The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-11
D()CKERY SECONDS H
Cannon'S Statement Should
Have Come Even Sooner.
HEPBURN GIVES NOTICE
That He Will Push the Canal
BiII--The Eagan Case.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 10.-General de-
bate on the sundry civil appropriation Dill
was concluded today. The speakers dur
ing the day touched a variety Of topics, but
as a rule the debate lacked spirit and in
| terest. Mr. Dockery of Missouri, who Is
| at the head OF the minority Of the appro-
| priations committee, reinforced Mr. can
mons figures OF yesterday as TO the de-
ficiency in the revenues. Mr.. De Almond
! Of Missouri, Mr.. Gillett Of Massachusetts
| and several others discussed the policy Of
| expansion, and Mr.. Lentz Of Ohio severely
criticised the administration Tor exercising
| cemency in the case Of General Eagan.
The latter charged that there was an evl-
dent disposition TO reward those who at
tackled General Niles because the latter
had had the manhood to tell the truth
about alleged rotten food fed to our troops
in Porto Rico and Cuba. During the course
fthe debate Mr.. Hepburn, chairman of
the interstate and foreign commerce COM
mittee, gave notice that he would offer
the Nicaragua canal bill as an amendment
to the sundry civil bill.
The house without preliminary business
went into committee Of the whole and re-
sumed consideration of the sundry civil
appropriation bill. Upon Mr.. Cannons mo-
ton, general debate was to close with this
legislative day.
Mr.. Brossius CRep.) of Pennsylvania, the
first speaer today, characterized the $2O.-
100000 to be paid TO Spain under the terms
of the Paris treaty as a mere bagatelle.
Mr.. Dockery Oem) Of Missouri, who
followed, congratulated the country upon
the statement made by Mr. Cannon yes
terday. Had it been made earlier, he said,
the country might have been saved many
millions of dollars. Mr.. Docery produced
figures to show that there was already in
sight deficiency of SCI, 900, 900 for the next
fiscal year. But this was exclusive of the
additional expenditure of $500, 600 involved
in the naval personnel bill, the new ships
to be authorized in the naval appropria-
ton bill, the Cuban claim, the 81, OOOO 900
for public buildings, and the enormous
expenditure involved in the Hanna-Payne
subsidy bill ad the bill for the construc-
ton of the Nicaragua canal. should either
of these latter bills be passed After the
ciyi, war, he said, congress had reyeled
Fioted IN the substance of the people, but
the Forty-fOurth congress had come. Mr..
-Doclsery predicted that another Forty
fourth congress would come, at least a
y ngress animated by the spirit that con-
trolled the Forty-fourth, and it would cut
down the tax burdens Of the people.
Mr. Johnson (Rep.) of Indiana asked how
the expenditures could be reduced under
the foreign policy entered upon by the adj
ministration.
Mr.. Dockery replied that circumstances
would probably necessitate large increases
in the cost of our military and naval es-
adjustments. but he did believe there
could be a great reduction on government
a. expenditures.
"You mean then" fnterposed Mr. John
son, ''that we must cut down the expenses
for our internal affairs at home in order
that we may be able to support great
army ad navy abroad?'
81 am not sure but the gentleman IS
about right" replied Mr.. Dockery. Some
where the pruning knife must be laid. or
else the tax burdens of the people must
be increas
Mr.. De Almond Dem, MOI argued that
if the people were to be made to bear ad-
ditional tax burdens an income tax should
be imposed. Mr.. De Almond, speaking Of
the causes Of the war, declared that great
injustice had been done the speaker Of the
house. It was said everywhere that the
speaker had been opposed to the war. Yet,
he declared, no solitary man in the coun-
try, no dozen men, in fact, had done so
much to make the war inevitable. He had
suppressed debate in the house and had
members. President Mckinley, if he had
been here. had not dared to do so much.
The waters had been damned up until
the food was inevitable. At last indigna-
ton throughout the country and the
wholly unexpected blowing up of the
Maine broke the foodgates. Turning TO
the question Of the future, Mr.. De Ar
mond declared that all history proved that
when republics turned toward imperialism
it was only question of time when the
end came. There was no goal. We were
travelling q new road All our grand her
itage was 20 be abandoned. Should we not
pause before We made the plunge? In
conclusion ne appealed TO the members
TO break their shackles, rise in their dig
nifty and assert themselves in favor Of free
government at home and opposed 10 op-
preston the world over. If congress ex-
pired without acting and matters were al
lowed to drift on, the die would he cast.
Our pride. our vanity would be appealed
10. There would he protests against part
ing with the Philippines. They We're ours.
it would be argued. because We had paid
for them; they We're ours because we had
shed our blood for them.
Mr. Gillett (Rep., Mass) declared that
he had rather pay $1,000 coo 10 be honora-
bly, ria Of the Philippines than 10 pay so
ooo.o0o TO keep them. The islands could
not. in his opinion. ever be AmeTicanized-
Corruption and decentralization would
creep in and there could be TO compen-
sating advantages.
Mr. Hepburn CRep.. Ia, chairman OF
the committee on interstate and foreign
commerce, created something OF a sensa-