Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-26
AN ABLE STATESMAN.
Major Lacey's Recent Speech in
the House on the Finance Bill
WASDELIVERED EXTEMPORANEOUSLy
w NJ EN-

l,s4 ~ pt.a 4
! Major Lacey Ably Answered His pes
tiferons InterIocntors and Was
Particularly Severe ON Dee
Armend and Sulzer.
Smith d. Fry writes to the Iowa
State Register of Major John T..
Z Lacey as follows: Colonel Hep
burn, Speaker Henderson, and other
members of the Iowa delegation are
unstinted in their praises Of the extern
poraneous speech delivered by Con-
gresham Lacey, on the financial bill.
Major LaceEs had no sooner begun his
speech, thin he was interrupted by the
democratic Headers with all sorts of
questions. .5 He answered them so
4 promptly nand- so sharply, and SO eff
iectively that they soon ceased their at
tempts at badgering. He was particu-
larv severe on De Almond OF Missouri,
and Sulzer of New York, who were late
ly candidates for the democratic lead
ership and were defeated by the demo-
cratic caucus. The debate began by
Z Maj. Lacey addressing the presiding Of
ficer, and saying:
Mr.. Chairman: have listened to
this debate, particularly to that on the
democratic side Of the house, with
great interest, was amazed at the
utterances Of the gentleman from Mis-
souri, (Afr. De Armond), who aspired
to the leadership of that side of the
chamber, when he assured us that in
the campaign OF 1896 Mckinley and
the republican party won because
members of the democratic party had
either been intimidated or had sold out.
That was an astonishing utterance
coming from a leader on that side Oh
the house.
Mr.. Berry Will the gentleman from
Iowa allow me to ask him question?
Mr.. Lacey-Yes.
Mr.. Berry Does the gentleman
think the republican party could have
won without the aid Of the recreant
democrats who voted for the gold
standard?
Mr.. Lacey-That is another PROPOSE
tions The gentlemen to whom my
friend refers as the "recreant demo-
Gratis who voted for the gold standard
neither sold themselves nor We're they
scared. From, the other sides were
drawn the, votes unquestionably that
won in that election, and more hon
cradle body Of men never stood up to
be colhted than the gold democrats
OF 1896. Six and a half million. votes
were cast for William J. Bryan, and
for the,experiment,o of free silver. Seven
milliontvotes were. cast for sound mon
ey, protection and prosperity, and the
gold democrats who cast their lot with
us have their reward.
AR. Sulzer-Will the gentleman allow
me to ask him question?
Mr., Lacey Certainly. II will hear
: now from another one Of these lead
ers.
Mr.. sulzer-were those 7,ooo,o 900 votes
all of them cast for the single gold
standard?
Mr.. Lacey-They were cast for the
declaration for gold in our platform,
and the controversy among republicans
today is to who had the honor of writ
Ing the word "gold" in the St. Louis
I platform. The newspapers are full of
that discussion u see across the aisle
today, an, increase in the democratic
membership over the last congress.
Where does it come from? 1t comes
from New York, from Massachusetts,
and from men who have secured their
election by trampling under foot the
democratic platform of 1896.
Mr.. DAILY, of New Jersey-That is not
+ 30 lin New Jersey. We will not stand
by that in New Jersey. Applause on
{ the democratic side.)
Mr.. Lacey Perhaps not in New Jer-
sey. New, Jersey was for 4 long time
out OF the Union, but in the last con-
gress they were unanimously for the
! republican cause.
Mr.. SulzerH How about Nebraska?
Mr.. lacey Nebraska! The most
:pitiable thing in all history is for Ne
s braska to stand up and be laughed at
by Kansas. Daughter and applause on
& the republican side.)
Fully Equipped.
Major Iacev was then permitted to
proceed without interruption, these
hedgiings. OF the democracy having
very quickly learned that the Iowa vet
: Gran was fully equipped for any or all
of them. I call them f1edglings, al
though they have been in congress for
q number Of, years; but they were
handled like school boys by Major La
cey, and they subsidized as small men
must always snbside when they come
into confiict with their intellectual
i mas SA',s viva Dld
form was quoted with telling effect, all
of its predictions having been fulfilled,
and all its promises having been full
filed. Major Lacey said: eve will
now. proceed to pass this bill, even
though; ate2relieves the democrats of
some OF the dangers of the campaign
of 1900, and may enable it to go before
the country and say: Elect Bryan; he
cannot do any harm. 7"
Referring. to the times of appalling
distress in our country, when hundreds
of thousands of men were idle, and
{, when women and children were suffer
ing dreadful privations during the
Cleveland administration, Major Lacey
made telling hit, by narrating one Of
the stories used by him on the hust-
ings. He said:
We must not forget what took place
4 just few short years ago, when. there
I was a threat and danger OF this coun-
try being reduced TO silver basis.
We must hot forget the sCoNey army
that encaniped under the shadows OF
this capitol, and that were "kept off