The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-29

heard the Jingle of silver coin as he sat
down. The lad thanked him for his cour-
tesy. and told him who he was and from
whence he had come. T.. 1G worked a
fortnight in clearing Ip land, and
was on his way home w. is wages in
his pocket He was as itaIpv as lark,
and in superfire spirits. He pro Idly jingled
the coin, and finally drew / out and be-
gan to count il. There was a half-dollar,
supplemented by two pistareens, a levy,
and three sixpences. then known as plea
yunAs. The stripping gaZed at them in
evident rapture. They represented two
weeks work. Harlan was amused. 1t
was the first money the boy had ever
earned. Take a good look at it, the
superintendent remarked. You may live
TO oe eighty years old. but you will never
hereafter earn money that Will give you
the pleasure this dces."
Thrilled Him with Pleasure.
This lad was William p. Hepburn, now
a Representative in Congress from Clar-
india, Iowa Fifty years afterward he eX-
perienced the same thrill of pleasure felt
when he gaZed at the half-dollar, the
two pistareens, the levy, and the three
SiXpences. II was at the moment when
Speaker David B. Henderson announced
the vote on the Nicaragua canal bill. The
bill was the work of his own hands and
brain, and its passage was due TO his
persistent pluck and undertaking energy.
For five years had he made the fight,
never losing confidence in his ability 10
force ii TO vote, despite difficulties and
Vaccinations that would have dispirited
even a Baron Trenck. For five years had
lie been chairman of the Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce, charS-
I'd with the preparation of a bill having
this object in view. All the party con-
Yentions had passed resolutions enthus-
astically indorsing the measure, and the
newspapers with one acclaim were rend-
ing the skies in an effort TO get Congress
to take prompt action Hepburn burnt
a barrel Of midnight oil in trying to solve
the question. He was surrounded by the
leSionS of greed. who were assaulting
every gateway of the treasury in an ef-
fort TO secure corporate plunder. He
fami!iariZed himself with the devious ways
of that labyrinth of diplomacy known as
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, aud digested
huge chunks of Whart0ns international
Law. He worked harder than he had ever
worked in clearing up new land, and got
less for il.
But the ruling powers of the House were
against him. Both sessions of the Fifty
fourth Congress closed without action. A
new Congress was born, with the same
powcr in control of the House Meantime
the man from Iowa had not been idle.
Diplomacy was spreading new nets and
adding 10 the difficulties of the situation
And corporate greed was still battering
away at the doors of the Treasury. Hep
burn applied the spur to his committee,
and forced his bill upon the calendar OF
the House. once there, however. it was
like Mahomets coffin. suspended between
heaven and earth. Under the Reed rules
there was no way in which il could be
reached except by a special order from.
the Committee on Rules.
His Fight Against II Reed X uies.
II was probably the knowledge of this
fact that made Hepburn make his hitter
fight on the rules al the beginning Of the
first session of the Fifty-fifth Congress
This House adopted the rules of the last
House under an implied promise that it
should have an opportunity 70 revise
them. The promise was never kept
and Hepburn fouEd himself in the dol
drums of legislation. In vain did ne i'm
perfume the Committee on Rules for re-
lief In view of the extraordinary expen-
ses OF the government. caused by the
Spanish war, il was refused. Reed stood
as firm as a rock against the considera
ton of the bill, although a large majority
of the members of the House had affixed
their signatures to a petition asking that
a special order for its consideration be
made. II was plain that if this was done,
the bill would be passed, hands down. Hut
10 his trgmps. the Hawk-eye Congress
man planned a coup Ge main. He oeter-
mint % offer the bill as an amendment
TO IL SIHdTy civil bill. OF course he
knew that the chairman " the Committee
of the Whole would rule il out II a point
of order was made against it: but on a.
appeal from his decision the feeling OF the
House was such that il was possible the
decision might De overturned. At all
events IL was a chance worth tryins.
Wary Joseph O. Cannon was in charge
Of the sundry civil Din. He had mad many
tilt with Hepburn, and knew exactly
what expect. As the Speaker of the
House Nas in fun symnathy with him,
Cannon knew how to fortIfy himself. ~
cry influence was brought 10 bear on both
sides 10 prevent the members from viO-
lating the rules OF the House by voting 10
sustain the appeal.
The Preliminary skirmish.
The preliminary skirmish came in a
discussion over bill for the establish
menI OF light on Hog Island Shoals. IL