The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1907-01-19
A SPICY DEBATE.
The House Had Some Sport Over the
Subsidy Resolutions.

| Bismarck, Jan 19.-The feature of
the session of the house, Friday after
| noon, was a rsther fiery debate which
was precipitated by John a. Sorley Of
Grand Forks, through a resolution
| presented to him and based on newspa-
| per reports from Washington, on the
matter of annual subsidies to be paid
| certain favored steamship lines under
the terms of the new subsidy bill which
was reported out from the committee
in the house of representatives at
Washington Tuesday. and alleged to
have been by extraordinary tactics.
Mr.. Sorley wanted the house through
his resolutions to express it's disap-
proval of the giving away of such
enormous sums of money to a few fav-
ored one amounting in all to $3,750,000,
and to urge the states representatives
in congress not to support the measure.
Mr.. Sorley moved its adoption.
MIR. Buttzz ridiculed the idea and in
! timated that the house was not in po-
sition to judge. The matter of sub
sides had been before the people for
years and he was willing to leave the
subject in the hands of representatives
| in congress who understood and were
in close touch with the matter He was
in favor of reasonable subsidies and
more especially when they meant the
4 increasing of our trade with South
America. Mr.. Buttz moved as an
amendment that the Sorley resolution
4 be sent to the committee on state af-
fairs
Mr., Sorley passionately supported
the resolution and bitterly attacked
Speaker Cannon and Watson of In
diana because of their alleged methods
as he had read of them in the news
paper reports.
Mr.. Stevens with all the expressive
oratory at his command, defended the
honesty of purpose and pure republic
| canism of Speaker Cannon and Repre-
sentative Watson Of Indiana, and bit
terly attacked the purpose of the reso-
luton presented by the gentleman from
4 Grand Forks, that it was mere play
ing to the galleries and that there was
nothing more reliable to guide the
/ members of the house than newspaper
reports.
| Mr.. Stevens moved a substitute
amendment that the part taken from
a newspaper be stricken out.
/ Mr.. Shirley moved to place the reso-
luton on the table. but 1t was not sec
onded.
Mr. Casey, with marked vehemence,
| showed his disagreement with the
gentleman from Burleigh. He contend
ed that the members of the house
ought to be free to discuss the matter
and express opinions just as well as
the men in congress- The latter were
selected from the people just as legis-
lators We're and they were no better
+, qualified than the members of this
house, The subsidy scheme referred
to in the resolution gives money into
the hands of few men and he knew
the people of the northwest We're
against any such method.
Mr.. Buttz said it would be a dis
grace to have the resolution in the rec
ord. 1t had no business there and he
i was present to say that the members
from Grand Forks and Walsh coun-
ties had not discussed the question at
issue on the merits of the case.
/, Mr.. Streeter disagreed with the gem
/ tleman from Grand Forks as to the re-
liability of the newspaper authority
which he takes as basis for his reso :
I luton AS for himself he wanted to sec
i the flag of these United States over the
merchant marine as 1t was half CEN
/ tury ago. He called attention to. the
deep interest taken by President
/ Roosevelt and Secretary Root in secur-
ing the trade from South America.
While the statement made in the news
paper reports might be facts in that
i particular case he considered the. reso-
luton offered blow at the entire SUBJ
sidy system and he for one would not
vote to commit the house to any such
thing
There were cries for the question and
roll was called on the substitute
amendment of Mr.. Stevens and there
were ayes. Gil, nays 25, absent and not
/ voting a.
Those who voted aye were:
i Messrs. Adams. Bernt Anderson O.
P N Anderson. Andrus. Burdick,
Blake. Butte. Carter, Chapman, Church.
Collins. Crawford, Cunningham, Dean,
Duncan. Elhard. Evans, F'lamer. Free
man. Ganssle, Gibbens, Giedt Graham,
Grant. Halaas. Hosford, Jensen. John
son of Sargent; Jones of Ransom !
Law. Martin of Billings; Mathews. Me-
D0Wall, Miller. MoclSler. MonelS, Moore,
Murphy, Nelson OF Trail: Peake, Plath.
(Continued on Page Three.)