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| William McKinley. |
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| United States Capitol. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, February 27, 1899.
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
Its Session Rapidly Drawing to a Close.
A REVIEW OF ITS GREAT WORK.
It Has Been a Period of Stirring and Dramatic Action, With Questions of Magnitude Constantly Engaging Its Attention From the Opening to the Close.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.—An eventful period in the country's history is covered by the work of the Fifty-fifth congress, which is drawing to a close. It has been a period of stirring and dramatic action, with questions of vast magnitude constantly engaging attention, forming an epoch alongside those other American epochs, the Revolution and the Civil War. This congress has declared war against a foreign foe, and the treaty-making branch has participated in ratifying the treaty by which that war was terminated. It has provided a great volunteer army, has enlarged the regular army, and has expanded the navy to meet war emergencies and new conditions. The tariff has been revised, first by the Dingley law and then by the war revenue act; a bond issue known as the war loan has been provided.
But far-reaching as these war measures are, the congress has had time also to enact other legislation which under ordinary circumstances would make its session memorable. This includes the annexation of Hawaii; the rejection by the senate of the general treaty of arbitration with Great Britain; the enactment of a national bankruptcy law; providing for taking the twelfth census; reorganization of the personnel of the navy. To this list may yet be added other important subjects still pending, including the Nicaragua canal, the increase of the regular army, the anti-scalping measure, the Hawaiian bill, and the proposed encouragement of American shipping. Some of the most important general measures are in the final legislative stages, and it will not be until the last hours arrive that the success or failure of those measures will be determined definitely.
The present congress began its work almost simultaneous with the opening of President McKinley's administration. Two days after his inauguration he issued the call for an extra session, and in pursuance to this call congress assembled on March 15, 1897. The special message to congress was directed to the need of a tariff law that would provide ample revenue for the support of the government. No other subject of legislation was mentioned and the tariff bill at once became the all-absorbing feature of the session. Chairman Dingley of the ways and means committee and his Republican associates had already done much work on the bill and three days after the extra session began the Dingley tariff bill was reported. It passed the house within two weeks of the opening of the session; passed the senate May 7; became a law July 24.
Hardly less important was the consideration in the senate of the general treaty of arbitration negotiated by President Cleveland with Great Britain. The progress of the treaty, in the executive sessions of the senate, attracted world-wide attention, finally resulting in the defeat of the instrument.
The extra session also brought forth four appropriation bills but they were those which failed of passage in the preceding congress and were not considered as properly chargeable to this congress. Some general legislation was enacted, including the suspension of President Cleveland's order setting aside 21,000,000 acres of forest reserves; providing for a gradual abandonment of sectarian Indian schools; extending relief to Mississippi flood sufferers and to the destitute in Cuba and in India. The Cuban problem began to present an acute phase at this early session, and the senate passed a resolution recognizing the Cubans as belligerents, which, however, did not pass the house.
The second session of the present congress is remembered as the great war session. It saw the culmination of the pent-up sympathy for Cuba; the declaration that the people of Cuba ought to be and are free and independent; the declaration of war against Spain, and the enactment of those vast emergency measures for prosecuting war. There were many messages from the president as the war clouds darkened, ranging from the submission of the report on the Maine disaster to the call for a declaration of war. The first real war legislation was when congress placed at the disposal of the president, without limitation, $50,000,000 as an emergency fund for the national defense. On April 11 the president committed the entire Cuban question to congress, and just one week later the congressional resolution became a law declaring Cuba free and independent; demanding that Spain withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters, and directing the use of our land and naval forces to enforce the resolutions. Within another week, viz., April 24, the declaration of war was passed by congress and approved. Then came the rush of war legislation on a stupendous scale, the work proceeding while actual hostilities were under way and the Dewey victory was achieved.
