The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-02
Debate Preceding the Roll Call Spir-
tied, and at Times bordering
4 ON the Sensational.
MIR. L1rTLEF1ELD's REMARKS
BRYAN AND HIS PARTY "ROAsTED1
BY THE MAINE MAN.
Tilt between Grosvenor and Lentss
and q Characteristic vftupera-
tive Speech by the Latter.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. June 1.-The proposed
amendment to the Constitution to give
Congress control OF trusts received la
votes for to 131 against in the House this
afternoon. Despite this majority OF q the
proposition was lost. not receiving the
two-thirds vote required by the Constitu-
ton. All the opposition votes but two
were cast by Democrats and Populists.
who thus arrayed themselves against
the views expressed by Mr. Bryan. who
has professed to believe that Congress
should have the power proposed 20 be con-
ferred upon IT by this amendment.
The Republicans who have been charg-
ing the Democratic party at large with
insincerity In its denunciatioH OF trusts
seem to have known what they were talk
ing about. All the speeches made by the
Bryanites and all the resolutions adopted
by their conventions appear TO have been
buncombe. When the Democrats to-day
had the chance to put themselves on record
as favoring suppressve measures for COM
binations I'm restraint of trade they prac-
tically voted to continue the present laws
under which the combinations are -four
ishing. The affirmative vote was 80 short
of the requisite two-thirds, 1872 Five DEM
ocrats and one silverite voted with the Re-
publicans for the resolution and two Re-
publicans with the Democrats. These were
the only breaks from party lines.
LITTLEFIELD'S SPEECH.
The debate preceding the vote had a
strong political flavor throughout and was
at times very personal. The feature of the
debate was the speech OF Representative
Y 80 nFotr In q he. cfos
in favor of the amendment 1t was his
third speech in Congress. and to IL. as to
the other two. the frequently misused epi-
thet great" Justly applies His discussion
of the amendment as legal proposition
was mastery and marked by wealth OF
legal and constitutional learning. pre-
sented in such clear fashion that the sim
plest layman could follow and understand
him. The political phase of the questions
were treated with the same skill His
showing up OF the record of the Democrat
ic party as to the trusts vas forceful.
He showed that with all their denuncia-
ton of trusts they had never. when I'm
power, legislated or even attempted TO leg
slate against them. He showed that they
had obstructed every measure directed
against trusts which the Republicans had
sought TO enact and had enacted. and were
now striving with all their strength to
prevent the Constitution from being
amended so as TO give Congress control
| over trusts. His analysis OF Bryan's posi-
| ton on trusts was thorough and filled with
humor and sarcasm. His description OF
Bryan's military career, telling how the
colonel had braved the dangers of "Unripe
| fruit, impure water and unsanitary condi-
tions" for his country was one OF the
most ludicrous things ever heard I'm Con-
gress
For the first time Mr.. Littlefieid had the
entire sympathy of his own party In the
subject on which he was addressing the
| House. In the Roberts case he was out
of sympathy with the vast majority OF the
members; in his speech on the Porto Rico
| tariff bill he was opposed 10 the majority
| OF his own party. In these cases he con-
| fined himself almost wholly 10 making q
| legal argument. This time he was In
| sympathy with his own party. and the
way he roasted" the Democratic. party.
both as to legal and political questions.
won their heartiest commendation. The
| Republicans broke out into unrestrained
| applause before he finished his peroration,
applause that was continued for several
minutes after he sat down and In which
| the galleries joined When he sat down he
was Immediately surrounded by fellow
Republicans anxious 10 congratulate him.
| and who gave TO him an ovation such as
| Is seldom received by an old member, let
alone by a new man IN his first term.
OPENING THE DEBATE.
| Without preliminary business. az II
o'clock. the House to-day resumed debate
on the resolution proposing an antitrust
| amendment TO the Constitution. Owing 10
the early hour OF convening there were few
members present. and the debate opened
| quietly and without incident Mr.. Boreing.
| of Kentucky. was the first speaker. He
| advocated the adoption Of the amendment
Mr. Fleming. OF Georgia. reiterated the
charge that the Republicans had no inten-
ton OF putting through both houses either
the resolution or the Littieheld bin.
| Mr.. Hamilton. OF Michigan. said II there
| was TO De control OF trusts II must be ex-
ercised BY the federal government. and =
constitutional amendment. sulh ~ was