The Lamar register., 1903-01-28
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

The House, after passing the District
of Columbia appropriation bill; began
consideration of the Philippine coinage
bill The general debate on the Dis
trict bill was largely devoted to discuss
sion of the Alaskan boundary line dis
pute. Mr.. Cochran of Missouri de-
nounced as "a cowardly surrender tho
course of the State Department. Mr..
Hepburn of Iowa took up the challenge
and countered at the charge that DEM
ocratic administrations had surren-
dered the territory between lattudes
40 and 54:40, and also the Republic OF
Texas. While Mr.. Cochran was speak
ing Of the trucking policy of the
United States to Great Britain" sty-
lishly dressed young woman in the gal
lery leaned forward and cried out, You
lie!" She then left the gallery.
President Roosevelt has signed the
militia bill recently passed by Con-
gress. After the President had signed
the bill Secretary Root delivered n
brief speech of congratulation. General
Dick. author OF the bill and president
of the National Guard Association. re-
sponded. President Roosevelt then
spoke of the merits of the bill. He ex-
pressed the hope that no President
ever would be confronted by such an
emergency as would render 1t neces-
sary for him to avail himself of the
services of the troops provided for in
the bill. but he congratulated the COM
mittee and country on its enactment
ment and said he regarded the citizen
soldiery of the nation as most i'm
portant factor in the protection of the
country. The President gave the pen
with which he signed the measure to
Colonel Dimmick.
The Senate committee on the Philip
pines authorized a favorable report on
the Philippine tariff bill which recently
passed the House, but with important
amendments. The House bill carried
a uniform reduction of the tariff on
Philippine goods imported into the I'm
tied States, making the rate only twen-
ty-five per cent. of the rates imposed
by the Dingley law. The Senate COM
mittee amended the bill so as to pro-
vide for the admission of all Philippine
produced articles free of duty except
sugar and tobacco. and on these two
commodities fixed the tariff at fifty per
cent. of the Dingley schedules. This
change was made to meet the objec-
tions of the sugar and tobacco produc-
ers of this country. who have claimed
that duty rate of only twenty-five
in ruinous competition.
The appropriation committees of
the Senate and House have received
letters from Attorney General Knox,
suggesting change in the appropria-
ton of 100000 to be expended under
the direction of the attorney general
in the enforcement of the Sherman
antitrust act and laws amendatory
thereof, which passed the House De-
cember 18th last. Instead of using this
large amount in the employment of
special counsel to conduct proceedings.
the attorney general suggests that an
act be passed increasing the perma-
nent official force of the department
of justice. He recommends that au-
thority be granted for the appoint
ment of an assistant to the attorney
general, new officer, one additional
assistant and two expert and confiden-
tial stenographers and typewriters.
With this additional force the attor-
ney general believes that a much small
er sum than 100000 would be adc-
quate for the purposes intended, and
that the results would be In every way
more satisfactory than could be OBJ
tanned through the bill as 1t now
stands.
The Senate committee on commerce
has been considering the nomination of
DR.. w. ID. Crum, a colored man. to be
collector of the port at Charleston.
South Carolina. Senator Tillman,
Mayor Smithe of Charleston and Col
mel Hemphill appeared in opposition to
confirmation. They preferred charges
to the effect that Crum had sold out as
a delegate to the Minneapolis Repuh-
lican convention, and in support of this
charge read an affidavit in which 1t
was declared that he had been sent to
the convention as a Harrison delegnte
but had shifted to the support of Blaine
on promise of the appointment of
postmaster. 1t was made quite plain,
however, that the principal opposition
was because of Crums color. and Sena-
tor Tillman admitted as much. He told
the committee that the people of the
South did not want their offices filled
by negroes. "And." he said. " SO long
as they are so filed there will be trou-
BILE; oil and water will not unite" Ex-
Gov. p. b, S. Pinchback of Louisiana
and Whitfield McKinlay. formerly of
South Carolina, both colored. appeared
for Dr. Crum. They declared that the
charge of selling out at Minneapolis
was unfounded, and eulogiZed DIR.
Crum as a man of education and char
acter.
Section of the Spooner act, which
was approved by the President June
2Sth last, prescribes certain of the
terms regarding the acquisition of the
strip of land for the canal. etc. upon
which the treaty just signed was nego-
tiated. The section follows: THAT
the President is hereby authorized to
secure from the republic of Colombia,
for and on behalf of the United States,
upon such terms as he may deem rea-
sonable, perpetual control of strip of
land, the territory of the republic OF
Columbia, not less than six miles in