The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-01
SULzER FORCES
 CALL OF THE ROLL House Had to Adjourn Without
 Passing Bill BELL TALKS OF CANTEENS Claims That Reserve Money Is Paid to Old Soldiers In California
 Only 5ysMeans of Can
 teen Checks.
BELL TALKS OF CANTEENS

Washington, March Reconsideration of the sundry civil appropriation bill was concluded in the house today and the bill was about to be passed when MT. Sulzer forced roll call and a motion to commit the bill with instructions to strike out the paragraph appropriating s1S5.OOO for rents of the New York GUS tom house. The vote showed quorum was not present and adjournment was taken until tomorrow.
 The right of boards of directors of state homes for disabled volunteer soldiers to retain certain portions of pension money received by the inmates was discussed at length MT. Bell of California assailed his own state for permitting a canteen to be established in the California state home and charged that the old soldiers were allowed to draw their pension money from the home In most instances only through canteen checks. After extended debate an amendment by MT. Bell to cor rect the evils complained of was adopted.
 When the provision relating to state or territorial homes for disabled soldiers and sailors was reported Mir. Bell, democrat of California, Assailed the policy in force at the institutions regarding the disposi- ton of the inmates. He strongly urged the holding of their pensions by the home officials in trust Referring to the home in his own state he said its officials had degraded 1t to a place for conducting a saloon and grog-shop. Under the rule now existing, he declared, the officials compel the soldier to surrender his pen sion and then pay it back to him in can teen checks.
 Is Complete Monopoly. He asserted that as a result of this sys- tenn is a complete monopoly of nearly ev- cry dollar that goes into that home Tn the form of pensions. Instead, he said, of being an instrument and means or tenn perance the home offers inducements Tor the old soldier to march up to the adJu- tants desk and get his canteen check. He offered an amendment to the Dill Tn terms along the line of the law applying to the soldiers home in this city.
 MT. Hemingway, republican, of Indiana in charge of the bill, opposed the amend- ment because it was new legislation on an appropriation bill
 In the course of discussion which fol- lowed, Mir. Hemingway declared that state homes not only secure from the gov ernment S1O0 a year for the case of each soldier but withheld a part of the sol dier's pension, thereby specuating on the generosity of the government. MT, Bell of California interrupted to inquire If the state was not speculating on the pensions of the old soldiers when the money was spent in canteen checks.
 sI am ashamed of any state that would do so," remarked Mir. Hemingway
 And I am ashamed to say my state does it." MT. Bell declared, and l am here to Stop it.
 MT. Hemingway replied that he would be ashamed to represent a state that rob bed old soldiers. No such conditions, he said, existed in Indiana or in any of the states where such homes are maintained. !. Mir Bell protested that he was proud sof his state, but ashamed of the board of governors of the home.
 MT. Crumpacker, republican. Of 1ndi- ana differed from the view of his col league. MT. Hemingway, and said the matter resolved itself into question simply of observing a rule of the house.
 A point of order by MT. Hemingway against the amendment was overruled.
 Protests Against canteen.
 Taking the floor again, Mr. Bell vigor- ously protested against the canteen at the California state home and urged the adoption of his amendment. The amend- ment provided that no part of the appro- priation shall apply to any state or terri torial home into which the wives and daughters of sailors are admitted and maintained, nor shall any part of it be apportioned to any state or territorial home that maintains bar or canteen where intoxicating liquors are sold.
 NIr cbarIav democrat of Kentucky. Of- fered an amendment to the amendment striking out its anti-canteen features He said he was as deeply gTieved over the conditions of affairs in California as was MT. Bell, but he emphatically declared against that species of paternaism which undertakes to legislate the morals of people," He was. he said, opposed to any anti-canteen law.
 In favoring the Bell amendment MT. Lind, democrat of Minnesota, insisted that congress had the right to say that expenditures of the money of the nation should be guarded by regulations that will protect benefcieries against frallties that are more prone to yield to.
 The Sherley amendment in favor of the canteen was voted down.
 The Bell amendment was then agreed to by rising vote of 59 to S1.
 Mir. Hitchcock, democrat of Nebraska, made an unsuccessful attempt to amend the bill by providing that no salaries shall be paid United States district attorneys who, for six months after the passage of the bill, shall fail to proceed by suit in exquity or criminal prosecution against persons. firms or corporations violating the antitrust law.
 For Furnishing White House.
 MT. Benton, democrat of Missouri in. terrupted the reading of the bill to call attention to the remarks of himself and MT. Hemenway yesterday regarding the appropriation for furnishing the White House. He said he did not want to be put in the attitude of having suggested that q ,000 White House stable was desired, when there was no foundation for the statement. He asked for the estimate of the secretary of the treasury which .n cludes s60,000 for White House stable and read from the testimony of Col. T. W. Symons. superintendent of public build ngs and grounds, calling attention to the deplorable condition of the present stable He also referred to a supplemental esti- mate of $30,000 for the purchase of land upon which to erect the stable.
 The President, he said. may have not known there was a movement on foot to build him a $6O,000 stable on a s30,O00 lot, but there was foundation for his (Benton's) question put to MT. Hemenway vecfordov