereupon proposed COM
promise. which was in effect that, the
sum Of sl,0vv,000 should be provided for
the preliminary work on the Nicaragua
canal and that the appropriations for
the Atlantic Seaboard should remain.
So much was done, but this did not
dispose of the objections to the irriga-
ton project. But when Senator War
rem had talked the senate into n frenzy
and had himself become exceedingly
heated. Mr.. Elklns. awaiting himself OF
a lull In the flow OF Wyoming eloquence,
proposed to Senator Warren to recon-
mend the bill to conference and got him
to concede that IL, after an earnest ef-
fort to Induce the house to yield, there
should still be opposition to the item
for the building OF reservoirs he would
give way and permit the appropriation
bills to go through. Senator Warren,
be 1t said in his favor. was impelled by
patriotic regard for the public inter-
ests. to yield to the suggestions OF Sem
ator Elkins and permit legislation to go
on.
1t required but few minutes to go
through the form of a second confer
ence, and when eventually the bill was
again reported to both houses with an
agreed report 1t was adopted. 1t con-
tatns, appropriations amounting to
about two and one-quarter millions of
dollars to the. good OF West Virginia.
Benefits West Virsinians.
Another measure, heretofore mem
toned in the Intelligencer as being OF
interest to West Virginia. was the ON
n!bus claims bill. The bill carries over
100000 largely as compensation for
Individual losses during the civil war.
1t was also about to be wrecked on the
shoals, not on the legislative side, but
ut the executive mansion. The Presi-
dent approved the main features OF the
measure. but he was opposed to so
much Of 1t as related to the spollatlon
claims. 1t devolved upon Senator Ell
kins, at the request OF half the scna-
torsFor more, to explain the bill to Mr..
Mckinley and dissolve his objections.
The measure was referred by the
President to the attorney general in due
course for report OF objections. IL any,
ana the report was made up for the at
iorney general by an official who has
Deen In the department for years. 1t
Is said this same official made up the
report upon which President Cleveland
BASED his veto of n similar bill. There
Is nothing ut all significant In this CO.
incidence. but 1t was known that Mr..
mckinley was not favorably disposed
that the balance OF argument had
been on the side OF dIsapproval-and
senator ElkiDs was appealed to to pre-
sent the Views OF an almost unanimous
congress In favor OF the bill. II is now
!aw and 1t is probably fair to say
Nthight not-would not-have been had
Not me facts In Its support been pre-
I hi,,ed In time 10 turn the scales. The
y'ii' as heretofore stated. carries
iFSe amount In favor OF West VIr-
hInih claimants. and there was lively
interest In Its fate manifested In every
part or the state. Senator Elkins was
n,eInsed with letters and kilograms urg-