Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-18
57TH CONGRESS.
Caustic Speech by Cushman,
WASH, Against Cuban Bill.
Arraigns House Leaders and Rules
Committee in Sharp Manner.
Injunction Suits in the Recent Second.
Glass Mail Rulings.

|
All day long the leaders were count
ing noses and preparing for the final
struggle. The Democrats are snlit on
the bill. The opponents of the bill oc-
cupied most of the time of the debate.
today, the feature being a vigorous
speech by Cushman, Rep. Wash.
against the measure. Cushman ar
| raigned the committee on rules and
the House leaders in Il breezy and at
times sensational fashion. A portion
Of his criticism was in a semi-humorous
vein, but some of it was decidedly
caustic.
DeArmond. one of the leading Demo-
| Gratis Of the House, delivered a forcible
| speech in favor of tariff reduction on
trust articles. The other speakers
were Pierce, Tenn, Douglass. n. Y.
and Lacey, Ia, for the bill, and Jen-
kins, Wis, Gaines, w. Va, Warner.
| ILL.,, Gardner. Mich, Jones, Wash. and
Loud, Cal, against it. Loud declared
| that directly and indirectly Cuba al
| ready had cost the United States 81
coz, 0O0,C coo.
The House began its session at II
ban reciprocity bill. A veto message
was received from President Roose-
welt of Il bill pensioning Thomas Wal
ter and was referred to the committee
On invalid pensions.
Consideration of the Cuban reel
procity bill was resumed and jenkins.
Wis, spoke on the political statue of
Cuba, maintaining that there could be
no suspended sovereignty and that at
the present time Cuba was under the
political dominion of the United States.
De Almond, Mo, made a speech
which attracted much attention. He
employed his vitriolic comment upon
the attitude of members with his ac-
customed freedom. Calling attention
| to the fact that members on both sides
| whether they opposed or advocated the
measure, justified their course by an
appeal to their party principles, he re-
marked that viewed from these diverse
stand points the measure was indeed
d remarkable departure in legislation.
| He commented upon the statement of
General Grosvenor few days ago, that
| later the high rates of the Dingley law
would be reduced and revised by the
| friends of that act. If the rates were
too high he saw no reason why the re-
duction should not take place now and
| in this connection referred sarcastcal-
| ly to the Babcock bill to place steel
| on the free list It's author had voted
against the bill in committee and he
| minated broadly that the purpose of
| its Introduction was to hold up the
steel trusts and other kindred trusts
| for the benefit of his party in the COM
| ing campaign.
Speaking of the sugar trust he OBJ
served that to hear members talk one
would think there was nothing so
| friendless as this trust. ''Fortunate-
| ~" he said, ironically. there will be
opportunity later on for members to
show by their votes that they have not
| misrepreSented themselves. Uaugh-
| ter.)
1t was contended. said he. on the other
| side that the tariff which had developed
| the gigantic trusts should be reformed
| by its friends. Il think" he exclaimed
that the tariff should be reformed by
| the friends of the American people
Democratic applause).
| Cushman (Wash.) made breezy speech
against the bill. He intimated that the
Speakers position was responsible for the
| change of attitude of many of the MEM
| bers, and followed this statement with a
very outspoken and almost sensational
criticism of the power exercised by the
Speaker.
Il make the statement on this floor
| now" said Cushman, that no member
who introduces bill, not private bill,
can get it considered unless it suits the
/ TO Il
| it l am in a personal position and in
| a peculiarly happy frame of mind right
| now to give a little valuable testimony
on that point. applause and laugh
| teri.
| who is the Speaker of this House?
| Is he mortal like the rest of us? Who is
the Speaker of this House that sets up
his Immaculate judgment to judge on
| every bill that is introduced? When a
| member introduces a public bill in this
House what happens? 1t is referred to
a great committee of this House. They
pass their judgment on it, recommend
it for passage. and then it goes on the
| calendar. Calendar, That is a misno-
mer. 1t ought to be called q cemetery.
| Laughter) for therein lie the whten-
ing bones of legislative hopes. Uaugh-
| teri.
| When the bill is reported, what does
| the member who introduce it and who
| is charged by his constituency to care
its passage, do? Does he consult him
| self about his desire to call it up? No.
Does he consult the committee that
recommend it? No. Does he consult the
will of the majority of this House? No.
He either consents that that bill may
4 manhood and his individuality in his
pocket and goes trotting down that lit
| tie pathway that leads to the Speakers
| room.
"All the glory that clustered around
the holy of holes in King Solomons
temple looked like 80 cents prolonged
laughter and applause); yes, looked
liked 90 cents compared with that job
| (Confinr116 pr, no 90