The act creating the volunteer army had been approved three days before the declaration of war and under it the president was enabled to call into service the 250,000 men augmenting the regular forces. The latter, also, had been expanded and improved by the act establishing the three battalion formation in time of war. A further force was provided by authorizing the enlistment of 10,000 men adapted to tropical climate, since known as "immunes." Another act added two additional artillery regiments to the regular army with a total of 1,610 men. These and many lesser army measures were speedily enacted.
With these war measures were the important acts for raising revenue adequate to meet the vast war expenditures. The first of these was the war revenue act, designed to raise $150,000,000 and in this connection congress authorized a bond issue of $200,000,000 known as the "war loan."
After news of the Dewey victory was received, resolutions of thanks to the victor were passed and congress authorized the presentation of a sword to him and medals to his officers.
Although the second session was absorbed with the war there was time for much important general legislation. The annexation of Hawaii was accomplished by a resolution, the treaty of annexation not having been ratified in the senate. A general bankruptcy law was enacted, providing for both voluntary and involuntary bankruptcy. The total appropriation of the second, or war session footed almost $900,000,000, of which upward of $350,000,000 was for purely war purposes.
The present, or third session of the Fifty-fifth congress, dealt with those far reaching results growing out of the war. Most important of these was the consideration of the peace treaty in the senate. The treaty was transmitted to the senate by the president on the 4th of January. It was then referred to the committee on foreign relations and after being held for just a week by the committee was reported back to the senate on the 11th of January. The senate had the treaty under consideration for less than a month, the vote on ratification being taken on the 6th of February. There was intense interest in the progress of the question from the beginning of the discussion until the close and this interest was intensified by the doubt felt as to the result of the vote. When the senate went into executive session on the 6th of of February, half an hour before the time set for the final vote, the friends of the treaty were certain of only 55 of the 56 votes necessary to insure the adoption of the resolution of ratification. Soon afterwards they secured promises from Senators Jones of Nevada and McEnery of Louisiana and when the vote was taken the result stood 57 ayes to 27 nays, or one vote more than was necessary under the requirement of a two-thirds majority.
While the treaty was exclusively before the senate, the house had some indirect participation with subjects covered by the treaty. As the branch originating all revenue measures, it providing an appropriation of $20,000,000 to pay Spain according to the terms of the treaty. This was first proposed as an amendment to the sundry civil bill, but was ruled out on technical grounds. Later it passed as an independent measure. Efforts were made to add to it a declaration of the policy of the government as to the Philippines, but this was defeated by the overwhelming vote of 213 to 34.
The Nicaragua canal question also has taken a prominent place in the work of this session. At the outset Mr. Morgan had the subject made the unfinished business of the senate, and with this right of way it was kept constantly before the senate, when not in executive session, until finally passed. The essential feature of the Morgan bill is in providing that the United States shall participate in the construction of the canal, subscribing for 925,000 shares at $100 each, out of a total of 1,000,000, and that the work of the Maritime Canal company of Nicaragua in executing the work shall be practically under the direction of the United States. When this bill reached the house committee on commerce, all after the enacting clause was struck out and what is known as the Hepburn plan, drafted by Representative Hepburn of Iowa, chairman of the house committee on interstate and foreign commerce, substituted. The essential feature of the Hepburn substitute is in making the canal exclusively a government undertaking. It authorizes the president to acquire by purchase from Nicaragua and Costa Rica the territory necessary "to excavate, construct, control and defend a canal," etc. Such sum as is necessary for purchasing the right of way is appropriated. When the route is thus secured the president is authorized to have the secretary of war excavate and construct the canal from a point near Greytown, via Lake Nicaragua, to a point near Brito on the Pacific. The sum of $115,000,000 is appropriated for the completion of the work authorized.
As it was feared the lateness of the session might prevent consideration of either the Morgan bill or the Hepburn plan in the house, various plans were adopted to secure action by way of one of the general appropriation bills. The first move of the kind was when Mr. Hepburn offered his plan as an amendment to the sundry civil bill. After animated discussion, the amendment was ruled out of order and on an appeal from this decision the chairman, Mr. Hopkins, was sustained. The next move was made in the senate, when at the instance of Mr. Morgan, the commerce committee reported an amended form of the Hepburn plan as an amendment to the river and harbor bill. It is expected that the final success or failure of the project will not be known until the closing hours of the session.
