The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-05
FILLIBUSTERING.
The Modus Operandi OF Obstruction in the
Senate.

When debate is once begun the
brethren on both sides usually pitch in
and get 80 wrought up against each other
that at about or s o'clock they are glad
when some one bethinks himself to make
a motion to adjourn, and enough on both
sides to vote for it to end one more trou-
bled day. But supposing no debate is
begun after the motion to 60 into execu-
tive session is lost, then because some.
thing must be before the Senate in the
nature of Parliamentary business, and the
vote cannot be at once repeated, another
Democrat will get up the following
game, which serves as an alternate mo.
tion: He will say, "Mr. President, as
we have done so little to-day, and as
business of importance awaits our atten-
tion I move that when the Senate to
adjourn it adjourn to meet at 8 o'clock to.
morrow morning." IL o'clock being the
regular hour) "and on this demand the
yeas and nays" He dosen't mean it, no
more than you and 1 mean to dye our hair
pea.green but it serves its purpose.
Then another Democrat rises and sol.
emnly says: GAS that hour would be
somewhat inconveniently early for
many of the Senators, I move to amend
the Senator's motion by submitting 10
o'clock for 9 o'clock, and on this amend
ment I demand the yeas and Nays"
Then third Democrat rises aud says
ri move to amend the amendment offered
by the Senator who just rose, by substi.
tuting the hour of II o'clock for 10 o'clock,
and on this amendment I demand the
yeas and nays" Then the Vice-Presi-
dent has to put the amendments to vote,
beginning with the last; the 79 names
are leisurely called, various Senators ris-
ing to explain that they are paired.
This is tne formula: "I desire to say
that 1 ara paired on all questions with
the Senator from - naming the
State.) :.;fhe were here he would vote
aye and ! should vote no" or vice versa.)
If Senator is away when his name is
called, his colleague (the other Senator
from his State) will often make the ex-
planation for him. The roll-call being
finished, posse of delinquent Senators
will straggle in from the cloak rooms,
where they 60 to talk, or to smoke, or to
talk over private matters; and they will
raise their hands, deuoting that they
have not yet voted. The Vice.President
recognizes them by this announcement
of each: "The Senator from -"
(aaming his State). The Clerk then
calls his name from the roll, and be votes
still standing; then, turning his heel
goes back to the cloak room or wherever
he lists. In this delightful pastime
twenty-five or thirty minutes may easily
be consumed. This disposes Of only one
amendment. The next is then taken up
in the same way, then the original
motion, all of which are lost, as it was
known they would be. That brings the
business back to point where it is in
parliamentary order for some other Sena-
tor to make fresh motion to 20 into the
consideration of executive business,
which is also lost, and thus the game
goes on. Here is the "true inwardness"
of dilatory motions or "fllibustering,"
and this state of things is called "dead-
lock-"
I have once seen the House of Repre-
sentatives in continuous session for three
days and two nights, in just such dead
lock, taking q recess Of not more than an
hour and half at time. A great crisis
justifes this sort of thing, but no ordina-
ry crisis does.