The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-23
A TYPICAL FILIBUSTERlNG RAID.
Story Of the Fight to Get the Shipping
sill Before the House.
How Springer, Rlount, Crisp and
Wheeler Led the obstructionIsts,
sut For Mr.. Reeds New Rules the Bill
Could Not Have Been Considered.
Especial to the Press.l

4
WASHINGTON, December 22.-Tbe hot
skirmish upon the floor or the House Of
Thursday, when the shipping bill came up,
deserves to be described because 1t affords
an excellent example Of the kind Of parlia-
mentary performances INDUCED In by the
Democrats when a measure which they do
not like comes up The committee on rules
had originally intended to bring In a special
order, fixing lime for considering the
shipping bill and an hour for taking vote
upon it. But In order to adopt such a
special rule the Republicans would be COM
PEELED to have a quorum in attendance, as
the Democrats had let 1t to be known that
they intended to leave the House rather
than allow the measure to come up under O
special order. AS the Republicans have not
here as yet the 167 members necessary for
quorum, it became necessary TO let the bill
be brought up under the ordinary machinery
of the Iules.
On Thursday morning the state of the
shipping bill was this: 1t had been reported
from the House committee on merchant
marine and fisheries as a substitute for two
shipping bills that had passed the Senate
last session and come over to the House for
action; and it had come onto the particular
list of waiting bills called the calendar of
the whole House on the state OF the Uni0n."
This particular calendar is reserved for
public bills that carry with them some
charge upon the treasury Of the United
States. Such bills must be considered by
the House sitting as a committee. When
the House sits as committee the Speaker
designateS some member to act as chairman
of the committee. 1t required but 100 mem
berS to constitute quorum of this commit
tee and the yeas and nays cannot be used in
voting, all votes being taken by viva vOce
vote, by counting the members as the stand
or by counting them as they pass between
lhG arxaft ~ fhn Hnlo l..
famous place for short and sharp skirmish-
ing, and In it occur some of the most enter
taiuing debates
The House has regular programme or
order OF business, which it goes through each
day Motions to 60 into committee Of the
whole House on the state Of the Union" are
In order seventh on this progra me. inn
medlately after the morning hour, which Is
devoted to a certain class of bills called up
by committees. After the morning hour on
Thursday Mr.. Farquhar, of New YORK, who
is chairman of the committee on merchant
marine and fisheries and had the shipping
bill in charge, availed himself Of the fol
lowing rule:
After one hour shall have been devoted to the
consideration of bills called up by committees IL
snail be In ord r. pending consideration or dis
cuSSi0n thereof to entertain motion TO go into
committee of the whole House on the state of the
Uni0n or, when authorized by a committee TO go
into tine committee of the whole House on the
state of the Union to consider particular bill.
Mr.. Farquhar had not been authorized by
his COMMITTEES to move to go into committee
OF the whole to consider the shipping bill !;
and in the absence of this desirable authOri-
zati0n he was obliged to take the other alter
native and move to go simply into committee.
leaving 1t fer the committee to determine
Wnat measure should be taken up. The
Democrats all the while were preparing
themselves to take advantage of this slip
which Mr.. Farquhar has made. Meanwhile
they give all the trouble they can as the
House votes on the proposition to go into
committee; The Speaker asks all these who
favor Mr.. Farquhar's motion to say AYE"
and all opposed to say NO" A loud chorus
of Ayes" arises, much louder than the
"Noes" which follow. 1t is evident that the
whole Republican party wants to go into
committee. The Democrats know it, and
know that they cannot stop it. "Why, then,
do they try TOP" you ask, Well, some of
them naturally like to delay business when
the Republicans want to transact 1t, and
others OF them are so vigorously opposed to
the shipping bill that they wish to delay 1t IL
they cannot stopit. There are some Demo
Gratis who favor the bill, but they vote with
their party to harrass the Republicans. So
Mr. james Ii. Bloi.nt OF Georgia, of whom
we shall presently hear more, calls for the
roll call of ayes and noes. One fifth join him
in the demand, and the ayes and noes are
ordered. This consumes about three quar-
ters OF an hour, time of inpatience to the
hopuUicdnS duu Oh gnOullh0 Rl6H TO the DEM
ocrats The roll call results in 126 yeas and
ITO nays; Mr.. FaIquhar's motion has pre-
vailed, and the House decides to 90 into
committee of the whole House on the state
of the Union.
