The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-11
4 VARIETY Of TOPICS
Under Discussion by Members
of the House.
! THE NICARAGUA CANAL
Hepburn VIII Offer the Bill as an
Amendment -Dockery Reinforces
Cannon's Position-A Prun-
ing Knife Needed

bill was concluded to-day. The speak
ers during the day touched a variety Of
topics, but as a rule the debate lacked
spirit and interest. Mr.. Dockery Of
Missouri, who is at the head of the
minority of the appropriations commit
tee, reinforced Mr.. Cannon's figures of
yesterday as to the deficiency in the
revenues Mr. De Almond Of Missouri,
Mr.. Gillett of Massachusetts and others
discussed the policy of expansion. and
Mr.. Lentz of Ohio severely criticised the
administration for exercising clenency
In the case of General Eagan. The lat
ter charged that there was an evil
dent disposition to reward those who
attacked General Miles, because the
latter had had the manhood to tell the
truth about alleged rotten food fed to
our troops in Porto RIGA and Cuba.
During the course of the debate Mr..
Hepburn. chairman of the interstate
and foreign commerce committee, gave
notice that he would offer the Mica
raguan canal bill as an amendment to
the sundry civil bill.
The house to-day, without preliminary
business, went into committee of the
whole and resumed consideration of the
sundry civil appropriation bills. Upon
Mr.. Cannon's motion, general debate
Mr.. Brosius, rep. Pa, the first speak
err to-day. characterized the 100000 900
to be paid to Spain under the terms of
the Paris treaty as mere bagatelle.
Mr.. Dockery, dem. Mo-, who followed,
congratulated the country upon the
statement made by Mr.. Cannon yester-
day. Had it been made earlier. he said,
the country might have been saved
many millions of dollars. Mr.. Dockery
produced figures to show that there was
already in sight a deficiency of $67, 000.-
600 for the next fiscal year. But this
was exclusive of the additional expendi-
ture of 81, 900 involved in the naval
personnel bill, the new ships to be au-
thorized in the naval appropriation bill,
the Cuban claims, the Sill 900, 900 for pub
lie buildings and the enormous eXpendi-
ture involved in the Hanna Payne sub
sidy bill and the bill for the construc-
ton OF the Nicaragua canal, should
either of these latter bills be passed.
After the civil war. he said, congress
had reveled and rioted in the substance
of the people, but the Forty-fourth
congress had come. Mr.. Dockery pre-
dicted that another Forty-fourth con-
gress would come at least congress
animated by the spirit that controlled
the Forty-fourth, and it would cut
down the tax burdens of the people
Mr.. Johnson, rep, Ind, asked how
the expenditures had been reduced by
the foreign policy entered upon by the
administration. Mr.. Dockery replied
that circumstances would probably ne
! cessitate large Increases in the cost of
our military and naval establishments,
fbut he did believe there could be
great reduction in governmental eX-
penditures. r.,*
You mean, then" interposed Mr..
johnson, that we must cut down the
expenses for our internal affairs at home
in order that we may be able to support
great army and navy abroad"
Il am not sure but that the gentle
man is about right" replied Mr.. Dock
cry. Somewhere the pruning knife
must be laid, or else the tax burdens
of the people must be increased"
Mr.. De Almond, dem, Mo-, speaking
of the causes of the war, declared that
a great injustice had been done the
speaker of the house. 1t was said ev-
erywhere that Speaker Reed had been
opposed to the war, yet, he declared, no
solitary man in the country--no dozen
men, in fact-had done so much to
make the war inevitable as the speaker.
He suppressed debate in the house, had
stified the sentiments and consciences Of
members. President Mckinley, if ne
had been here, had not dared to do so
much. The waters had been damned
up until the flood was inevitable At
last Indignation throughout the country
and the wholly unexpected blowing up
of the Maine broke the f1oodgate
Turning to the question of the future,
Mr.. De Almond declared that all his
tory proved that when REPUBLICS turned
toward imperialism it was only ques-
ton of time when the end came There
was no goal We We're travelling a new
road. All our grand heritage was to be
abandoned. Should we not pause be-
fore We made the plunge?
In conclusion, he appealed to the
members to break their shackles rise
in their dignity and assert themselves
in favor Of America in America and
in favor of free government at home
and opposed to oppression the world
over. If congress expired without act
ing and matters were allowed to drift
on, the die would be cast. Our pride,
our vanity would be appealed to. There
would be protests against parting with
the Philippines. They were 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 s2O.o0OO0o to be hon
orably rid of the Philippines than to
pay s20,000,ooo to keep them. The ISL
ands could not, in his opinion. ever be
Americanized Corruption and demon
alization ould creep in and there could
be no compromising advantages.
Mr.. Hepburn, rep, Iowa, chairman
of the committee on interstate and for
eign commerce, created something of
sensation at the conclusion of Mr. Gil
lett's remarks by giving notice that at
the proper time he would offer the
Nicaraguan canal bill as an amend
ment to the sundry civil bill. The an
nouncement was greeted with applause
by the friends of the measure. He had
been moved to take this course, he de-
clared, by the statement of Mr.. Can
non yesterday that the bill would not
be considered at this session. Mr., Hep
burn argued that the amendment would
be in order and could properly be placed
upon the bill
Mr. Grosvenor, under the latitude al
lowed for debate, spoke at some length
on the effect of the wool schedule of
the Dingley bill upon the Woolgrowing
industry.
Mr. Underwood. dem, Ala, reviewed
the record of the present congress to
show that it had betrayed it's pledges
to the people.
Mr. Kirknat trick rem Pa defended