The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-21

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-The pro-
today by a wordy duel between Mr..
Grosvenor. of Ohio, and Mr.. Lewis, the
picturesque member from Washington.
During the debate on a private bill
to refer to the court of claims the
claim of Cramp & Sons, the Philadel-
phia shipbuilders, for damages from
the government for delay in building
the warships Columbia, New York
and Massachusetts, for failure to sup
ply armor plate in time, Mr.. Lewis
made this a text for attacking gov
ernment contractors, whom he charged
with being traitors, and imposing on
the government in time of stress.
During the war with Spain, when the
country was confronted with an enc
my from without, traitors, he said,
threatened it from within. These con-
tractors, who should have upheld the
government in the hour of it's peril,
declined to bid against each other. In
some cases they had furnished, he
said, rotten and decayed food, which
had been left over from the Chinese
Japanese war. 1t was mossed, blue,
putrid and corrupt, but it was sent to
our soldiers at the front, and they per-
1Shed from It, as from the plague.
These men had earned the ignominy,
reproach and contempt of congress. If
he were attorney general, he should
arraign before the grand juries of
this country those who had furnished
poisoned food to the army; those who
had
and those who had sold coal for the
use of the enemy's fleet, and he would
convict them Of treason and have them
shot, as Napoleon did, or have them
imprisoned as Grant did.
SOME SOCKLESS FACTS.
Mr.. Simpson Pop, Kan) remarked
upon the popularity which always Sc
cured a hearing for large claims In
the house, but which always kept the
modest, but often meritorious, claims
in the background. This was es-
pecially true, he said, of these bills to
reimburse big contrac actors. Mr.. Simp-
son said he had no complaint to make
against the representatives from Penn
sylvania who were pressing this bill.
He readily understood their position
Men were not elected to congress In
Pennsylvania. They were selected by
the corporations, and they were COM
PEELED to carry out the wishes of these
corporations.
They must do that to hold their
Jobs" said he, amid laughter.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., o., replying to
Mr.. Simpson, recalled the fact that
this gentleman who 50 vigorously at
tackled corporations was yesterday on
the floor advocating "a cold blooded,
clear-cut contribution to one of these
soulless, conscienceless corporations,
which, as the Populist so delighted to
say, detied the laws against trusts. He
referred to the clause to provide fast
mail facilities from Kansas City to
Newton, Kan, in the postoffice appro-
priation. Continuing, Mr. Grosvenor re-
ferred humorously to the occasion of
Mr.. Lewis activity. This was a pecu-
liar month. he said and the reason for
the gentleman's activity could perhaps
be found in the news in the morning
papers (referring to the senatorial con-
test in progress in Washington state).
Mr.. Grosvenor proceeded to speak of
treaty 1t would. he said, plunge the
country again into a foreign war.
Does the gentleman claim that If
the treaty fails we shall be at war
with Spain?7 asked Mr.. Carmack
Oem., Tenn.).
Il do,' replied Mr. Grosvenor. "a
truce now exists. A failure of the
treaty would leave US where we were
the day before the protocol was sign
ed"
1.-The death of every soldier in the
Philippines" said Mr.. Carmack will
be laid at the doors, henceforth, of
those prosecuting the war in the Phil
ippines." Democratic applause)
How would you meet the situations"
Il would sail away from Manila and
never look back" Renewed Demo
cratic applause)
And all the world would brand you