The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-06-02
A Rowling House.
Exciting Scenes Oyer the Question of
Privilege.

The Washington correspondent of the Bos-
ton Herald says of Wednesdays session in the
House: Charleston's representative sits in
Charleston's seat in the HOUSE of Representa-
tives tonight. Dibble, the political legatee of
man who was never elected, but who sat at
one time for this district, will not fiibuster any
more. He made his bow, got his money and
left the Capital tonight, and Mackey, the
shrewd, if somewhat unscru pulous, leader of
the people from whom he took his bride, votes
in his stead. A fortnight thanks to the ener-
getic action of the majority, suficed for the
contest that was to wage through four months.
1t is all over tonight. The Democrats stupid
ly blundered two weeks ago into opposing the
consideration of contested election case, be-
cause they said the evidence submitted for the
contestant had been "doctored," so as to make
its tenor more favorable to him. The Repub-
licans, who had been hoping for and half ex-
pecting blunder of this magnitude, greeted it
Ijoyfally. They promptly accepted the issue.
"Produce your proofs" they said, 1--WE are
only too anxious to consider them." "No,"
said the bull-headed Democrats, "not yet. The
Elections committee must do over again by a
subcommittee what it has already done. 1t
must again investigate our allegations of for
gerry and fraud, and we shall not permit even
the formal presentation OF the charges we
have made informally until you consent to be
governed by u.s." 1t was, of course, absurd to
suppose that such majority could yield to
such minority on such an issue. Under the
rules of the House, framed by the astute
Democratic committee of rules of the last Con-
gress doubtless in this particular with view
to the time when they should be placed in this
very position the minority could filibuster on
contested election cases or on anything else to
enough to say that they would in this instance
filibuster only until March 8, 1888. The Re-
publicans gave them rope enough in the way
of time to hang themselves, and then kindly,
but finally, changed the rules SO as to cut off
filibustering at once Then came the formal
speeches and the transfer between Dibble and
Mackey. AS soon as the latter was in his seat,
another election case, that of Bisbee against
Finley, from Florida, was called up. 1t will
be taken up as soon as the House meets in the
morning. They will then follow one another
rapidly. The Democrats, by their absurd
course, have succeeded in enhancing the
prospects of the Republican party outside of
the House, and of the contestants in the several
election cases within the House. The old plan
of selecting half-dozen cases as samples, and
pressing them through to the exclusion of
others, has been abandoned. All the co infested
election cases from the South will be pressed
at once. "Half-a-dozen prominent Democrats
were drunk" is the explanation given by a
well-known Ohio Republican of the disgrace
full racket which prevailed in the House this
evening for some 20 minutes. 1t seems to be
the true explanation. No other hypothesis
satisfactorily explains the eccentric conduct of
Sunset Cox who did everything save dance
jig on the speakers desk.