Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-15
SENATE ACTS UNANIMOUSLY
Agrees to House Coal Measure with
out single Dissenting
Vote.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14-The senate to-
day acted promptly on the house bill pro-
viding a rebate on the coal duty and
passed it unanimously, without debate. a
few minutes after It was brought over
from the house. The military bill was also
passed with an amendment striking out the
section providing for the reserve force of
trained men.
For an hour and a half Mr.. Tillman Is.
c. denounced trusts and monopolies and
severely criticised the attorney general.
The statehood bill was up for a short
time, during which Mr.. McCumber IN. d.
spoke in favor Of granting statehood to
Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. After
a brief executive session the senate ad-
journed.
Soon after the senate met Mr.. Hoar
(Mass.) introduced a concurrent resolu-
tion calling upon the president 10 inform
the senate what government existed in the
Island OF Guam and through what execu-
tive department the powers of such gov
eminent were executed and administered
as well as the number of inhabitants. and
also by what authority Mabini, the Fill
Pine chief. was being detained at Guam.
At Mr.. Hoar's request the resolution went
over until tomorrow.
The Vest resolution regarding the duty on
anthracite coal then was considered. Mr..
Tillman IS. O., in pursuance of his notice
of yesterday, addressed the senate He said
that Mr.. Aldrich, since the resolution came
up, had become more strenuous and had
exhibited more feeling and earnestness thAA
he thought him capable of.
The energy of the venerable and brilliant
senator from Missouri, Mr.. Tilman said.
had put a spur to the tagging horses in the
house Of representatives, and those In the
senate who had been cold -bloodedly con-
templating the condition Of affairs for a
month. His only wonder, he SAID, was that
in those trying times Of death and distress
mobs were not taking steps to show mo-
nopolists that IN the last resort men
would never starve or freeze to death, but
would throttle the law IL necessary and
take It into their own hands
He criticised those who said there was
no SUFFICIENT remedy for the evils and said
they may load down the statute books with
laws, but unless the sworn officers OF the
law discharged their duties fearlessly and
honestly every effort to protect The people
would fail because OF their dereliction.
Efforts have been made" he continued,
proof has been filed, pleadings have been
made, petitions 10 the attorney general
warning and begging him to protect the
people against the impending danger. but
he has sat quietly in his office and done
nothing. Rich and poor alike are freezing
because OF the fact that a monopoly does
exist, but the lawyers have failed to in
terpret the law in the interest Of the peo-
ple.'
He criticised the coal strike commission
ers and said they were taking lrrelavent
and unnecessary testimony, whel IL they
wanted to they could find out about the
combination and report to congress that
such a monopoly existed.
He criticised a decision by Judge Taft
involving a case under the interstate com.
merce law and said 1t was the same judge
who would not leave 1.-The onerous AM
odlous" duties to which he was now en-.
gagged In the Philippines for a seat on tn,
supreme bench.
At 2 O'Clock the statehood bill was taker
up, and Mr.. Tillmen gave notice that b,
would continue his remarks tomorrow.
, Mr.. McCumber IN. ~ then addressed tn,
senate on the statehood bill.
Mr.. McCumber favored statehood fol
Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico ant
! compared the conditions existing in thos,
: territories with those which prevailed Il
a Dakota before North and South Dakott
4 were admitted into the union.
The house bill providing for free Goa
was reported iaVoraDly by the nnance com
mlttee, Mr.. Aldrieh Or. ~ re%marking tina
. the committees action was unanimous.
4 He offered a committee amendment add
: ing a new section to the bill providin.
. that the provisions Of paragraph AIS o
the Dingley act should not be constructs
thereafter to authorize the imposition o
any duty on anthracite. He asked imme
. diate consideration.
a Mr.. Vest (Mo) remarked that be hope
\ the bill would pass without a single dis
senting vote. The amendment passed unan
. imOusly.
q The statehood bill was laid aside and IN
military bill taken up. Mrs Quarles (Wis
offered an amendment. which was agree
to, striking out all OF section IA, r~egardin
I a reserve force OF 100, 900 trained men. Tn
' bill was then passed.
At 4:3s the senate went into e~xeeutiv