The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-09-06

f, EVartS, HOar, Henderson, Mitchell, MOI
/, rlll, Palmer, Platt, Quay, Riddleberger
| Sawyer, Stanford Stewart. Stockbridge
!, Teller, Wilson OF Iowa; and 16 were Dem
ocrats, namely: Messrs. Berry, Brown
Call, Colquitt, Daniel, Eustis, George
} Hampton, Hearst, Jones Of Arkansas
, Pasco, Payne, Rugh, Ransom, Vance, an(
Waltfall.
" the negative voc II were Democrats
namely, Messrs. Bate, Beck, Black burn
J Blodgett. Butler. Coke, Faulkner, Gray
Harris, Kenna. Morgan. Reagan, Sauls
bury, TuTpie. Vest. Voorhees,, aud w ilsor
OF Maryland; and II were Republicans
namely, Messrs. Aldrich Dawes, Farwell
Frye, Hale. Hawey, Hiscock, Ingalls,
Jones, of Nevada. Plumb, Sabin, and
Spooner. s
four pairs were announced OF those
VINO would have voted in the affirmative 8
were Republicans, namely, Messrs. Ed
munds, Paddock, and Sherman; and one
was Democrat, Mr.. Gibson, Of the four
who would have voted against the bill
were llemQcrats, namely. Messrs. Cockrell,
Gorman, and Mcpherson, and l Repuh-
llcan, Mr.. Chace. Counting pairs the vote
stood-ayes 43. of whom &c were Republi-
cans and II democrats, nays-33, of whom
70 were Democrats and 10 Republicans.
The bill for third time went to Dem
ocratic House-a House Democratic by
10 majority. Here it encountered its DID,
lmplacable enemy. With the knowledge
OF what his course had been; with the
knowledge OF an opposition so uncompro-
mlslng that II refused to allow this great
demand OF the people to be heard; with
the knowledge of hostility to the inter
terests OF Virginia and the interests of
the South. 80 pronounced that leading
member OF his own party refused to unite
IN the complimentary resolution which is
| generally adopted without dissenting
volee from either side of the House, with
a full knowledge of all OF this. Mr.. Carlisle.
by the acci4mative vote of the Democratic
caucus, including the representatives of
that party from Virginia, was renomina-
ted as Speaker, and when the time came.
with the same unanimity. was invested
again with the power which leading
| Dem ocrat, speaking to Democrats, openly
charged had been used to defeat the wish
| and the will of the people. To him was
committed the selection and appointment
| OF the commlttees--the power to almost
absolutely control gislaton-certainly to
stltie and strangle any measure which it
was desirable should never have an oppor-
tunity to test it's strength before the
House. [Appause.]
The Committee on Education was ap.
pointed. 1T consisted of eight Democrats
and i've Republicans. In the early days
OF the session bills similar to or identical
with the Blair bill were introduced in the
House by Republican,. The gentleman
from North Carolina Mr.. BroWer1 was
the patron of one; ] presented another,
and perhaps others still of q like character
We're introduced. They were referred to
the Committee on Education and promptly
buried there. With a view to the resur.
rectlon OF one of these measures land they
were practically the same), an effort was
made to force its consideration. On the
9TH OF February the gentleman from
Michigan Mr.. Cutcheonl. a Republican
and earnest friend of the Blair bill, sub
mitted the following proposed amendment
to the rules.
RESOLVED, That Rule XVIII. clause l. be
amended by adding thereto the following
Whenever application in writing, sig Ied by /
a majority OF the members of the House snail |
be presented to the Speaker requesting him to |
recognize any member therein named to move |
suspension OF the rules, aad pass a bill. to be |
named by him, upon the first Monday of the
next ensuing month. it shall be the duty of the |
Speaker to recognize the member SO named in |
such written request. upon the said first Mon
day of the next ensuing month and when !
more than one such written reuuest is nre-
which they are presented to the Speaker"
The object of the resolution was to Sc
cure consideration of the Blair bill. Had
it been adopted it was proposed to test the
strength OF The measure 10y the circulation
Ut petition designating some member for
recognition who would move the passage
of the bill, and thus bring 1t up upon its
merits. Mark YOU, the resolution provided
that this recognition should not lie ac-
corded unless d majority OF the members
attached their names to the petition-that
majority which is supposed TO control the
ct Of
making power. Could anything be
airer Could anything he more re-
Elective of the popular senti nent as indi-
Gated in the election of the representa-
tlves? Gould anything he jusLer to thu
people in a Republic where the will OF the
majority is the sovereign law ? And yet,
sir, no action was taken on that resolution
1t was referred to the Committee OH Rules.
majority of the ~ .mbers of which were
Democrats, and there it slept the sleep OF
death.
A similar fate awaited resolutions which
were subsequently offered by members
of the Republican side of the House,
among whom were the gentleman from
North Carolina MIR. BroWel and the gen
| lleman from Va. Mr.. 7. Fl. B. Browne.
These resolutions were designed to relieve
| the Committee On Education from the
| further consideration of the bill, and set
aside day for it's consideration by the
| House. They were, as expressed by
another. 'tchloroformedo in the Commit
tee on Rules. If the Committee on Edu
cation was the sepulcher of all legislation
relating to education, then the Commit
tee on Rules might we'll have been desig
mated as the ante chamber to the tomb.
| Nothing in the shape of aid to the spread
| of intelligence ever escaped from either.
Laughter.
Meantime the Blair bill had been passed
by the Senate, sent to the House, and re
ferred to the Education Committee. By
| consent of the members introducing them,
the House bills were laid aside, in order
that the Senate bill might be considered.
| That bill was referred to subcommittee
composed of majority of Democrats.
That majority, after consideration, re-
ported in favor OF substitute for the bill
similar to the substitute reported by the
Labor Committee in the Forty ninth
Congress and known as the Grain substi
tnte, The minority of the sub commit
tee. composed of two Republicans. sub
mitted a minority report favoring the pas
sage of the bill as it came from the Sen
ate. These two reports came before the
whole committee. That committee. as
| stated, was composed of eight Demo
Gratis and five Republicans. 1t required
seven 10 make QuOI ulu-GWO III duultloH
to all of the Republican members.
For weeks and months efforts we're made
to secure consideration by the committees
but quorum could not be obtained. At
length, however, the two reports from the
sub committee came up, and an unimpor
tant amendment was agreed upon. 1t was
hoped then that action would be had las only
one other step remained to be taken.
AS the end drew near, however. the diff
Guilty of securing quorum increased
The regular day of meeting came and
went with each succeeding week, but time
after time the old story OF no quorum was
repeated. Finally the necessary seven
were secured-fve Republicans and two
Democrats-the bill was taken up and a
Republican [Mr. ODonnell] demanded the
previous question on agreeing to report.
The crucial moment had arrived, but just
as the motion for the previous question
was about to be put a Democratic mem
Der of the committee, the gentleman from
Kentucky [Mr. Caruthl left the room,
broke the quorum. and ended all further
proceedings for the time being.
Again, after long and tedious waiting
and repeated meetings, the necessary mum
Der to constitute a quorum was secured
and for the second time the previous
; question was demanded by Mr.. O'Donnell
When the chairman was about to submit