davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1904-05-01

to purchase the property of the French
Canal Company for the purpose Of com
pleting the construction of the great
waterway which is to connect the At
lantic and the Pacific Oceans across the
Isthmus of Panama. Following that
action in the ratification of the treaty,
in its closing hours, Congress passed an
act to provide for the government of the
canal zone by practically vestins all
powers Of administration over it in the
hands of the President. These two
things, the enactment Of Cuban reci-
procity and the ratification of the 18TH
milan Canal treaty, will be written down
as the great work of the FIfty-eighth
Congress. despite it's failures in other
respects.
Among the other measures which Con-
gress has passed and which are Of some
national Importance are these:
A bill to extend the coastwise laws Of
the United States TO the trade between
the mainland and the Philippine ISL
ands, to become effective July l, 1906.
A bill 10 require that all government
supplies shipped to the Philippines shall
be carried in American bottoms.
a bill providing for the appointment
Of a commission consisting OF members
Of the Senate and House to inquire into
the condition OF American merchant
marine and report to Congress recon-
mendations for it's development.
a bill authorizing a loan of $4,000, 900
to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
A bill appropriating $4,000 for a Gov
eminent exhibit at the Lewis and Clarke
Exposition TO be held in Portland, Ore,
next year.
A resolution inviting the Interparlia-
mentary Union for international Arbi-
tration 10 hold its next conference in
the city of St Louis next September,
and apprOpriatiing $50, 900 for the enter
tainment of the delegates.
An emergency bill appropriating So
600 600 for river and harbor improve
ments.
minor measures affecting local interests,
but not Of broad general character.
What Congress Has Not Done.
Here are some Of the things which
Congress was asked 10 do and which
it failed to do:
1t has firmly refused to pass any tarin
legislation;
It has failed TO enact any labor Iegis-
lation;
1t has failed TO pass a Statehood bill:
1t has failed 10 pass a service pension
bill;
It has failed to pass any antitrust
legislatiOn;
1t has failed to grant any relief to the
Philippines in the way Of amending the
Philippine government act;
II has failed 10 grant Porto Rico a
Delegate In Congress, or to pay any at
tention TO the island;
II has failed to grant Alaska n Dele
gate in Congress;
II has practically paid no attention to
Hawaii;
The Washington times., 1904-05-01

1t has failed 10 pass a bin to provide
for voluntary arbitration of disputes be-
tween capital and labor;
1t has failed to pass the convict labor
bill;
1t has failed TO pass a pure food bill;
1t has failed to pass a bill to provide
for new public buildings;
1t has failed 10 pass a river and har-
Dor Improvement bill, except the emerg-
ency measure carrying 100000;
II has failed TO pass a clean money
bill;
II has failed to pass the anti-tobacco
coupon bill;
II has failed to pass any civil service
measure, or bill looking toward the re-
tirement of supersnnuated clerks, al
though measures Of this character were
considered at length by the Committee
on Reform in the Civil Service, Of the
House.
District Not Badly Treated.
It has failed to pass any currency leg
islation;
1t has failed to pass a bill granting
police Jurisdiction over liquor in original
packages 10 the authorities Of the State
! into which it is shipped;
1t has failed to order an investiga-
ton OF the PostOffice Department.;
It has failed to dispose of the i'm
Charles Swayne, of the northern district
Of Florida
The Senate has failed TO dispose Of the
charges against Senator Reed Smoot of
Utah.
A. yoa,a,5- +1,o T,sat-;o. % S,,t,,~.t.s, g..
has not Jared badly at the hands of
Congress at this session. While num-
Der If measures which were greatly de-
sired TO be passed have been enacted,
and the District was well treated in the
appropriation bill. stiil. a number of
important legislative measures were
/ left Enacted upon. Among these are
the crOsstown street railroad bill; the
bill to amend the personal tax law, al
though that bill did pass the House;
the bill to amend the corporation law:
the bill to TeorganiZe the District mill
tia. and a number of others
House Has Asserted It's Rights.
In what has been done, the House has
taken a more conspicuous part in shap-
ing legislation than It has for many
years heretofore. This has been very
largely due to the efforts of Speaker
Cannon. For years he has insisted that
the House should stand more firmly for
its rights, and refuse to be overridden
by the Senate and kow-tow to the upper
body. In his position as Speaker. he
has been able to strongly enforce his
views I'm more ways than one, and
whereas, heretofore the House has been
accustomed to bowling to the will of the
! Senate. the Senate at this session has
frequently been obliged to accept the
decision Of the House. In this connec-
tion might be mentioned the stand
which the House took on river and har-
Dor legislation. and legislation for the
government Of the Panama Canal zone.
The Washington times., 1904-05-01

