The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-21

-t
Washington, Jan. 2O-The proceed
ings in the house were enlivened in a
wordy debate between Mr.. Grosvenor
Of Ohio and Mr.. Lewis, the picturesque
member from Washington. During the
| discussion on a private bill to refer to
the court of claims the claim of Cramp
/ & Sons, the Philadelphia shipbuilders,
| Tor damages from the government for
I delays incident to the building OF the
warships New York, Massachusetts,
Indiana and Columbia, due to the fail
uTe Of the government to deliver armOr
plate and other materials for these
ships on time, Mr.. Lewis got the floor.
Mr.. Lewis made the bill the text for
general attack on army and navy con-
tractors, whom he charged with being
traitors for taking advantage Of the
necessities Of the government in time
of stress.
Mr.. Simpson, the Kansas POpulist.
followed along the same lines. and Mr..
GroSVenOr undertook to rebuke them
both. Mr.. Lewis, in his reply, made one
of the wittiest speeches, ridiculing the
Ohioan for his alleged pretensiOns, that
has been heard in the house for months
Just before the recess in the after
noon, Speaker Reed put an end to the
speculation regarding the chairman
ship of the ways and means committee
by appointing AIr. Payne (Rep., y. "
to the vacancy caused By the death of
Mr.. Dingley. This carries with it the
floor leadership of the majority. At
the same time he filed the vacancies
il the minority representation on ways
and means and rules caused by the
retirement Of Mr.. McNIiliin by appoint
ing AIr- Richardson of Tennessee TO
both places. Mr. Crumpacker of Indi-
ana was appointed on census.
An arrangement was made for the
consideration of the army reorganiza-
ton bill, beginning next Tuesday. Fif-
teen hours are 10 be allowed for gen.
eral debate, exclusive or night sessions
tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
nights.
A night session was held tonight for
pension legislation, and the house then
adjourned over until Monday.
When the house met today the pend
ing question was on the motion of Mr..
Swanson to recOmmit the pOstOhice ap-
preparation bill, with Instructions to
strike from the paragraph appropriate
ing $3G0.000 for mail facilities in Cuba,
Puerto Rico and the Philippines the
words, newly acquired territory" The
Democrats opposed this language. To
avoid roll call, which had been or
dered, MIR. Loud, in charge Of the bill.
asked unanimous consent that the
words be stricken out, as they were
unnecessary. There was no objection
and the bill passed.
The first bill considered was for the
relief of William Cramp & Sons of Phil
adelphia. 1t referred TO the court OF
claims the claims Of this company for
damages and losses alleged to be due
for delay caused by the government in
the supply of armOr and other material.
TRAITOROUS CONTRACTORS.
The history OF the claim was thor
Oughly exhausted during the debate.
which Mir. Lewis CDem.. Wash.) en-
ivened by making the bill the text of a
general attack on the methods Of gov
cTEmenC contractors. During the war
with Spain, when the country was con-
lrOnted with an enemy from without,
traitors. he said. threatened il from
within. These contractors, who should
have upheld the government in the
hour Of its peril, he declared, declined
% bio against each other. In some
cases they had furnished, he said, rot
cen and decayed food, which had been
prepared for the Chinese-JaDanese
var 1t was mussed and blue, 3utrid
and cOrrUot, but was sent TO our sol
diers at the front and they 3erished
frCm il and from the plague. These
men had earned the ignOminy, reprOach
and contempt of congress. If he were
attorney general, he should arraign be-
Tore the grand juries of his country
those who had furnished poisoned food
to the army, those who had sold armOr
plate to the enemy, and those who had
sold coal for the use of the enemy'S
leetS, and he would convict them of
reason and have them shot, as Napo-
con did. or have them imprisoned, as
Grant did.
Mr.. Simpson CPop., Kan.) remarked
upon the popularity which always Sc
cured q hearing for large claims in the
house bill, and which always kept the
modest, but often meritOrious, claims
n the background. In conclusion. Mr..
simpson said he had no complaint TO
llake against the members from Penn
iylvania who were pressing this bill.
He readily understood their position.
Men were not elected to congress in
They We're selected by
corporations and they were compelled
o carry out the wishes of these cor
)Orations. They must do that 10 hold
heir jobs said ne, amid laughter.
GROSVENOR's REPLY.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep.. o.. replying to
,ir. Simpson, recalled the fact that this
gentleman, who so vigorously attacked
was yesterday on the
ioor advocating "a cOld-blOoded. clean
ut contribution" 10 one of these soul
ess, constituencies corporations. which,
Is the POpulist so delighted to say, de-
led the laws against trusts. He re-
erred TO the appropriation of $4,000
or fast mail facilities from Kansas
,ity to Newton. Kan. in the DostOffice
appropriation bill.
Mr.. Simpson interrupted TO say that
he railroad which was TO receive the
appropriation did not ask it. The ap-
u IoDriation was for the benefit of the
,eople Of western Kansas, not the rail-
cad,
Mr.. GrOsvenor. amid laughter. eX-
,ressed his great amaZement that the
Gentleman had sought TO give to a cor
,CratiOn that which it did not want.
Mr.. GrosvenOr proceeded to speak OF
he effect Of the rejection of the peace
reaty. X would, ne said, plunge the
ountry again into 4 foreign war. We
lave not had quite graves enough to