The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-25
MIR. JOHNsON,s SPEECH.
The Most Scathing Philippe Heard in
Congress for Months.

The Most Scathing Philippe Heard in
Congress for Months.
Associated Press Dispatch
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24-During the gen.
eral debate on the army appropriation bill
in the House to-day, Mr.. Johnson Rep.,
Ind.), who made several notable speeches
violently attacking the policy of the ad-
ministration during the consideration of the
army reorganization bill fortnight ago,
returned to the assault and delivered
against the President and some of his ad-
visers the most scathing philippe heard in
the House for months. He sneered at the
President and the influences which, he al
legged, controlled him, impugned his motives,
questioned his sincerity and likened him to
Dickens's most contemplate character;
charged his secretary of war with incom-
potency and predicted that the President
would in the end be engulfed by adverse
public sentiment.
Although his utterances were far more
sensational than those in his former speech,
and dazed some Of his auditors by the i'm
petuosity with which they were delivered,
the speech did not raise about him the
storm of his former speeches. Mr.. Lands,
one Of his Republican colleagues from In
diana, briefly stated to the House that Mr..
| Johnson 5 constituents Hdu I6pQuldAGu uliii,
and the two members had a wordy duel.
Later in the day Mr. Marsh (Rep., Ill) re-
piled to some of Mr. Johnsons structures,
but the Republican leaders had evidently
decided to ignore the attacks of the In
dianian, and no general reply was made to
his speech to-day.
The army appropriation bin to-day was
lost sight of in the general discussion Of
the policy of the government relative to the
Philippines, and several notable speeches
were made particularly that of MIR. Settle
CDem., Ky) The general debate on the
bill closed to-day and tomorrow the bill
will be taken up for amendment under the
TUE BOSTON BANQUET.
When Mr.. Johnson arose for his remarks
he at once attracted the attention of the
House. "A few evenings ago. he began.
"the Home Market Club, Of Boston, gave
a banquet, at which the President was the
principal guest. From the newspaper ac-
counts of the affair. it was an exceedingly
elaborate one the table at which the chief
executive sat, in particular being loaded
down with rare and fragrant flowers.
Sweetest music lent it's charms to the occa-
sion. An ode to the President was sung
by the banqueters to the tune of America
from the galleries on the festal board.
The secretary Of war was in attendance,
he whom the Boston populace had Kissed
on the street q few hours before, ere they
turned to greet with rapturous applause
the chief who had bestowed upon him his
them though for this Mr.. Chairman, for
they were only following the precedent set
them by some of the leading Republican
newspapers of the country, which, for
months past, have been fiercely attacking
the secretary. and yet have lacked the cour-
age to lay their ak to the root of the evil
and censure the gentleman who to reward
him for his political services and disburse-
ments in the campaign of 1896 appointed
70. fer nsftf no m 1QT n
tanned him there ever since, notwithStand-
ing his incompetency and against the right
eous complaints that have been made
against him.
1.-The secretary of the navy also graced
the occasion with his presence and so far
forgot his usual courtesy so far belied his
New England training and associations, as
TO repeat the stale and untruthful charge
that those who opposed the ratification of
the Infamous treaty of peace with Spain
were responsible for the bloodshed that oc-
Cured in the Philippines.
when the chief magistrate had ceased
speaking another member of his official
family, the gentleman who presides over
the Postoffice Department, arose in his
place and proceeded 70 load his chief down
with a eulogy so fulsome and extravagant,
so absolutely given over to hyperbole, that
no individual not wholly eaten up with yam
ity could possibly have endured it without
nausea and disgust
WASHINGTON, LINCOLN, M'KINLEY.
THE newspapers further inform us that
among the other decorations there were
suspended over the entrance to the banquet
haH three portraits-one of Washington,
one of Lincoln and one of the President
himself, and that beneath this the word
'Liberators.' Now, George Washington
fought with his sword for eight long and
bloody years to establish the right of peo-
pie to govern themselves, and in his farewell
address he counseled his countrymen to live
on terms of amity with all nations and to
enter into entangling alliances with none.
Abraham Lncoln's whole political life was
a contention for the rights of man. and it
was his kindly hand which penned the inn
mortal emancipation proclamation that
struck the shackles from the limbs of mill
lions of bondsmen.
"One would think, sir, that the gentleman
who was just then engaged in the prosecu-
ton OF bloody war against a poor and de-
fenseless people in the Orient, engaged in
the unsavoryA task of Christianzing them
with the sword and civiliZing them at the
mouths of cannon, would naturally have
felt some little embarrassment as ne eazed
upon these portraits and read the signif-
cant inscription below. Possibly his Fx-
cellency did not see them. He may have
turned his back upon them just as he has
turned his back upon the Declaration of IN
dependence. Be this as IL may sir the
President does not appear to have been at
al abashed by this incongruous circum-
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