As soon as the vote is declared, Speaker
Reed announces. THE gentleman from
Michigan, Mr.. Burrows, will please take the
chair" With this, Mr.. Reed leaves the
chair and goes out of the hall to the Speak
er's room. He might remain and participate
In the proceedings of the committee like any
other member, but this would be contrary to
the usual custom, and to bis invariable rule.
AS Mr. Reed leaves the chair Mr.. Burrows
steps into it. The chairman is man of
good presence, of decision and of thorough
knowledge of the rules. Probably. Mr.
Reed, who understood what would be likely
to follow, had these qualities of Mr.. Bur-
rows in mind when he called him to the
chair.
voice:
"The House is in committee of the whole
House on the state of the Union; and, un-
der the rule. the clerk will report the first
bill on the Union calendar"
Here Is Mr. Farquhar's opportunity: and
he at once moves that the COMMITTEES. In
stead Of proceeding to the calendar in order,
take up Senate bill No. 373S, which is the
shipping bill.
Aud lere Mr.. Springer of Illinois first ap-
pears upon the scene.
Several years ago. in the House, in tilt
with the Hon. Thomas 3. Reed of Maine,
Mr.. Springer declared dramatically, 81
would rather be right than be President"
"You never will be either" was the ready
response of Mr. Reed; aud In those five
words the future Speaker described Mr..
Springer.
Mr.. Springer sits near the front row on the
Democratic side. He rises with a copy of
the rules In his hand and demands recogni-
tl0n. A sigh escapes the chairman, and as
| slstant clerk, "Harry" Smith, who Is prob
ably the best parllamentarian in America,
and who has prompted speakers and chair
men OF both parties for many years, gives
| gesture of extreme impatience. Every one
knows that a parliamentary "mare's nest"
such as only Springer has the ingenuity to
discover, Is about to be found. And sure
| enough, MIR. Springer is no sooner recog-
nized than he announces that he has a point
| OF order and proceeds to read clause four of
| rule twenty-three
In Con mittee of the Whole House business on
| tneir calendar may be taken up in regular order,
unless the bill to be considered was determined
by the House al the time OF going into committee,
but DnlS Tor Raising revenue, general apprOpria-
ton bills, aud bills for The Improvement OF rivers
| AID harbors shall have precedence.
Every one knows that the expression
| shall have precedence" means that a motion
| IO Jake up IuOst PARTICULAR OlllS snail nave
| precedence of motions to take up other bills
| 1t Is the general opinion that Mr.. Springer
| knows 50 also; but no man could prove it.
| For Mr.. Springer at once begins to argue
that the words "shall have precedence"
means that the committee, whether it wants
| to or not, must take uD and consider what
ever appropriation bills there are on the cal
| endar, whether any one moves to do so or
| not, or whether the committees having the
| appropriation bills In charge are ready to
proceed with them or not. There are sew
| eral appropriation bills on the calendar, the
| army bill and the District of Columbia bill,
for instance. If Mr.. Springer can
make his Interpretation Of the rule
go, the committee will not be able to get at
the shipping bill for days and weeks. Mr..
Springer argues long and loudly in behalf OF
his contention; but he does not convince
even the members Of his own side, for Mr..
BlOunt, OF Georgia, comes up to the desk and
asks MIR. Burrows to recognize linn next 10
reply. 1t is necessary for Mr.. Blount to ask
time in advance, because In the multitude
who are popping up all the time his chances
for recognition would not be good. Mr.
Burrows sgIees to recognize Mr.. Blouni
next.
As Mr.. Blount rises to reply to Mr.. Spring
er another consideration enters into the sit
uatioD. Mr. Springer is a candidate for the
speakership of the next House and SO are Mr.
BlOunt and several others. Mr.. Blount Is
one of the fairest and most popular men or
the Democratic side; but like many another
good man under the strpss of am hilton ha n