sponsibilities OF the position, however,
readily abdicated his right to the chair
manship in favor of the Indiana mem
Der. In this Congress. which has been pre-
eminently an appropriation Congress,
Mr.. Hemenway has played a most i'm
portant part, and he has played It we'll
He has exhibited qualities which show
ed plainly that no mistake was made In
selecting him for the exalted post which
he has occupied. The chairman OF the
Committee on Appropriations is right
Iully regarded as the hardest worked
man in the House. Mr.. Hemenway has
SHOWN capacity TO perform his duties
faithfully and well.
The Postofice Scandals.
In view of the scandals III the POST
Office Department and the pressure
which was brought for a postofIice in
vestigation, the task assigned to Repre-
sentative Overstreet. at the head of
the Committee on Postoffices ard Post
Roads. was Indeed a difficult one To
carry out the determination of his party
to prevent general investigation Of
the department, and to smooth mat
tiers over and yet do nothing which
would appear as If the Republicans
wished to cover up anything. the whole
burden fell upon Mr.. Overstreet. I'm
der the tremendous pressure brought
70 bear and as a result of the appear
ance of the so-called Bristow Charges
Concerning Members" Mr. OverStreet
came near falling down, as almost any
other man in his position would have
done. He nevertheless stood his ground
fought a hard fight, the hardest which
took place upon the floor of the House.
and finally brought the members OF his
own party into line and TO his support,
and was able to carry out the plan of
his party.
Pressure for an Investigation.
1T was anticipated from the start that
the Democrats would find opportunity
to refer to the postoffice scandals. It
came to them by way of a resolution
introduced by Representative Hay of
Virginia calling for the information
upon which Mr.. Bristow in his report
to the President upon the postoffice in
vestigation made certain charges against
members OF Congress in connection with
the rental of buildings for postoffices
and the matter of increased clerk hire at
various offices, and also the matter of
leases. This resolution went to Mr.
Overstreet's committee, and after some
weeks resulted in bringing before the
House the much-discussed Rristow re-
port of Charges Concerning Members. -
For a week after that report came
in to the House, there was merry war.
or war which was, perhaps, not merry.
at least, not so to Chairman Overstreet
Members of his own party demanded
an investigation in no uncertain terms
and Joined with their political oppo-
nents in denunciation of certain POST
office Department officials. Mr.. Over
street stood firm, and finally won his
point-that there should be no investi-
CATION, at least none which should
go beyond an investigation of the
connection of members of Congress
with the Postoffice Department
This brought out the Mccall res
The Washington times., 1904-05-01