The bill provides for taking the twelfth census was first passed by the senate and provided a comprehensive plan for executing this important work. When the measure reached the house a substitute was passed. The house measure differs from that of the senate mainly in making the census bureau an independent organization, not under the interior department and in the method of appointments.
The total appropriation of the present session will approximate $700,000,000 of which about $250,000,000 will be for the military and naval uses or for subjects connected with the war. This is a general estimate, however, based upon totals which may undergo much change, as very few of the large appropriation bills have become law, and some of them have not even been considered. If the Nicaragua canal amendment is added to the river and harbor bill, this will make a material increase. Included in the naval bill are provisions for three sea-going battleships, three armored cruisers and six small cruisers, for which $10,000,000 is appropriated for the first year's work.
Based on estimates, the total appropriations for the congress (not including the four appropriation bills left over by the former congress) would be approximately $1,600,000,000, of which amount approximately $600,000,000 is for war expenses or incident to the army and navy.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
A Free and Easy Governor.
Governor Roosevelt is a continual surprise to the young men who think that a chief magistrate is elected to preserve proper form for them. In some respects the governor reminds fastidious men of Andrew Jackson, who had a special aversion to the restrictions of purely conventional society. Governor Roosevelt, it is said, does not care for a dress coat and feels much easier in a loose flannel shirt and a sack. Those who remember Governor Hoffman and Governor Seymour at Albany, neither of whom had half as much Knickerbocker blood in him as Teddy, will recall the awful majesty which surrounded the executive mansion when they were there. An ordinary official had to put on a court dress to say good morning to Governor Hoffman. All this has melted away under the present regime. Governor Roosevelt has what the boys call a very delightful go as you please gait. He is very apt to stop and shake hands with a laboring man who is in his shirt sleeves, and some of his best speeches have been made in a tweed suit. If anybody is looking for style and ceremony, he always seems to say: "Oh, wait till my secretaries come up! They will furnish all you want."
◘ To invite the ministers of the gospel to witness a play is now one of the established methods of theatrical advertising. Hall Caine worked it to perfection. The well known Dr. Slicer, who was one of the preachers who attended Hall Caine's play of "The Christian" on invitation, was asked for an opinion, and he said that the only Christian in Hall Caine's novel was the dog, and the author had left him out of the play. Now Miss Helen H. Gardiner has written a play called "The Rev. Griffith Davenport." Miss Gardiner made her debut in New York as a protegee of Robert G. Ingersoll, he introducing her to the public as a lecturer and she proceeding to score the preachers ruthlessly. But now, having written a play with a Methodist clergyman in it, her manager sends out invitations to 500 clergymen to come and see the show.
NEW USE FOR CURD.
Daily Shipments from East Homer and East River Creameries.
For upwards of a year past Mr. George M. Harmon of East River has been seen each day driving down to Cortland with a load of tightly closed barrels and milk-cans. Some people have wondered what the barrels and cans contained. It appears that a new use has been found for curd which proves more profitable than to make it into cheese—and that is to prepare it for a sizing for paper. The East River and East Homer creameries have this last year been manufacturing some butter, and the part heretofore devoted to cheese has been sent to Owego to the Standard Butter Co. to be prepared for paper sizing. The curd is shipped in tubs to Owego and there is kiln dried, the product looking very much like rice kernels. This is sent to the paper mills and is afterward ground up before using.
During last summer the two creameries above named produced daily about eighteen tubs of butter and eighteen tubs of curd. At this season they are daily producing six tubs of butter and twelve tubs of curd.
TO BE MUSTERED OUT.
Greenville Sorry to Lose the Soldiers from Their Midst.
