The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-22
Williams Wants Duty on Goal
 Repealed
ARMY BILL UNDER DISCUSSION
Mississippi Representative Claims He Does Not Know What Straight
 Flush Is-5aker Speaks for
 Reciprocity With Canada.

Washington, January 21.-The army ap- propriation bill was under consideration of the committee of the whole today for five hours, most of which time was de- I'voted to a general discussion of the tariff question.
 MT. Hull of Iowa. chairman of the committee on military affairs explained the provisions of the army bill, and Messrs. Parker. republican, of New York and Prince, republican, of Illinois paid tribute to the army as now organized
 MT. Williams minority leader, taking the phrase, stand pat" for his text. made general arraignment of republican policies. and declared that the republican party had become one of negation.
 When the house convened a resolution called up by MT. Gardner of New Jersey. chairman of the committee on labor, ask ing the secretary of commerce and labor for statement showing the number of horses and carriages maintained at the expense of the government for officials in his departmentn and the names of the of ticials using them, was adopted. On motion of Mir Hull of Iowa, chair man of the committee on military affairs. the house went into committee of whole to consider the army appropriation bill. Five hours debate was agreed upon. After MT. Hull had explained the feature of the bill, MT. Parker of New Jersey was recognized.
 Tribute to Secretary Root. In speaking for the bill he paid high tribute to Secretary Root and pointed out many reforms which. he said, had been brought about under his administration, particularly the staff system. the detail system and provisions for schooling of- iicers.
 MT. Williams of Mississippi discussed for an hour the stand pat policy of the majority party and talked at length on his pending bill repeating the duty coal. He read from the testimony before the house committee on investigation of the last session of congress on the coal question, to show that coal was CT ccnts less ton during the year than before the tariff was repealed.
 MT. Payne of New York asserted the prices of coal was not less to the consum~ CT during this period. MT. Williams com batted this statement and asked MT. Payne why his party did not stand pat for free coal.
 He declared 1t was impossible to find out what the republican party was standing pat" on.
 Tt was only a few days ago." he con- tlnued, that the great I am of the re- publican party delivered a speech in which he said
 We hold the ace.' Now had pri- vate and confidential conversation with q gentleman of this house this morning and he told me he did not know a single prar nf ardu tr, foh xyfr
 Have a Straight Flush.
 "Pll tell you what we have got that wins interjected MT. Palmer of Penn sylyania, i've have straight hush'
 Well" rejoined Mir Williams, T don't know what a straight flush is, but you have not got quite as much of flush as you are said to have. Things are not so flushed as they were q while back"
 Mir Williams asked if the republicans were going to stand pat on the currency question, and on the trust question, and. calling attention to his bill. declaring over equalization public swIndle he asked if they were going to stand pat on the post investigation and asked why they had not permitted an investigation by committee of the house
 He asked if they were going to stand pat the public land business, and if they purposed to stand pat on the ship subsidy question, or let that drift along until after the election. He charged that the republicans are becoming the party of negatlon.
 For Reciprocity With Canada.
 Mir Lind of Minnesota spoke for recip- rocity with Canada and pleaded for freer trade relations with that country.
 MT. Baker of New York opposed the army bill on the ground that he was op- posed to war and would not vote to ap- propriate money for preparations for war.
 Tt should be designed as a bill he said, Ito appropriate seventy-fve millions of dollars to put in the power of one strenuous man to get this country into possible conflict with every other civi- lized nation of the earth"
 At 5:12 D. m. the house adjourned un- til tomorrow