The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-15
Measure is Put Through the House Under Special Rule
 1894 to 145
CLOSING OF DEBATE IS
 FULL OF EXCITEMENT
Leader John Sharp Williams Declares That Democrats Are Barred From Legislation for the Rest
 of the Session.

Washington. May 14.-The vreeland cur rency bill, agreed upon by the republican caucus, was today put through the House under a special rule by vote of 1s4 to 145. Fifteen so-called insurgents of the ma jority party voted with the democrats, who went on record solidly against the measure.
 The closing moments of the debate were replete with excitement and the republi- can enthusiasm caused by the refusal of the majority of the democrats to go on record for the Williams bill. which had been offered by MT. Kahn of California as a substitute for the Yreeland bill, in accordance with a well laid plan of the majority leaders to ascertain where the democrats stood on the proposition, which it was claimed by several was supported by MT. Bryan. Ninety-three democrats voted present" which aroused the re- publicans to a high state of hilarity at the expense of the minority Only d handful of democrats had the temerity to vote aye or mo" The action of MT. Kahn was due to the refusal of MT. Will Hams to present his hill as substitute. which, under the rule. he was specifically authorized to do.
 At 6:10 p. m. the House recessed until tomorrow at Il 30.
 Fate In Senate.
 As soon as the bill reaches the Senate MT Aldrich will call meeting of the committee on finance to consider u It is expected the committee will vote to amenu the House measure by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting the provisions of the bill which was passed by the Senate.
 It Is not doubted that the Senate will approve the action of the committee. The effect of this course will be to send both the Vreelond bill and the Aldrich bill to conference.
 MT. Vreeland called attention to the democratic filbuster of the past month as the result of their demand for certain re- medial legislation and said that the ma jority now had right to expect large democratic support of the republican measure.
 MT. Prince of Illinois, republican, was vehement in his denunciation of the rule, saying it was an insult to the committee on banking and currency. He called on the membership to join with him in vot- ing against the resolution.
 Williams Replies.
 The minority leader. Mir. Williams. in replying to MT. Vreeland, contended that notice already had been served on demo- crats that they were leglslativey disbar- red for the rest of this session. He con- tended that if the Williams bill was the best currency proposition ever devised, the republicans would not give 1t serious con- sideration. The Vreeland bill he charae- terized as an infamy. We decline to be deposited in that cavity" he exclaimed MT. Williams Insisted that the democrats were not opposing the Vreeland bill be- cause 1t was a republican measure. Who stands for it?" he inquired. Nobody nobody but the republican machinery in this house." So far, he declared, the ma jority had failed to prove that they had either brains or patriotism enough to bring in bill that would improve present con- ditions. He concluded by telling the re- publieans that the responsibility was theirs. Now assume it.. he said.
 MT. Burton of Ohio said he had read the Williams bill, and it was objectionable in many particulars It came with poor grace. he said, for MT. Williams to ques- ton whether the majority had the brains the patriotism to bring in a measure. "Confessedly," he declared, addressing tho democrats, you have not the qualiiica- tons to bring forward a measure your selves, and we at least are willing to share in a measure which we are willing to sub init to the House and the country"
 He deplored what he said was a most lamentable difference of opinion among the members of the banking commlttee''
 Rule Is Taken.
 The rule was then taken. and it was adOnte1 174 46 The dpmOcrafs taJ solidly against it. and had the support of the following republicans: Brumm of Pennsylvania, Prince of Illinois, Waldo of New York, Mudocl of Kansas, Weems of Ohio, Carry of Wisconsin. Lindburg of Minnesota Calderhead of Kansas, Dar- ragh of Michigan, Fowler of New Jersey, Copper of Wisconsin, Hill of Connecticut, Kusterman, Nelson and Morse of Wis consin.
 The Vreeland bill then was taken up for discussion. In supporting 1t, MT. Overstreet of Indiana called attention to the provision for emergency currency and said a doubt was raised in his mind that the country could rest upon the predlc- tions of anybody as to the recurrence of panics. He said that if the Vreeland bill had been a law when the panic of last fall arose the panic would not have last ed three days. He strongly advocated the creation of the currency commisson for which the bill provides.
 In the opinion of Mir Ollie James of Kentucky, the bill instead of quietng the storm, was the fomenter of one Never in the history of the government he declared, had such power affecting the property and interests of the people been lodged in the hands of one man, the Secretary of the Treasury. That power, he contended, could be asserted in . campaign war" when 1t was return favor for some large campaign contribu- tion the secretary could provide largely for the New York banker by accepting arbitrarily whatever securities he put up.
 
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