House. and for the major portion OF that
time was one OF its most Important
most useful. most diHgent, and hard
working members. At last he attained
his long cherished ambition and was
elected its Speaker. AS such, despite
his long years OF service, he has not
displayed the qualities of a parliament
tartan. in the sense that his predeces-
sors, Reed and Crisp. were parliament
tarians. but far greater than that he
has displayed attributes Of character
and OF strong personality which viii
cause his administration of the office to
go down in history as one OF the most
successful in the long line Of Speakers
who have presided over the deliberations
of tbs House. Probably no Speaker was
more greatly beloved by members on
both sides of the chamber than "Uncle
Joe, and certain It is that none has
presided with greater fairness. with less
partisan bias, and less political partial
ity than he. No other Speaker ever ac-
corded the minority greater rights and
privileges, and of this every Democrat
Is duly appreciative. and none more so
ponent for the Speakership, the leader
OF the minority. the Hon. John Sharp
Williams.
The session which has just closed has
brought Mr.. Williams 10 the front. For
ten years he has been a member OF the
House. and while from dine to time dur
Ing that service up ID the present Con-
gresS he figured in the debates, and now
and then in a parliamentary tangle. he
had no opportunity to display such
qualities of leadership as he has had
n ayfr 81
without saying that he has taken ad-
vantage of the chance afforded him.
Under his command there has BEEN
demonstrated what a united minority
can accomplish, both as positive and a
negative force, when led by a man of
brains, activity, integrity, attention to
TO business, and conscientious devotion
TO duty. In learning, in debate, in
knowledge of parliamentary practice-
In fact, in all the qualifications neces-
sary for leadership-there Is not a man
who holds title to a seat in the House
who eXcelS the Hon. John Sharp Will
liams, and Il Is because of this fact that
the minority has amounted TO more In
the Fifty-eight Congress than ever be-
fore. He has held his party associates
together upon all questions. and while
he has been extremely aggressive his
aggression has left no bitterness of feel
ing against him upon the majority side
of the chamber.
Two Hoosiers Become Prominent.
Two Indiana men have come into
prominence during the session. One is
the Hon. James A. Hemenway, chair
man of the Committee on Appropria-
tons. and the other is the Hon. Jesse
Overstreet. chairman of the Committee
on Postoffices and Post Roads. When
Mr.. Cannon. who had been chairman Of
the Committee on Appropriations, was
elevated to the Speakership. the ranking
member of that committee was Repre-
sentative Harry Bingham of Pennsylya-
MIA, the father of the House." Mr..
Hemenway was left the second member.
Mr.. Bingham, in order to avoid the re-
The Washington times., 1904-05-01

olution. which provided for the ap-
pointment of a committee of seven 10
| investigate Mr.. Bristow's charges. As
the chairman Of that committee Mr..
Mccall took a prominent part in
smoothing matters over. In the pre-
ceding Congress he took a strong po-
sition in opposition to his party upon
the Philippine question, but this session
the prominent part which he took was
in the postOffice matter, in which he
acted more as an arbitrator than as q
belligerent.
The Speech Nominating Mr.. Cannon.
1t was, too. while the postof1ce de-
bate was in progress that another Re
publican member leaped conspicuously
into the public eye In a ringing
speech, denouncing bureaucracy. Rep
resentative William Alden Smith, osi
Michigan, nominated Cannon for the
Presidency. and half = unconsciously
created a great fdrore of excitement.
Always able and always eloquent, he
awoke the next morning to find him
self famous, and that he had started a
boom. which. for the moment, must
have caused a certain Presidential as
pirant some uneasiness, and had it not
been voluntarily punetured, might have
caused some trouble
The latest incident which served to
center attention upon Congress occurred
only week ago, and is known as the
Cockran-DalzelI controversy. The de-
tails of it are still fresh in the public
mind. 1t was Immediately preceded by
the appearance within the arena of de-
bate OF a young Democrat from North
Carolina, Representative Claude Kitchin,
in tad L rf7s,E
dent displayed both brilliancy and
humor which aroused and nettled the
defenders of the Administration on the
majority side. His contribution was the
which marked the closing week of the
session.
The Cockran-Dalzell Episode.
Representative William Bourke Cock
ran was a member of Congress ten years
ago and won an international reputation
as an orator. AS Mr.. Dalzen expressed
it in his reply, Mr.. Cochran was then
Tammanyite; he became an anti-Tam-
manyite, and as such ceased to be a
member of Congress; again he became
Tammanyite and again he became
member of Congress.
He signalized his return to Congress
three weeks ago by a notable speech de-
ploring the decadence of the power and
influence of the House; he emphasized
his temperance within the halls OF
Congress still more strongly by an anti
tariff speech. during the course of which
the controversy with Mr.. Dalzeu began.
Mr.. Cochran Is a valuable acquisition
TO the minority side, Tor IL is universally
conceded that the Majority has no one
who can cope with him as an orator;
no one who can equal him in esoquence;
no one who can successfully attack him
in debate. The last debate of the ses-
sion was that between Mr.. Iittledeld
of Maine and Mr.. Williams OF Maine,
and that. too. was n notable discussion,
both being heavyweights in the arena OF
political discussion.
The Washington times., 1904-05-01

