Evening star., 1904-03-12
SENT TO COMMITTEE
Allegations as to Members
i I y Of the House.
INGALLS, RESOLUTION
ADOPTED BY A PRACTICALLY
UNANIMOUS VOTE.
Enthusiastic Demonstration on Will
liam Alden Smiths Suggestion Of
Speaker Cannon for President.

Speaker Cannon for President
| The closing debate on the Hay resolution
and the Bristow report regarding the in
| fuence Of Congress on various postal al
| iowances in the House of Representatives
| late yesterday afternoon was marked by
many interesting and unusual scenes. The
| House was In restless mood The impas-
| stoned speeches which had been delivered
during the two days the postal matter was
| under consideration had so stirred up the
members that the slightest incident out of
| the ordinary brought a score of them to
| their feet clamoring for recognition. No
speaker was allowed to proceed any length
| of time without interruption.
Enthusiasm for Cannon.
Speaker Cannon came in for a decided
demonstration during the afternoon Will
! liam Alden Smith Of Michigan after vigor-
ously denouncing the various executive de-
| partments of the government for their at
| titude toward members of the House,
called attention to the fact that the House
had given to the country many of its great
est statesmen and Presidents. Thoroughly
aroused to his subject. Mr.. Smith shouted
| the hope that 1t would not be long before
the people would elevate Speaker Cannon
i
| was an outburst of applause. The demo-
| Gratis clapped their hands loudly as the
[ republicans Then some one cheered; then
| everybody cheered. Members rose in their
places and waved their hands.
! During all this time Speaker Cannon was
/ IN earnest conversation with representa-
| tive at his desk, apparently /oblivious of
| what had been said or what was going on
AS the cheering increased, however, he
arose and began to pound vigorously with
| his gavel. His call for order had no effect
| until the members had cheered to their
| hearts content. The Speaker announced
! that Mr.. Smiths time had expired The
| democrats asked unanimous consent that
/ he be allowed to continue. Representative
Overstreet of Indiana objected.
Referred to Select Committee.
| When the smoke of battle had finally
cleared away and the House had adjourned
at 6:42 O'clock last evening, 1t was found
that the strenuous appeal of the democrats
for abgeneral investigation of the Post
| Office Department had had no effect upon
the republicans. Instead it was agreed, as
| predicted in The Star. the House voted to
| refer the BriStow report and the Hay reso-
luton for postal inquiry to q select COM
mittee of seven, to be appointed by the
| Speaker, with instructions to inquire into
the relation of members with the Post
| Office Department, and to inquire also as to
the authorship and origin of the report
sent to the House in response to the re-
quest from the post office committee.
Denounced the Department.
/ After The Stars report closed yesterday
| afternoon. Mr.. Burleson of Texas de-
nounced the Post Office Department and
criticised the Postmaster General. The
purpose of the Postmaster General, he
! said was to involve honorable men of both
parties a'in this scandalous transaction"
and thereby in timdate them from moving
frrrtt bar in, -hFaf "a a M a
demanding. Are you going to be intimi-
| dated?' he inquired. Every honest man
| named in the report. he said. owed it to
| himself to demand an Investigation
| Mr Clayton of Alabama was bitter in his
/ denunciation of the, department and Post
master General Payne. His attack was
largely of a personal character He de
manded that the department be ripped
| OPEN
/ Mr.. Calderhead of Kansas denounced the
| report as a document mixing the names Of
honest men with crimnals.
/ Proud of Their Record.
Mr.. Lowering of Massachusetts,. Mr.. Sib-
ley of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Burkett OF Ne
| braska and Mr.. Gardner of New Jersey all
took occasion to say they were proud OF
| what they had done to improve postal
facilities for their constituents. Mr.. Swan
son of Virginia, Mr.. Small of North Caro-
lima and Mr.. Marsh of Illinois spoke IN
| referred to the fact that 1t seemed the
1 Post Office Department, in addition to
thieves and grafters lis infested with liars
and scoundrels-"
| VIM. Alden Smith (Michigan) next took
the floor and fervently delivered his views
concerning the report. Il denounce this
| report" he said, "as voluntary and
! gratuitous insult by a great executive de-
| partment of this government. That de-
! partment had undertaken voluntarily to
! cast a stigma upon this great chamber OF
the people. 1t has gone out of its way to
| keep facts back which should have been
| given" he continued.
Aroused the House.
1 He then threw the House into a state of
| wild excitement. Men of the highest char
| acter, he declared. had been assailed by
| the report among them the Speaker of the
| House himself Il hope" he said. his
| words being almost completely drowned by
| the cheering and handclapping with which
| his remarks were received on both sides of
| the House and in the galleries. that the
| day is not far distant when. with the gem
/ eral consent of the American people, the
! Speaker will be lifted into the executive
| office.
| When quiet was restored, Mr.. Smith con-
| tinued and said there was not bureau OF
| the government that shows proper respect
| for the direct representatives of the people.
| Representatives in Congress. he said. con-
/ stantly were being "shunted'' off for sena-
| tors, ana fndue 10 walt py bureau ohhceiS'
| Mr. Smiths time had expired. whereupon
! Mr.. Clayton (Ala) asked, amid shouts of
approval that Mr.. Smith be given thirty
| minutes to finish.
| II object" shouted Mr.. Overstreet, in the
| midst of athetuproar Mr.. Clayton's motion
had caused. sfHe (OverstreeD then asked
| unanimous consent for a continuation OF
| the debate for three days.
! IT object" scame from Mr.. Williams. the
democratic leader. who was crowded on
the Aoor by Mr.. Clayton and who. facing
| Mr. Oyerstreet, said, You are the grand
/ father Of this
The Utmost Confusion.
4 "Why, the other day you only wanted an
| hour on each side" excitedly shouted Mr..
Gaines ,cTenn,). The utmost confusion
reigned at this time. but out of the turmoil
NJ, C.ai,nas who MAS urildIv rrosticllla ting in