The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-08
AFTER THE HOLIDAY RECESS
Congress Gets Down to WoFk Once
rlOre

When the Seratc rcconycned Monday
after tho holiday recess. few Senators;
wrr" absent Almost immediately a
discussion began rcSartiing the coal
situation. Mr.. Lodge prrfaced his intro.
dUrtion Of a Eill suspcndiDg for 90 days
on coal. With the Statcm7nt that in
New England there was much distress
owing to the scarcity of coal and that
unless relief was Afforded at once. 2.
number Of factories would have to shut
down. lie was aware. he said. that
such bill should originate in. the
House Of Representatives. bat IT, was,
his desire To call the attention OF the
finance committee" to the state Of af-
fairS. Mr.. Cnlbcrson followed with a,
resolution providing for the removal OF
the duty on anthracite coal and asked
for it's Immediate considcra ton MI.
Platt, of Connecticut. objected. saying
i, was his understanding that there
was no duty on anthracite coal Mr.
Vest took exception to this statement
and said that the board Of general ap-
rraiscrs and President Roosevelt had
decided that such n duty is imposed.
Mr.. Vest also introduced q resolution
on the subject. Another resolution
bearing Oh the subject of coal. intro
duccd by Mr. Jones. of Arkansas, refer
ing to the charge of w. r. Hearst that
! there was an illegal combination
among certain railroads to control thu
shipment Of anthracite coal and calling
upon the Attorney General for the evil
dencc which it was alleged had been
secured by him, caused a lively debate.
in which several Republican Senator's
vigorously resented what they thought
was n reflection on the Attorney Gen
eral
The discussion continued until ,
O'Clock. when the resolution went over
being displaced by the omnibus state
hood bill. Mr.. Nelson, OF Minnesota,
addressed the Senate in opposition to
the bill and favored single statehood
for Oklahoma and Indian Territory. At
O'Clock the Senate adjourned.
House on Military Bill.
The House resumed it's work Mon
| day after a recess Of two weeks, but
within two hours the machinery broke
down for lack OF quorum. The bill
to create a general staff in the army
was thr issue. An attempt was made
| to pass il under suspension of th,
rules which requires two-thirdS ma
| lority of the military committee en-
, dorscd it. opposition developed because
OF the buried manner in which il was
proposed to pass the bill.
When tn" bill was called up. MIR.
| Richardson, OF Tennessee. the minori-
| IA L., Il Il
0n important measure should he con-
| Sidcl"d by unanimous consent and h.
! objected
In reply to Il question by Mr.. Bart
lett. OF Georgia. Mr. Hull said that the
general Of the army at present was 4
myth. Mr.. Hay, OF Virginia. Il mem
hrr Of the military committee. in sup
port of the bill. detailed the chaotic
.'Gnditi0n which existed during the
Spanish war. owing to the conflict of
authority. This condition. he said.
could not exist undo? the pending bill.
Il would lik" to ASK said Mr..
Steele. Of Indiana, iii this bill does
not practically eliminate the lieuten-
ant general fIom command. The lieu
tenant general is not chief of staff un-
der this pill"
Mr.. Hay: III" conld be detailed as
commander @: the army in time or
war If tn" President chose to detail
him"
Mr.. steele: "Th" President can as
sign any Office to tho command OF the
rlmy now. subject to this title, the
chpicric, pctticoat army in Washing
tOm.''
Nj. Hay: "Do you mean the Prcsi-
den, is subject to that?"
Mr.. Steele: THAT Is what mean
Tn" rOll-call resulted los to so, not a
quorum. \ call OF he House developed
the presence Of only $50 members rot
quorum, and at 2 o'clock the House
adjourned.