Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-06
Calls representatives. Remarks Indefensi
BILE and an Outrage.
HALE, ALLISON AND TELLER JOIN IN
esent Attack on Rules and Their Work on
Appropriation Conference.
sMooT TAXES OATH AMID APPLAUSE
Qualification Questions Are POST
poned and New Members sworn in
without Protest, Amid Spec
tntors' PIaudits.


the presidents proclamation the senate Of
the Fifty eighth congress convened in ex
traordinary session at noon today. An i'm
mense crowd witnessed the ceremony.
Echoes OF the Fifty y-seventh congress had
not died away when the senators who were
reelected and those who we're to take
their seats for the hrst time. marched to
the desk and took the oath Friends and
admirers Of the senators loaded down their
desks with beautiful floral tributes.
Mr.. Cannon's speech in the house OF
representatives early yesterday formed the
subject Of some fervid remarks by Mr.
Tillman and by the senate conferees,
Messrs. Hale, Allison and Teller.
After the invocation Mr.. Bennett, the
secretary Of the senate, read the proclama-
tion from the president convening the ses-
sion.
New Senator'S sworn In.
Mr.. Hoar, speaking for Mr.. Burrows,
chairman Of the committee on privileges
and elections, referred to the constitutional
procedure OF Misunderstanding oaths to new
senator's and said IL there were any other
procedure the result would be that a third
OF the senate might be kept out Of their
seats for an indefinite time. The result OF
that might be that a change in the po-
litical power of the government might be
indefinitely postponed.
Questions Of qualification should be post
poned and acted upon by the senate later.
The names of the newly elected senator's
we're called alphabetically and each was
escorted to the desk BY his colleague.
As some Of the names we're called there
was applause from the galleries. that given
TO Mr. German being especially noticeable.
Messrs. Spooner and Allison received
generous applause as they were escorted
to the desk.
Mr. smoot Of Utah subscribed to the oath
with an emphatic II do" No objection
was made TO his taking the oath. When
Mr. Ankeneys name was called his col
league, Mr.. Foster (wash.) announced that
he was under the Doctors care Three
other newly elected senators did not re-
spond- Messrs. Clarke (Ark.), Gallinger IN.
H.) and Stone (Mo.).
There were seveLty-fours serators pres
ent. Messrs. Hoar and Cockrell were ap-
pointed q committee to wait upon the
president and inform him that the senate
was ready to proceed to business.
senator TiIIman Replies.
Mr.. Tillman Is. c., holding in his hand
a copy OF the Congressional Record, rose
TO a question OF personal privilege. He
was proceeding to say that in the Record
yesterday there was a remarkable speech,
when Mr.. Pettus (Ala.) suggested that it
was the custom Of the senate and rule OF
courtesy to transact no business until the
special committee had returned from it's
visit to the president
The chair agreed with him. Thereupon
Mr. Tillman. at 10: 40 D. M, moved re-
cess for half an hour. which motion pre-
vailed
Messrs. Hoar and Cockrell reported that
the president said he would at once make
a communication in writing.
Immediately, atterward Mr.. Barnes as
sistant secretary to the president, appeared
with the following message from the presi-
dent:
To the Senate: have called the senate
In extraordinary session to consider the
treaties concerning which IT proved i'm
possible TO take action during the session
of the congress Just ended.
l ask your special attention to the treaty
with the republic of Colombia, securing TO
the United States, right to build the
republic of Cuba, for securing a measure
Of commercial reciprocity between the two
The great ana far-reachi1g Importance
OF these two treaties to the welfare of the
United States and the urgent necessity for
their adoption requires me TO impose upon
you the Inconvenience OF meeting at this
White House. March 8, 1908.
The message was not read till later.
Mr.. Hoar announced that he intended TO
move an executive session unless Mr.. Till
man desired TO speak.
Mr.. Tillman then resumed. Referring
again 10 Mr.. Cannon's speech, he said he
did not know that there had ever been a
similar tirade delivered In either branch
Of congress.
There were two issues involved In that
speech. one affecting the dignity OF the
senate and the other affecting his own Of
hoial integrity. responsibility and personal
character. The speech was wholly inde-
fensible indecent and an outrage.
History of Claim.
Passing on he gave a history Of South
CarOlina's claim and, answering Mr.. Can
mons criticism of legislating by unani-
nous consent, Mr.. Tillman said nothing in
the house OF representatives seemed to &c
except by unanimous consent of a few lead
ers.
''The unanimous consent of the mem
bers," he said, has fallen into innocuous
desuetude and the unanimous consent he
speaks OF so strenuously here is the unani-
nous consent of those in control"
Mr.. Tillman quoted the law authorizlrs
the payment OF interest on South Carolina's
claim and said Il was that which led the
committee on appropriations to act, simply
because It meant TO do a long-delayed act
OF justice TO South Carolina and undo the
wrong which had been done.
Mr., Hale (Me.) said he would let the
matter pass into oblivion, disagreeable a,
Il was, but it affected him because he hat
charge OF the deficiency bill Speaking de
lberately. he said there had been no legis
lative blackmail.
The appropriations committee. he said
had acted on the claim as a matter OF fail
and even handed justice.
II has never been thought, he continued
that one house should arraign the other
II has never been thought or said befor'
that the processes OF one house are pro
,esses OF blackmail and that they hav'
become insunerable that one house will
preach a crusade against the other.
Mr. Cannons use of the words "legis
ative blackmail." were unfortunate i'm