The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-01
Senator Hansbrough Says a
Conspiracy Exists.
WARM DEBATE IN THE SENATE
The Charge Il Made that MilliOnnires and
Corporations Are Gobbling Up the cape
Nome Fields Through the Employment OF
Alieus-sharP Tilts with senators Stew
the Mining Claims Filed Are Illegal.

the Senate yesterday that there was
conspiracy 10 grab the richest gold fields
on the face Of the earth, and that the
cOnspirators were the millionaires and the
corpora tions that had acquired the claims
in the Cape Nome district, he plunged the
Senate into q lively personal debate.
The assertion vas made during the con-
si5tration Of the Alaskan code bill. 10
which is pending an amendment offered
Ly Senator Carter. WniCn provides tnat
claims entered by Laplanders shall be IN
quired into by the courts, in order TO de-
termine whether these Laplanders are
aliens. All efforts 10 secure judicial de-
termination are being thWarted by the op-
POSITION 70 the amendment. SO long as
I retain my seat in this Senate, eNclaim-
ed Mr.. Hansbroush, Il shall oppose this
conspiracy and direct my efforts IN favor
of the man with the pick and pan, the
ran in the sand and gulches,. the man be-
hind the rocker, and not in favor OF the
American millionaire"
Mr.. HansbroUgf made an earnest anu
lengthy appeal in behalf of the Garter
amendment. He held that Sn alien had
no rights on the public domain. If he
was there at all, it was merely by SUI
ferance. The alien was, in such circum-
stances. a trespasscr, and had no right to
treatment better than that accorded
tresDasser.
The American miners" he declared,
will not stand idly by and see claims
usurped by men who have no right To
them"
He further held that the reason for the
opposition to the amendment by certain
corporations which had acquired Cape
Nome claims was that the defeat Of the
amendment would afford them time in
which TO work out the claims and thus
render them worthless 10 the righttul
claimants.
The Debate Becomes Warm.
The debate quickly became quite warm.
Mr. Hansbrough was especially personal
| toward Mr. Stewart. "All through this de-
bate" he said. facing Mr. Stewart and wav
ing his arms, the Senator from Nevada
has assumed a dogmatic spirit. If Sena-
tors on this side have read a statement
explaining the situation in Alaska, he has
said it was bosh If we have mentioned
| the names of individuals at Nome who
know anything about this. the Senator
| has swept them aside, saying that they
were not there at all. The Senator from
| Colorado, Mr.. Teller, made a fiery speech
| in which he used very unusual language
| Referring to American miners at Cape
/ Nome, he was not satisfied to say that
| they were claim jumpers, but he called
| them sCalaWagS bldckmdilerS, scOundrei5,
| and thieves. That is unusual language
| in the United States Senate, or anywhere
| else for that matter. / wish the Sena-
| tors from Colorado and Nevada would
| read the report Of Maj. Ray"
Is he an army officer?' asked Mr..
| Stewart, sneeringly.
| I'm sure the Senator from Nevada viii
| not refer 10 him as a scalawag OF
| scOuLdrel," retOrted Mr.. HansbrOugh He
is the officer in command of the military
post at Alaska. | mention all this TO call
| attention TO the way in which this debate
! is conducted"
Mr.. Hansbrough then made the state
ment which excited the wrath of Senators
Stewart and Tillman. He asked why the
debate was conducted in this way, and
then said The syndicates and corpora
tions interested in legislation here want
| delay. That is the negro in the wood
| pile"
Mr.. Stewart instantly jumped to his feet.
but Mr.. HansbrOUgh shouted, Il decline TO
yieldr'
Just a word" began Senator Stew
| art.
| The Negro in the WOOdpiIe.
"No" thundered Hansbrough. II say
| that is the negro in the woodpile, and
| there is a big negro and very little wood
pile. This syndicate has purchased a
steamer in New York and loaded II with
modern machinery, and it is now on its
way around the Horn to Alaska, the OBJ
ject being TO work out these alien claims
as rapidly as possible. If this amendment
passes, the question of who owns those
claims can be brought directly and al
once to the courts, and that is what these
syndicates don't want"
Senator Bate rose, and Hansbrough
gave way TO him with d bow. Mr.. Be te
said he understood that the machinery
was merely for the purpose of improving
the water supply. for the benefit of all
the miners.
Il haven't a doubt" said Mr.. Hans
brough sneeringly, that the people who
are interested in defeating this legislation
are great public DenefactorS. and thai
everything they have done is IN the in
terest Of the poor miners
At this point Stewart insisted on hav.
ing the floor. He spoke so savagely thai
r Hansbrough reluctantly yielded. Stewart
| DOlILtu Ills AOItiliiEtI DIT fldllSDlOusu
said. impressively emphasizing each word
Does the Senator charge me with de
! laying legislation in this interest? Doe;
he charge any Of Us with that?'
| Hansbrough paused a moment. and ther
said shortly, Il make no aspersiOns LpOr
the character Of any Senator here"
Il charge" roared Stewart that II Il
the amendment, and not the report OF tn
| that lEI4UaH nzff'
Attn with TiIIman.
! Without paying any attention 20 hin
. HansbrOugh went on, aiming his fire nov
at Tillman. Il was surprised" he said
no. not much surprised, either. when tn
8 Senator from South Carolina proposed t
Law violent hands on this legislation an
r kick IL out Of the Senate. ] refer 10 thi
I | simply 20 show the character Of the de
bate"
TiIlman had risen al the first mentiO
2 | Of his name. Leaning on his desk, An
d toying with his eyeglasses, NJ now said
D ! in a low. measured voice. and with a gen
D tie suayity unusual with him;
Does the Senator imagine for one mo
d | ment that ! am responsible 70 the trus,
: | and corporations he refers toE'
When the Senator becomes famiIia
l Win Llr AdtA5r LFb44rAA 4A&AsSDA
| DO not believe he Will object 10 this legs
lation / give the Senator credit for b
!, | ing an honest well-meaning man"
= TiIlman looked a; him cCubtfully. a.
g | stin unsa,isfed, and replied gravely
Thank YOU for the indirect compliment
n 1t is quite direct" said HansbrOusi
Z who then criticised q speech BY Ml
z | SpoOner. H made a reference 10 a ma
: ! named Whlttlesey, attorney FOR Charls
!. | Lane Stewart shook his head scOrnfulll
= and HansbrOugA TetOrtet. The Senate
7 | from Nevada shakes his bead. Mr. Ian
}, mas employed about al the attorneys 0
q I th- Alaska coast that 90 10 Alaska q
z | that purpose. / DO not say be has sn
Z attorneys In this chamber | am sul
n he has not
r Mr.. HansbrOugh next made severe z
| tack upon the Rev. sheldon Jack-On- II
| read some tel-grams from people
| Alaska Stewart demanded 70 kEow the
names, and HansbrOugh refused 10 xiv
them. saying that II would get them lnl
T. | trouble
you refuse to give the names?" sal
l stewart.