To the Editor of The STANDARD:
SIR—At last the order has been issued for the muster out of the Two Hundred Third. For six months the majority of the regiment has been anxiously waiting for this event. Many members of the regiment left families and good positions for the sake of their country and, against their will they have been obliged to lie in camps in this country, with great detriment to themselves, and no advantage to their country. But all of this was forgotten, when last Monday night the order for muster out was received, and the men, forgetting the hard marches, the many meals never eaten, the suffering from the heat, the cold and innumerable other things, gave themselves up to the celebration of the event, and made so much noise that the colonel was obliged to order that all noises cease. It was a great disappointment to the men, that they were not enabled to see foreign service, but were obliged to lie in camps in this country while other regiments were winning fame in foreign lands.
The history of the regiment has been a peculiar one and probably no other regiment has suffered one-half as much from sickness as this one. At one time there were 400 men in the hospital with fever and the companies dwindled down to ten and fifteen able-bodied men, but the men were given the best of care, and very few cases resulted fatally, while Co. L, to which the Cortland boys belong, has not lost a single man.
It is the intention of the government to muster the men out here, and it will probably take place in a very few weeks. The men are given an extra month's pay and about 4 cents for every mile between Greenville and their homes.
The people of Greenville [South Carolina] feel very dubious about the soldiers leaving, as they have been the life of the city, and the principal newspaper of the place speaks of the soldiers being here as "providential." It is a notable fact that this is the only southern city where soldiers have been, that there has been no clash between the citizens and soldiers. The best of feeling has always prevailed and many close friendships have been formed. The camp guard to-day contains two Cortland boys: Atwood and Bump, the latter being chosen orderly.
The weather here is again spring-like, and the days are very warm. The regiment has a fine place for athletic sports, and hardly a day goes by without a match game of ball, along with many other athletic events.
Monday evening while Captain Baldwin of Co. F was absent from his tent his oil stove exploded with much force and quickly set fire to the tent, consuming not only the tent but all of Capt. Baldwin's personal effects valued at $300. The captain is a citizen of Syracuse, and came out as second lieutenant of Co. A from that city.
The boys are anxiously waiting to hear of the fate of Assemblyman Finn's bill giving them extra pay from the state. A majority of other states have adopted a similar bill and the men vow vengeance on those of the state's sages who oppose it.
ERNEST E. BUTTERFIELD.
SILVER WEDDING.
Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Amerman of Cuyler, Formerly of Cortland.
Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Amerman of Cuyler, formerly of Cortland, celebrated their silver wedding on Feb. 18. Their children were all home to spend the day and there was a pleasant family gathering, and that so far as they knew was to be the extent of the celebration. But there was more to it. In the evening about forty friends and neighbors appeared upon the scene and took them all by surprise, bringing also with them some very beautiful and valuable presents. The evening till a late hour was spent very pleasantly in games and in a social way and finally after very nice refreshments had been served, the self-invited guests departed expressing the wish that they might all be present at the golden wedding.
THE EXCISE LAW.
Attention Called to Some Provisions and Late Opinions.
Town clerks in Cortland county are reminded of Section 16 of chapter 112, laws of 1896, which is the Raines excise law, and which provides that these officials must immediately after the town election report to the county treasurer the exact vote on each excise proposition.
The following late interpretations of the license law came from the excise department at Albany:
When the results of the submission of the local option questions and the liquor tax law has changed the character of a town from that of a "no-license" town to one in which a liquor tax certificate can be lawfully granted, the local option questions decided at the election take effect as soon as the town clerk files the certificate of the result in the county treasurer's office, and after such filing, if the result is in favor of issuing liquor tax certificates, it is the duty of the county treasurer to issue such certificates at once upon application therefor.
When, however, by reason of such election a town heretofore a "license" town becomes a "no-license" town, certificates heretofore issued continue in force until the termination of the liquor tax year viz.: April 30, 1899. The county treasurer, however, is prohibited from issuing any new certificates until the town shall have voted again upon the questions and then is allowed to issue such liquor tax certificates only as may be in accordance with a vote of a majority of the electors on the questions submitted.
