Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-11

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Upon the converting of the House today,
Speaker Cannon announced as the COM
mittee on inaugural ceremonies Messrs.
DalzelI (Pa), Crumpacker Qnd.) and VIII
liams (Miss.).
The army appropriation bill was taken
up in committee of the whole, Mr. Bou-
tell (Ill) in the chair. 1t was agreed that
there should be three hours general de-
bate. Mr.. Hull Qowa,. having the blu In
charge, explained the several changes
which the committee had made In exist
ing legislation. the principal items OF which
have already been published.
Democratic Appropriations Quoted.
Declaring that as economy was the watch
word and motto of the republican party.
MIR. Slayden CTexas) called attention to the
fact that somehow money has been APP
propriated for the imperiaiistic tendencies
of the government" while there had been
a lack Of legislation for improving rivers
and harbors. The committees reporting ap-
preparation bills, he said. had been cackling
over the reductions they had made, but ne
said, with the view to inspiring the ma
jority ito do better than economy" ne would
read from some appropriations passed In
Cleveland's last admfnistra ton.
He then quoted several items and said
that If the army and naval appropriations
could be gotten back to an economical
basis and held there for a few years. there
would be money enough saved to dredge
every stream in the country and to deepen
every port on the sea coast. He charged
that 1t was an open secret that but for
the interest of certain legislators in certain
officers of the Porto Rican Regiment those
men would have been legislated into civil
life two years ago. THE interest of those
Lori loft rr-p 1,aa ao1n SSrroa To toll
of a few young men not able to take care
of themselves in civil life" He gave no.
tee that he would offer an amendment
abolishfng the Porto Rican Regiment
as practiced by the republicans, and cited
the customs office at Beaufort. 8. c., where
he said it cost $500 to collect 81 IS by two
officers. and at York, Me-, 1858 to collect
might be advisable to abolish the Beaufort
Office and give 1t to w. D. Crum. with the
revenues Of the Office as his compensation.
las 1t seems he said, ''he won't be happy
unless he has a customs Office"
The Retired List.
A general discussion was precipitated by
Mr.. Prince Qll). who commented upon the
constantly increasing retired list of the
army. At the present time. he said. there
were on the retired list 236 brigadier gen.
erals alone, and he declared it to be next to
impossible for that number Of officers to
have been retired by operation of law at
that grade
He said he was not prepared to say that
there had been maladministration of the
law. and he would not charge any one with
such conduct. He would simply state the
facts for the benefit of the country for
their judgment. 1t was his opinion that
the power to retire officers of the army
should be lodged with the President as
commander-in-chief.
Disclaiming that 1t was in criticism OF
any one or of any branch of the govern
ment, Mr.. Prince said he would show that
nearly one-half of the money appropriated
for the army went to the officers on the
active and retired lists. He then quoted
figures to show that the enlisted men re-
ceived $3.50 900 in round numbers, while
the officers got 81, 10000 AS in the ca Sc
of the retired list. Mr.. Prince said he sim
ply gave the facts for the ediication of the
country.
Discusses Cost Of Cotton Raising.
Under license of debate, Mr.. Johnson Is.
Co. devoted himself to a discussion Of the
cotton question. He called attention to
what he said was a systematic effort. I'M
fortunately successful, to bear down the
price OF cotton, and asserted that there
was no Justification for such brutal cam
paign of deception and Misrepresentation.
Il know" he said, there are some kid
glove, gentry in New York who would not
know a cotton patch from a pea patch. who
are undertaking to tell the world that the
southern farmer can make cotton at AZ
cents" If he had the power, he said, he
would have every man who gambled in
cotton on the New York cotton exchange,
and who said that cotton can be produced
at AZ cents, go down and with his own
naked hands pull the bell cord of mule
and make cotton at that price.
Mr.. Douglass New York; interjected the
remark that most of the men Speclfiatii1p
on the New York exchange were southern
men, which caused Mr.. johnson to de-
clare that whether they were southern men
or not, they We're enemies of the southern
people and of good morals everywhere. The
people of the south We're holding cotton
which they had no more idea of parting
with at the present price than the owners
Of United States bonds had of selling them
at % cents on the dollar.
He predicted that before September 1,
1905, thousands of spindles in the United
States and abroad would be idle because
of their inability to get cotton to spin.