In appropriation matters also, the
House has more firmly than before stood
its ground.
In fact, public attention has been
focused mere strongly upon the House
this session than for many years prior.
not only because Of the personality OF
the Speaker, but because of the char
acter of legislation TO which Il has given
attention both on the floor and in com
mittees.
The House has passed the bill provid-
ing for the admission to the Union of
the Territories of oklahoma, Indian
Territory, New Mexico, and Arizona,
the first two as one State under the
name OF Oklahoma, and the last two as
one State under the name of Arizona.
The Senate has not considered the meas
ure.
Bills Considered in Committees.
The House has passed the bill giving
authority to the Philippine government
to issue bonds for public improvements
and to the municipalities to issue bonds
for school and other purposes Tho
Senate has done nothing with the meas
ure
The House has passed the bill to en-
able the Territory OF Alaska to send a
Delegate TO Congress. The Senate has
not acted upon the measure.
The House Committee on Labor has
given extensive consideration to the
eight-hour labor bill, and finally dis
posed of 1t by turning the whole sub
ject over to the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor for investigation and report
The same committee has considered a
bill to provide for voluntary arbitration
Of disputes between capital and labor.
but did not act upon 1t.
The House Committee on the judiciary
has given lengthy consideration TO the
anti-injunction bill, but postponed ae-
ton upon it until December. The same
committee considered and reported in
favor of the impeachment of Judge
Svayne, but the House referred the
matter without action back to the same
&C mmittee for further hearings. The
same committee also spent much time
upon the sO-called Hepburn~DolliVer
liquor bill and reported IT faYorably to
tho House, but the House failed to act
upon IT,
The Committee on Ways and Means
considered and then voted not TO repoi
the bill. which was opposed by the TO-
bacco trust, to prohibit the placing or
prize coupons and tags IN IoDdcco ana
cigarette packages.
Personality of the Speaker.
In view Of the negative course which
Congress has pursued there has not been
great opportunity afforded for individual
members of the House, or at least any
considerable number of them. to shine.
Attention has quite naturally been
chiefly directed, so far as the person
mel OF the membership Is concerned. to
two men, who. by reason of the con-
spicuous positions which they occupied
have had more TO do and more to say
than the others These are the Speak
or and Representative John Sharp VIII
liams, the minority leader.
For more than a quarter of "A century
Uncle Joe" Cannon served in the
The San Francisco call., 1904-03-21
FIND VAST
WEALTH Of
THE INCAS
Buried Treasure Un-
earthed by Ameri-
cans.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, March 20.-The
newspapers of Bolivia and Peru are
announcing under scare heads" that
after a search extending through four
centuries the treasure of the Peruvian
Incas, buried in Bolivia and valued at
s16,O0O,OOO, has just been discovered
by a company of British and Amer
lean engineers.
The Bolivian newspapers tell OF
great excitement among the natives
because of the belief that gold valued
at $3O,OO0,000 more is awaiting dis
covery.
According to the stories. all this
treasure, Of the purest gold, was
found at Chayaltaya.
The legend is that about $40 years
ago at the time of the Spanish con-
quest, the gold was buried by Indians
for the Peruvian Incas, to be paid to
the Spaniards as ransom for the liberia
ton of Emperor Atahualpa, but that
the money was refused by the Span
iards, who killed the Peruvian En-
peror The treasure remained hidden.
Since then innumerable exploring par
ties, native and foreign, have made
fruitless search for the gold.
1t was by a mere accident that the
lucky finders came upon the ancient
treasure While making a survey and
driving stakes they discovered the for
tune. "A dispute has now arisen
among them as to it's division.
The San Francisco call., 1904-03-21
American Liner New
York Has Narrow
Escape.
After Running Aground
She COllideS With a
Transport.
No Lives Are Lost, but Both Vessels
Are Damaged and Are Laid
Up for Repairs.