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| Memorial Baptist Church on Tompkins Street, Cortland, N. Y. |
Memorial Baptist Church.
The pastor announced his intention of preaching three companion sermons: First "The Father," second, "The Family," third, "The Home." The sermon Sunday morning was on "The Father." The text was found in many places, but more particularly it was found in the morning reading, Matt. vi.
Sunday school was held immediately after service, but the inclemency of the weather prevented many from attending. The study of lesson, however, was very interesting and profitable to those that did attend.
The Y. P. S. C. E. society met at 6:15 led by Miss Pearl Allport. Topic "Palm Tree Christians."—Ps. xcii: 1-15.
The text of the evening sermon was found in Rev. iii:20—"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." It was an excellent sermon.
The Phoebe Helpers will give an up-to-date supper on Wednesday, March 1, from 5 to 7 o'clock. It will be a good substantial supper served with all the delicacies of the season. Price 15 cents. For further particulars see handbills which will be distributed from house to house.
Thursday evening the regular church prayer-meeting will be held at 7:30 o'clock. Everybody invited.
Friday evening the Farther Lights society will hold a meeting at the home of Miss Flora Klotten, Tompkins-st. at 7:30 o'clock. A letter will be read at this meeting which Miss Luther, a missionary in the extreme western part of Japan, (a personal friend,) has sent to our pastor for the benefit of the church telling of her voyage and her work. Everybody invited.
BREVITIES.
—The February recital of Miss Halbert's music pupils will occur at her studio to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock.
—A mothers' meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. Addie Howard, 32 Grant-st., on Wednesday, March 1, at 3 P. M.
—The funeral of Mrs. Antoinette J. Parker, whose death occurred Saturday afternoon, was held at 2 o'clock this afternoon from 56 Madison-st.
—The northbound train on the D., L. & W. due in Cortland at 9:20 this morning was fifteen minutes late, owing to the breaking of a coupling in a freight train at Lisle.
—Prof. A. D. Lane will this evening begin the rehearsals upon the dramatic work and stage business of the oratorio, "Belshazzar," which is soon to be presented by a large home talent chorus.
—Mr. John O'Connor, who has just been re-elected town clerk of Truxton informs us that this is the eleventh consecutive time he has been elected to that office. Truxton evidently believes that experience counts.
—Miss Sarah Winifred Loucks died at 9 o'clock yesterday morning of consumption at her home, 84 Union-st., at the age of 28 years and 8 months. The funeral will be held to-morrow afternoon at 3:30 o'clock.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Pearson Bros., Bargains in Furniture, page 6; McGraw & Osgood, Shoe Tips, page 6; A. H. Watkins, Bargains in Drygoods, page 6; Whiteley Exerciser Co., Book on Physical Culture, page 7; Buck & Lane, House Hardware, page 8.
—Mrs. Mary A. Bennett, wife of Fred C. Bennett, died at 11 o'clock last night after a long illness with erysipelas. She was 43 years of age. The funeral will be held from the family home at 3 Pendleton-st., Wednesday at 9 A. M., and the remains will be taken to Cazenovia for burial.
—Frank J. Higgins of Rome, grand regent of the Royal Arcanum, will be in Cortland to-morrow evening to meet with Cortland Council, No. 1445, at 7:30 o'clock on his regular annual visit. Important matters in regard to the death of Charles A. Lownsberry will also be brought before the meeting, and every member is urged to be present.
—In the report of the Republican village convention Saturday afternoon through some error one line was omitted in the recording of the result of the informal ballot for police justice. The name of Charles S. Bull with 19 votes noted should have been inserted. It appeared all right in the report of the succeeding formal ballots, but must have been overlooked in the haste of getting the report into the paper in time for publication, as the hour was late any way when the convention closed.
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