New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-28

Cannon Rules against Cochran
Litt1efeld Ans1cers Free Traders.
TFRoAr THE TRIBUNE BURrAr-.T

FROM TRIBUNE BCREAU.1
/ Washington. April 27.-The chief features OF
/ the busy session Of the House to-day were tbs
delivery Of Speaker Cannon's decisiosl fully out
| lined in The Tribune this morning. declining to-
| entertain BoUrke COcbran's resolution for In
vestigatiOn of his political record. and Of ths
most remarkable speeches IN recent years, whics
was delivered by Mr.. Littlefeld. Of Maine.
/ In anticipation Of a memorable day and the re-
newal OF hostilities between the Republican and.
| Democratic war horses, the House galleries
/ were filed with an eager and expectans
l throng, which gave the closest attention to ths
/ proceedings. When the Speaker began IN low
voice to read his ruling. the silence was so in
tense that his words clearly distinguishabls
| IN every part Of the chamber. At its conclusion
Mr.. Williams the minority leader. appealed from
/ the decision. but the solid vote Of the majority
sustained the Speaker. and Mr.. Cockran's oppor-
tunity to explain the inconsistencies OF his po-
litical affiliations before investigation COM
mittee was lost.
Shortly afteTvard began the oratOricaI broad
side from Mr.. LittIefeld. whose mastery effort
received enthusiastic Republican applause and
commanded the respectful consideration OF the
minority Mr.. LittlefeId skilfuiIy dissected the
speech delivered on Saturday by Mr.. Cochran
and pitiessly exposed the malignant growths
beneath its polished exterior Democrats have
a morbid fear of the danger OF free trade infec-
Z II
/ and uradornsd. by the fioNsry eloqUenes ard 4
gfftterfrg generaifrfes OF N1r Coc1rahs oratory
they shrank from contact with the motheaten
and deCayed monstrOsity. SOsfearful were they
OF committing themselves TO the laHaCies Of tho
Tammany spokesman that repeated inquiries
from Mr.. Littefed as 10 whether they approved
or disapproved Cockran's position the tariff
failed TO elicit response. Try he might. he
could not gOad the minority into an expression
/ I,Po ,fgr,
but had enthusiastically appIauded under tho
OratOry Of Mr.. Cochran. he said. was free trade.
bald. blatant and uncovered as against Repub-
rcanism and it's bsnefcent policy OF protection
He paid his respects 10 the New-YOrk Demo-
era tic platform. characterizing il as a monde
/ script and iuconsequential statement and chaI-
lenged the Democrats Of the House to write
into their national platform the free trade doc
/ trines enunciated by Mr. Cochran
/ SPEAKER CANNON's RULING.
4 Speaker Cannon announced his ruling on tbs
! point Of order made by Mr.. GrosvenOr yesterday
against the consideration Of the resolution Of
fered by Mr.. Cochran. which he claimed TO bs
privileged. to investigate the charge that hs
had accepted money for his part IN supporting
/ Mr.. Mckinley in 1895 In an elaborate opinion
B the Speaker said he was warranted in taking
judicial knowledge OF the fact that the offence
set forth charged against Mr.. Cochran "ie
committed at all. committed while the gen.
tleman from New-YoTk was neither a member
nor a member-elect OF this House" He read a
( number of precedents dating far back as
/ 1896. where certain offences had been charged
/ against Senators and Members as having been
committed before they entered Congress. and
| their expulsion demanded and said that so far
as the House was concerned IN only one OF tbs
/ cases had it assumed to punish member for
/ acts committed before he was elected. Tbs
Chair he said. feels justified IN taking cOgni-
/ zance Of the fact that what IS aIIesed to be-
/ charged constitutes no crime" At most he said.
the only question to the proprfety OF
the conduct of private citizen. The House. hs
declared. could not rightfuly punish him II 4:
desired to do He then ruled that the Chair
holds that the resolution may not be entertained
question OF privilege
! Mr.. Williams at once appealed from the ruling.
| Immediately following which Mr.. Payne. the ma
jority leader. moved to lay the motion the
| table. yea and nay being ordered BY
! party vote. 160 to 125. the Speaker was sus-
\ tanned IN his ruling.
/ The House then resumed consideration Of ths
| Shipping bill.
LITTLEFIELDS REMARKABLE SPEECH.
Mr.. Littefeld spoke in advocacy Of the meas
ure. saying it was entirely proper for him to
| suggest that the remarks he would make would
/ be entirely germane to the bill He said it re-
| Gently had become the privilege OF the House to
| witness some very unusual and remarkable dis
| plays OF parliamentary elOquence. The gentie-
man from New-YOrk" he said, has contributed
| in large and remarkable degree to that rhe-
| toricaI display" He congratulated the country
| on Mr. Cockrans return to Congress which
| brought forth Democratic applause. and paid
! tribute to him man OF ability and great
| capacity but he said that the arguments sup
| posed TO maintain "that UtOpian theory for fis-
| cal legislation had long been threadbars.
| frayed out tool worn. travel stained. and they
now achieve a new distinctiveness by the rhe-
| torieaI display from the gentleman from New
| York"
| COCKRAN's PALACES EXPOSED.
Mr.. Cochran. he said. spent little time In de-
velopsng the metaphysical theories and general
line of argument and discussion which were
supposed to lie behind and justify the doctrine
| of free trade. On the contrary. he said Mr.
Cochran devoted his time largely to an assault,