SOUTHAMPTON, March 20. - The
American line steamship New York,
Captain Young, from New York March
u for Plymouth, Cherbourg and South
ampton. met with two mishaps to-day,
grounding off Cape La Hague, France,
in the early morning and later coming
into collision in the English Channel
with the Peninsula and Oriental steam
ship Assaie, under contract to the
British Government and used as
troopship bound for Bombay with 500
troops on board.
The New York grounded while ap-
preaching CherboUrg at 2:30 o'clock
this morning during a fog. The sea
was smooth, however, and the tide was
on the flood and within an hour and a
half the vessel was fioated without as
sistance. Her bottom was damaged
and there was water in the holds, but
she was able to proceed.
During the voyage up the channel a.
dense fog descended When off Hurst
Castle, England. the Assaye suddenly
appeared and it was found impossible
to avoid a collision. The New York's
bow crashed into the Asaie's star
board bow, tearing a great gap in that
vessel. The New Yorks bowsprit and
hgurehead were carried away and the
latter was smashed into fragments.
There was great excitement on both
vessels. The boats of the Assaie were
lowered and the troops were mustered
but the bulkhead of the troopship saved
her and the vessel was able to enter
Southampton and the New York was
docked at $50 o'clock for temporary
repairs. Nobody was injured. 1t will
be impossible to estimate the damage
to the New York until she has been
put into drydock.
1t is believed that both vessels have
been seriously injured. Another YES
sci viii replace the Asaie
When the New York grounded at
Cape La Hague the passengers, who
were asleep, hardly felt the shock
James Sellers, a passenger on the
New York, says that while he was at
luncheon there was a grating noise,
followed by a tremendous shock. Every
one, he says, ran to the deck and it
was found that the New York's bow
was firmly fixed in the side of the As
sale. Sellers was close enough to OBJ
serve the marvellous discipline aboard
the troop ship. Not a second was lost
and there was no sign of hurry and,
while the boats were being prepared
for launching, the soldiers were mus
tered with the precision of an orderly
drill.
AS the vessels parted" concluded
Sellers, I'VE saw a gaping hole in the
Assaie ten feet wide and sticking on
our stem was a portmanteau and other
portable property. There was no panic
on our boat. Had we struck the As
sale amidships she would have sunk"
The San Francisco call., 1904-03-21
BOMBARDMENT
OF VLADIVOSTOK
DOES No DAMAGE

Special Gable 70 The Call and New York
Herald Copyright. 1904. by the New York
Herald Publishing Company
YINKOW, March 2O-Two Americans
who arrived at Newchwang on Satur-
day from VladivostOk say that half the
population there was unaware OF the
recent bombardment until the next day.
No damage wes done. All the women
and children have left the place.
The Americans could see few SOL
diers between Tsaichow and Newch-
wang, but witnessed no preparations
to defend the former station or the
railway line. Forty miles north of
Newchwang one railway bridge was de-
Tended by a single gun. South of that
point nothing had been done.
Hardin and Mukden are swarming
with troops. who seem to be c0ncen-
trating there.
VLADIVOSTOK, March 90 - The
Russian military plans are progressing
satisfactorily here, along the main coast
and at Saghalien Island. Many inhab-
itants continue to migrate to Khab-
arovsk and NikOlsk and some women
and children are returning to Russia.
The first detachment Of the Red Cross
from Russia has arrived and has been
distributed among the field hospitals.
More than 100 nurses have been sent
from here to Manchuria and Korea
The delivery of Russian mails to the
frontier and to ports Is working fairly
well, and the telegraphs excellently.
Letters reach Vladivostok twenty-five
days after leaving St. Petersburg.
The San Francisco call., 1904-03-21
PORTE is WARNED
TO ACCEPT BALKAN
REFORM SCHEME

CONsTANTINOPLE. March 90
The Russian and Austrian embassies
tonight renewed their pressure upon
the Porte to accept unaltered the
Austro-Russian scheme of reforms in
Macedonia. The RuSsO-Austrian note
pointed out that the counter proposals
of the Porte made on March II, which
objected to the placing Of foreign Of
fcers in command of the gendarmerie,
in Macedonia, did not tally with Tur-
keys original acceptance of the re-
form scheme. The note warned the
Porte of the grave consequences that
would follow any further delay.
The Sultan received Baron Won Bier
berstein, the German EmbassadOr, in
private audience yesterday.