Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-15

Rico. Having no certainty, we speak
no word. But we assert, without fear
Of contradiction, that the administra-
ton is daily losing strength on all
these scores, and we know for a eer-
tainty that thousands of men who four
years ago regarded Mr. Bryan with
terror and aversion now consider him
fayorably as the lesser of two evils"
Amos Cummings' OratoricaI Coup.
Who made the greatest speech in the
Porto Rican debate? ! don't know.
Nobody can tell Many great speeches
were made
Who made the most fetching and
astounding short speech ever deliver
ed In the American congress? Amos
]. Cummings of New York-the big
hearted, whole souled Tammany
brave. Really. Amos ought to be ar
rested for violating the statute against
cruelty to animals by reason of the
startling and unprecedented manner in
which he ambushed the Republicans
He did it wilIfully, deliberately, pre-
meditatedly. on purpose and of his NAL
Ice aforethought. to borrow the felie-
itous and comprehensive language of
the indictments Truth to tell, he sur
prised and took in the Democrats near
" as completely as he did the Repub-
licans; only the Democrats finally had
the best of it, and he laughs best who
laughs last. do not believe that a
parallel for Amos oratorical sell can
be found in the parliamentary annals
of this or of any other country. If l
should stay in congress 40 years, /
would never expect to see 1t equaled.
1t made him the hero of the debate.
The thing was so perfect, so adroit, so
| successful. so amazing, that when 1t
was over the congratulations of the
| sold Republicans were as numerous
and as hearty as those of the Demo
Gratis. A man would have to have
been soulless who would not enjoy
such an achievement. In cold type it
will seem dull beside what it was in
reality. To properly understand the
situation it must be stated that Amos
Is one of the most impassioned speak
ers that ever lived. He is an intense
patriot. He is an enthusiast He is
emotional He is hail fellow with
everybody, from president down.
A Remarkable Speech.
With this preface l give his remark
able speech:
''Mr. Chairman, when the vital inter
ests of our country are at stake and
the liberty of the people is endangered
| believe it to be the duty of every man
upon this floor to rise above party
/ trammels and vote in accordance with
his honest convictions. Believing this.
after had voted for $50,000,000 to be
spent by the president of the United
States to prepare us for war with
Spain and after voting for the declara-
tion of war, stood here, rising above
party, and voted for the revenue bill
which provided money to carry on that
war. In that same patriotic spirit
| declare here today, with full sense
of my responsibility, that shall vote
for this bill. | shall vote for this bill,
Mr.. Chairman. provided it is amended
as officially recommended by the pres
ident of the United States; provided
Mr.. Chairman. that 1t is amended as
the president of the United States rec
ommended-so as to provide absolute
free trade with the island of Porto
Rico.
"Now, Mr.. Chairman, Porto Rico Is
either in the United States or out of it.
If the island is out of the United States,
we have no business legislating for her
here in any way whatever, and if she
is in the United States she Is In the
same condition as Arizona, New Mexi-
co, Oklahoma and the other territories,
and she ought to have some Dennis
Flynn or Pedro Perea here represent
ing her.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, this measure
ought to be amended so as to be enti-
tied AN act to make a temporary pur-
gatory for the island of Porto Rico
You intended at first to put her peFma-
nently in purgatory, but the committee
on ways and means, with the religious
prescience which always ought to char
acterize them, have limited the time in
which she shall remain In purgatory
to 1902. This limit has satisfied my
friend from Vermont, Judge Powers,
whose legal if not Christian ability has
been abundantly displayed on this
floor, but 1t does not satisfy me-
would suggest to the gentleman from
New York in charge of this bill LMr.
Paynel now, before pressing it to It's
passage, to amend it in accordance with
the suggestion of the president In De
cember last and secure my vote. l am
still standing patriotically by the pres
ident."
Mr.. Lacy-Mr. Chairman, ! want to
call the attention of the gentleman
from New York { Mr.. Cummingsl to the
fact that there is law in force In the
District of Columbia against obtaining
goods under false pretenses.
Mr.. Cummings did you gel
Porto Rico?
AS another Illustration of the divine
harmony now prevailing among Re
publicans pious John Wanamaker IL
his personal organ, the Philadelphia
North American, hoppeth on to Hon
Thomas Bracket Reed, late of Maine
| with both feet, and danceth war JIG
/ upon his ponderosity, all by reason OF
| an article by Mr.. Reed in the Philadel
| phia Saturday Evening Post, In which
Thomas deftly inserteth his knife un
! der Williams fifth rib. John com
| plaineth that Thomas is not bold
enough to come out in the open. This
generation hath known no more skill
/ full master of English than Mr.. Reed
Here are the paragraphs which dis
gruntled pious John. Mr.. Reed saith:
"Whenever in republic free discus
sion is refused. whether suppressed by
law or by public terrorism, you may be
sure that some wrong exists which
must be destroyed or it viii destroy the
republic.
''There is no more pitiable thing
that can be said by a great people at
any time than the saying so often
heard of in the life of many nations,
| Tt was a foolish and wrong thing to
be in, but we are in 1t and must SC
through
Democracy in its practical workings
exhibits. from time to time. very
strange Incidents. which are little to be