The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-28
Mr William However, Makes Vigorous Reply to Maine
 Congressman
SPEECHES GOOD HUNDRED
 BUT RIGHT ID TIE POINT
Speaker Cannon Rules That Mir. Cock ran's Demand for an lnVestiga- ton Is Not Privileged
 Resolution.

Resolution.
 Washington, April 27.-In the presence of crowded galleries and of almost full membership. Messrs. Littefield of Maine and Williams of Mississippi. in the house today. made speeches intended for the coming presidential campaign. The two speakers were wildly applauded by their respective sides but there was an ab- sence of personalities, such as character ized the clash between Messrs. Dalzell prevailed.
 Mir Littlefield continually taunted the democrats with the utterances of Mir. Cochran, and by names. called on sev- eral of the prominent members of that party in the house to answer yes" or no whether they approved Mr. Cock rans tariff views. and whether they in- tended going before the people on the issue of free trade He defended the protective tariff system from every point of view.
 MT. Williams, adopting the tactics of the republicans and from Mr Littlefeld in particular, categorical answers to sev- eral questions which he deemed perti- nent MT. Littleheld answered ''yes" when asked if he approved of everything in the Mckinley administration. which enabled MT Williams to remind him that he dittleheld) and Mir. Williams had stood together in opposition to colonial ism. Mr. Williams asserted that the re- publicans were going before the people on the issue borrowed from the gamb- ling table of standing pat"
 The house sat until late in the after noon and then recessed until 9 o'clock tonight
 Rules Against the Resolution.
 Speaker Cannon enforced his ruling on the point of order made by Mir Grosvenor yesterday against the consideration of the resolutions offered by MT. Cochran which he claimed to be privileged-to investigate the charge that he had accepted money for his participation and support for the election of Mckinley in 1896. In an elab- crate opinion the speaker said he was warranted in taking judicial knowledge of the fact that the offense set forth was charged against MT. Cochran. If com mitted at all, was committed while the gentleman from New York was neither d member or member-elect of this house" " He read a number of precendts dating as far back as 1796 where certain offenses had been charged against senators and members as having been committed be- fore their entry into congress and in but one of the cases had the house assumed to punish a member.
 "fhe chair" he said feels justified in taking cognizance of the fact that what is alleged to be charged constitutes no crime. At most, he said. "the only ques tion is one as to the propriety of the conduct of a private citizen. The house could not rightfully punish him if it de- sired to do so.' He then ruled that the chair holds that the resolution may not be entertained as a question of privil- ege"
 MT. Williams, the minority leader, at once appealed from the ruling, immedi- ately following which MT. Payne the ma jority leader. moved to lay the motion on the table. and the motion lay on the table by 169 to 125, q strict party vote.
 The house then resumed consideration of the bill requiring the employment of the United States for transportation of supplies for the army and navy. MT. Littlefield of Maine spoke in advocacy of the measure. He said it recently had been the privilege of the house to witness some very unusual and remarkable displays of parliamentary eloquence
 Made Great Rhetorical Display.
 "The gentleman from New York" he said. has contributed in large and re- markable degree to that rhetorical dis play. He congratulated the country upon MT. Cockran's return to congress, which brought forth democratic applause, and paid tribute to him as man of ability and great capacity, but he said the argu- ments that are supposed to maintain that utopian theory for fiscal legisla- tion'' has long been threadbare, frayed out. tool-woin travel-staped and" he said, they now achieve a new distinctive ness by the rhetorical display from the gentleman from New York.
 MT. Cochran. MT. Littlerield said, had spent little time in developing the meta phS scal theories and general line of ar gument and discussion, which were sup posed to lie behind and justify the doc Urine of free trade. On the contrary, he said MT. Cochran devoted his time large 1y to an assault a yituperative, a villi- flying and demagogic assault on the doc Urine of protection. Republican applause greeted this assertion. MT. Cochran, he declared. mstook epithet for argument and denunciation for demonstration. He would not, he said, degrade himself to the level of assault. villification and vitupera- ton in the discussion of a great question that concerned the welfare. happiness and prosperity of great people. While ad- hitting that the performance" of MT Cochran Saturday last was one of the finest laurels he had added to his reputa- tion. he said the discussion added noth- ing to the sum of human knowledge, and did not add to the star of human wis dom
 Refers to Democratic Platform.
 He referred to the democratic plat form recently adopted in New York. and said that the convention did not dare proclaim any proposition that had any idea of definiteness whatever, because. he said, the democratic party could not enact any of their propositions into law