The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-03-08
PRESIDENTS BLUFF FAILED
JUDGE GRIGGS TALKS TO THE
NEWS OF NATIONAL AFFAIRS.

Rayonet. The Political Outlook for Next
Year.
Hon. j. M. Griggs, the second dis
trlct's able and popular young repre-
sentative in the national house of rep
resentatlves, has returned home from
Washington, congress having ad-
journed for the session. He and Mrs.
Griggs reached Dawson from the CAPT.
toll Saturday, and are now at their
home on Lee street.
Judge Griggs talks Interestingly of
the questions that are now engaging
the attention of the people of the
country.
The passage of the so-called COIN
promise army bill, which maintains
the present strength and organization
of the army (65,OOO men and officers
for two years, and requires that it then
be reduced to the former peace footing
OF $1,000 officers and men, is SAID by
Judge Griggs to have been a complete
breakdown on the part of the admins,
tration forces from the boldest bluff1ng
ever INDUCED in anywhere.
"These gentlemen" he says, "from
the president down, had been declaring
for weeks that they would have the
Hull bill or nothing. The Hull bill,
as it passed the house, provided for a
r>F
dred thousand officers and men, at an
estimated cost of from one hundred to
one hundred and fifty millions of dol
lars year. This is the bill which the
president and his shouters declared
they would have, either from this con
gress or the next, to be conN ened in
extra session by the president early in
this month. No Well>lnfOrmed demo-
crat, or republican either, for that
matter, has believed for some time
that the president seriously contem
plated calling congress in extraordi
nary session this spring, if such action
could by any possibility be AVOIDED.
lie is afraid of the currency question.
The president knows, as was declared
by Chairman Walker, of the banking
and currency committee of the house,
one of the ablest of the republican
members, and one of the closest stu
dents OF the monetary problem In the
United States, that the party which
attempts to Iegislate on currency be.
lore the silver question is settled is
doomed to defeat, For fear of such
legislation, or efforts in that direction
by his party, the president was ready
to agree to almost anything, short Of
abandoning the Philippine Islands, to
avoid the necessity for an extra session.
"1he power of The republican major
lty under the Reed rules made the
passage OF the Hull bill through the
mouse OF representatives comparative
~ easy. While great many repub>
licans were really opposed TO the in
crease OF the army and the permanent
acquisition of the Philippine Islands.
the power OF the republican organiza-
tlOn and the cry Of stand by the presi-
dent were strong enough to put the
bill through with only one dissenting
republican vote, that of Mr.. Johnson
OF Indiana, a very able, honest and
fearless man who will not be i'm the
next house, to the great delight of his
party colleagues and the regret of
THE senate is the Gibraltar of the
minority always. When the vicious
Hull bill reached the senate il was
announced by senator Hawley, chair
man OF the military affairs committee,
after consultation with the president,
mat the Hull bill was right and should
pass this congress or there would be
an extra session of the new congress
Ills challenge was at once accepted by
several democratic senators. among
them Senators Bacon, Cockrell and
German, who declared that the Hull
Dill should not pass this senate, You
must understand that a majority of
the house can cut off debate ard vote
on measure at will, but IN the senate
There is no such rule. So long as a SEN
atCr expresses desire to discuss a bill
no vote can be had You will see
Uhen how easy it would have been for
three or four senators to have spoken
until March 4th, when the congress
went out OF existence by law, This
gigantic play of bluff vent on for two
or three days, at the end of which time
the president yielded and agreed to
accept bill prepared by sub.commit-
Zee controlled practically by Senator
Cockrell, the grand old Missouri demo.
crat. That bill, although it pleased
nobody, was thought by large major
lty OF both houses to be the hest that
could be done, and so, while | voted
against it, because / am opposed to an
increase of the army for many reas-
ons, two Of which are the great danger
to free institutions and the great In
crease in taxation on an already heav.
ny burdened people, l have no criti
clsm for those democrats, who. for
what they conceived to be the best i'm.
0erests OF the country, supported it.
Peace by HeA.s of Krag-J .rgensons
q WhiIn IL !. ....1. :,