St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-23


wegian, and the member Of congress from
the Fifth congressional district of Minnesota
went to Major Strait and told him that the
Scandinavians were free traders, and that II
he expected to 60 back to congress he must
vote against the killing of the Morrison bill,
and he pursuaded the Major to do 30, but
it was In very half-hearted way.
STRAIT DoDGEs THE VOTE IN COMMITTEE OF
THE WHOLE.
The first vote came In the House, sitting
as committee OF the whole, and there the
vote had to be taken by the members for
and against the bill passing between two
men who are called "tellers,n and who count
the vote. AS this was the most important
vote taken in the recent session of congress
permit me to read you the following. writ
ten at the time by correspondent of the
st. Paul GLOBE, and published in the issue
Of that journal of May 7th, 1884.
THE SCENE ON THE VOTE IN THE HOUSE.
The scene in the chamber was one of intense
excitement and confusion. to which the galleries
rendered no little aid by loud tokens Of approval.
The tellers being ordered, Converse and
Morrison were appointed by the chair. :
cool shake Of the hand as he stood opposite that
gentleman. Then the voting began, and the tel
ers announced the affirmative vote TO be los. The
first man to pass through, in the negative, was
Reagan, of Texas, who had been brought in an
invalid chair in order to cast his vote.
The negative vote was announced as ISL, and
then George D. Wise, of Virginia, voted in the
affirmative, making the vote stand 1856 to ISL.
Then cheer followed from the Republican
side, and the cheers were taken up by the gal
eries and reyerberated from every nook and
Granny Of the hall. Ladies stood up and waived
their handkerchief and men their hats. Morri-
son, yielding gracefully to the inevitable, walked
smilingly to his seat and the tariff bill was dead.
& r
Morrison was not disconnected, and seemed to
think the yeas and nays wonld change the re-
suit. 1t acas noticeable that only Hdsh6urn, of
the Minnesota delegation, passed 6et,oeen
The tetlers. When the committee rose
and Carlisle resumed the speakers
chair, he appeared nervous and blanched
Cox reported that the committee had
stricken out the enacting clause; and the ques-
ton was ordered by yeas and nays.
MINNESOTA VOTE.
On concurring therein special attention was
directed to the Minnesota delegation. Washburn
voted yea and White nay Nelson, Strait and
Wakefield aDithdre2g their U0tes on the first roll
call Anderson ate his leek and voted to strike
out. Upon the second call of non-votng men,
bers, Nelson, Strait and Wakefield voted nay,
Their votes did not effect the result. There were
four pairs. two members, Barr, of Pennsylvania.
and Richeieu Robinson, of New York, not vot-
ing, the result was: Yeas, 1897 nays 1856; total,
314. Republican discipline was adj
mirably maintained from first to last. 1t is claimed
that had the Minnesota adverse vote been neces-
sary to defeat the bill in its present shape, 1t
acould haze gone to the Republicans.
Now, let US consider the statements given
herein:
1. When the fate of the bill in committee
depended upon the vote that went between
the tellers, and when every friend of tariff
reform should have voted ''no'' on the pro-
position to strike out the enacting clause of
the bill, and thereby kill it, neither Nelson,
Wakefield nor STRAIT voted at all. This is
proved by the fact that In this vote the total
negative vote was ISL, while on the call of
the roll, our delegation voting ''no, the vote
was 155. Washburn, who desired to kill the
bill, passed between the tellers voting aye
but STRAIT, Nelson and Wakefield sat still.
They ''dodged" the vote. Applause.
STRAIT DoDGES AGAIN ON THE FIRST ROLL
CALL.
II. In congress, on the call of the ayes and
noes, the name of every member is called
and the members answer for or against the
measure; then the names of those who did
not vote are called again, and those who
choose to respond do So 1t is customary
sometimes for cowardly or tricky member
to hold back his vote until he sees how the
- -1fn ~; pnvly,
seems, is what STRAIT, Nelson and Wake
field did. AS there were 159 votes in favor
of striking out the enacting clause and kill
ing the bill, and as there are but 324 mem
bers in the House, and eight were "paired,' -
leaving 316; and as 159 is majority of 316,
the bill was already killed, and Strait, Mel
son and Wakefield knew it, before they rose
and cast their votes. Their votes had not
the slightest effect either way.
HOW THE PUBLIC VIEWED STRAITS ACTION
This action attracted a good deal Of atten-
ton at the time. The Lacrosse Chronicle
said:
1.-The story goes that when the first roll call
| was made Mr.. Strait was in his seat and Mr..
Wakefield in the lobby. Neither answered to his
name. Their names are nearly at the end Of the
roll At the second CALL with full knowledge
that the bill was beaten without their help. they
answered no. This suspicious action, with ap-
parent good reason, gives rise to the impression
! among their constituents that II their votes had
been necessary to defeat the BILL they would
have sacrificed the interest of their constituents
TO monopoly dctation and voted the other way
1t looks on the face. il true, like one of those
smart political tricks that it will take those gen
tlemen long time to explain satisfactorily
MAJOR STRAIT STILL A PRoTECTIoNIsT.
And this view, that Major Strait is still a
protectionist is confirmed to my mind by
the fact since that vote was taken, he has
been flooding district, under his own frank,
with copies of speech, of the Hon. William
A. Russell, NJ. c., of Massachusetts, deliy-
cred in theHouse, April 16, 1884, entitled the
tariff.--Revenue for the government and
protection for ALL" Il have copy of it with
the highest features of the high protective
tariff. / quote an extract to show the ami
mus of Mr.. Russell:
ssWhy and by whom, then, has the consideration
of this question been forced upon congress and
the people at this time? Plainly by the leading
members OF the Democratic party, and to clothe
tHeu1 Will lSouc " pEtecHI W tue ptOple
in the coming presidential contest. We the pro-
tectionist party, accept the challenge: we stand
by and are ready to go to the people with our
tariff policy-the law so adjusted as to insure
revenue to the government and protection to
American iadustrY-while you still adhere
to your obscure and deceptive theories, 'sa tariff
for revenue only, and "a tariff for revenue with
incidental protection"
Now as Mr. Russell is member OF con-
gress, and could have used his own frank to
circulate his Own speeches, it is certainly sus-
picious to find western man, who makes
no speeches himself, pouring broadsides of
protection arguments among the peo-
pie of his district; and claiming, at the same
time, to represent himself, Numerically OPP
posite doctrines