Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-23
CONGRESSIONAL RIPPLES.
CHARGES OF BRIBERY AND FALsEH0oD
STIR SENATE AND, HOUSE.
Attorney General Knox Delays Antitrust
Legislation but Effective Bill Is Promised
at Last-Cuban Reciprocity Treaty Amend
ed-Several Important Measures Passed

at Last-Cuban Reciprocity Treaty Amend
ed-several Important Measures Passed
The Cuban reciprocity treaty was
reported to the Senate Friday with two
amendments, guaranteeing against fur
ther reduction Of the sugar tariff and
reducing the duty on American cattle
exported to Cuba 40 instead of 20 per
cent. as originally provided. The gen
eral staff bin which passed the house a
week ago was also favorably reported.
One amendment agreed on gives the
secretary of war, after the president, a
direct supervision of the army through
the chief of staff. The house Thurs
day passed the army appropriation bill
and began consideration of the depart
ment of commerce bill. The house de-
voted Friday to private war claims,
passing about 20.
Anti trust legislation was delayed by
the sending of two bills by Attorney
General Knox to the judiciary sub
committee who had just completed the
draft of their bill. The committee then
started in an endeavor to combine the
three bills. The result was not entire
" satisfactory TO the attorney general,
and he wished to make several sugges-
tions but his absence in Pttsburg
caused delay in completing the bill
The attorney general is criticised for
thus delaying putting in his bills, and
approving the sub committee work. 1t
is believed, however, that when the
bill is completed it will be so drawn
as to be certain of accomplishing re-
suits aimed at.
The senate considered the Cuban rec
iprocity treaty Monday and the house
the diplomatic appropriation bill. Mr..
Mcclellan of New York having sub
mitted figures to demonstrate that the
consular service is underpaid and over
manned, comparing unfavorahly with
that of other tirst-class countries, Mr..
Slayden of Texas severely criticised the
character of our consular officers. He
declared that some Mexican consulates
are made asylums for "invalids and
drunkards. = Drunkenness, he said, is
the particular vice of our representa-
tives and he referred to the condition
of the special envoy sent by Demo
cratic president some years ago, who,
he said, "got drunk at FL Paso and
painted broad streak down to the
City of Mexico, 1000 miles to the
south" He also told OF a consular of
fetal who, he said, some years ago
pawned the American flag for 40 cents
with which to buy drink. The con
GLIDING chapter of his arraignment was
the charge that an American vice con
sui had been charged with being i'm
plicated in the theft Of some coal. The
bill was passed.
The Senate Tuesday passed the leg
islature, executive and judiciary APP
propriation bill and then discussed the
statehood bill which, it Is said, Is
being wilfully obstructed.
A sub committee of the house on
naval affairs is investigating the charge
I that Representative Lessler of New
York, one of the members of the naval
committee, had been approached with
a bribe of 5000 for his support of
proposition looking to an appropriation
| for additional submarine torpedo boats.
with view to ascertaining whether
there is sufficient warrant for the COM
mittee to ask the house to order reg
ular investigation of the matter. The
sensational charge was made by Mr..
Lessler himself at a meeting OF the ma
| val affairs committee Tuesday. Mr..
Lessler opposed the authorization of
additional boats The house had gen
era debate on the District of Colum-
bia appropriation bill and branched off
i to the Alaska boundary dispute and
+ the subject of trusts. Mr.. Sheppard of
+ Texas ridiculed the presidents anti
/ trust campaign, and denounced John
/ ID. Rockefeller and j. p. Morgan. Mr..
4 Cochran of Missouri, in referring to
i the Alaska matter. severely criticised
/ the surrender to England, the per-
mitting of another land grab in the
/ time of our strength. Alluding to "the
/ trucking policy of the United States
to Great Britain he declared that
when that trucking ceased the people
of Canada, now intensely loyal, would
change their attitude. He was inter
rupted by the exclamation "4ou lie !"
coming from a young and stylishly
dressed woman in the gallery who inn
mediately left. The district appropria-
/ tion bill was passed.
| After a three hours speech in oppo-
sition to the omnibus statehood bill
Wednesday, an executive session for
consideration of the Cuban reciprocity
treaty was moved. The vote on this
motion was regarded as test of the
strength for and against the omnibus
bill The motion was lost, 81 to 81.
The house spent the day in debate on
the Philippine coinage bill. The mi
nority offered substitute providing
for the introduction of the American