Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-05-31
TIE PREWous QUESTION.
How It Is Made to Subssrve the Purposes
Of the Rascal!y Radicals in Congress. q

Whenever any act Of peculiar ras-
cality is to be performed in the
House what Is called the ''previ-
Gus question" is sprung, by which
any exposure of its turpitude is effec-
tuaIly squelched. 1t shuts up every
body's mouth likely to be opened for
any purpose other than ~furthering the
contemplated iniquity. In cases
touching reconstruction" which has
become to mean the destruction Of all
political rights-State and individual
there is generally no difficulty what
ever in obtaining the requisite vote
to cut off debate. In matters In
volving tremendous '|jobs," how
ever, caution is sometimes required
before the gates are attempted to be
finally clapped down.. A stgentle-
man" having a piece of patriotism OF
this sort s'in charge" deliberately
surveys the whole field, and, to ascer-
tain with certainty how the land
lies, the Radical worthless do
not scruple to quarrel and ban
dy epithets with each other just
as If they were not rot0Gag in the same
boat, although looking in different di-
rectiOns. Upon the consideration"
of the Joint resolution to prolOng and
enlarge the charter of the Northern
Pacific Railroad, yesterday evening,
a ludicrous scene was presented. Mr..
Wheeler (''in charge" of the bill
having reported it, prematurely, it
was thought, sprung the previous
before it was positively known that
'sthe lobby" had giUen the signal. The
bill was encountered with tWenty-fOur
amendments, which he proposed
should be discussed in exactly one
hOur-allOWing thereby two and a
half minutes to each. For the instant,
however, there was a remarkable STIR
IN the hall (outside of the members
desks), and the debate as it is
sometimes called, ICas suffered "tO go
on" At this juncture, Mr.. Clarke, OF
Kansas, cried out that there were
persons "within the hall who were
not entitled to the privileges of the
fioor!' Subsequently, Mr.. Poland, Of
Vermont, Understood to be alludiRg
to Mr.. Clarke's previous support and
present quasi opposition to the bIl),
said: 81 know that members of the
lobby have come to the friends of the
bill and represented the necessity Of
an arrangement with certain gen
tIemen, who have since been
very noisy in opposition to it,
To this Mr.. Clarke retOrted by
putting lin the Yankee fashiOn) the
pertinent question whether MI. Po-
land did not know that friends Of
the bill had been sending in for mem
bers, and urging them to put the bill
through" When everything had
become settled thusly and satisfaetO-
rily, the trap was sprung, and the
previous" carried by a high and
dry vote of 90 to 43, and the main
question ordered by 10z to Sc. Aftel
this victory which substantially dis.
posed of the hiIll, Mr., Wheeler al
lowed Conner tive minutes, Wood.
ward two, Cox five, Fitch and Smith
twelve each, and others ranging from
one to ten, TO discuss" a bill with
tWenty-four amendments, giving mil
lions upon millions of the public
lands to an already overgorged com
pany of enterprising "cOrporstorsI'
And thus are the affairs of this grear
country managed by the rotten Radi.
cal organization as represented in this
rotten Congress,