Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1890-08-25


pursezsnr zaszzsxy - coss<zz<akly
snsr. saz D<znscr>ssc kasstsAse of
hisssry % eo.z2<zs>ty sAsrsez. "a |.
rsssns issus Of he Boztsa Hessla az
pe2rsd m statement.
"At fnis tirse. |. rso1kh % I've lsser
knaa sA< aatess shAen sesz.cns or Coa-
kress are ksnssAIly expected 10 esa. sAe
senAss . sooa<. Il . sad - engage "a
tne work with saieA the Ho0se begaa
lzsE Dsc<mbers tat =, Il . preparing -
stteinps sns RESTRICTION OF debate Moth
lns Of the ktna vas ever before knoWa
IA ths hssery Of ths Government.
50 srroneous statement moves tAe
Nes York Nal and In press % lock up
TIE history OF the previous question Ia
tne senate. L. save
''Ne~, If this had appeared IN the
Evening Post we should have pad no
attention 70 Il. IL s waste Of time 70
overhaul the Poet Tor any sing.s mis-
statement, when Republican policy IS
sssalsd ~ il. Bat the Boston Herald
~ 80 fair and Iust-fOr an 'lndepend-
ent' neEspaper-that = mlsstatenlent Of
historical tact such as We have quoted
= entitled 70 courteous correction.
As for the entire novelty OF the pre-
vlOus.qusstlon IN the senate, our able
Boston contemporary ought 10 know,
what Il csn readily find from the his
tory OF that so long time free and
easy debating society without rules,
that the necessity for = Limitation of
debate Vas recognized at tie very be-
ginnlng OF our Federal Government,
when the Senate was controlled by
founders or the Government and fran
ers OF the Constitution. ON the 9TH OK
April. 1889. the senate was fiFst organ
ized. On the 10th OF that month the
Committee on Rules made rs report.
Among the nineteen regulations were
the following
WI. While question Is before the
Senate no motion shall De- received, IN
less for an amendment, for the previous
question, or Tor postpOnlng the main
| queSuonsor 70 commit, or 10 adjourn.
"lA. The previous question being
moved and seconded. the question from
/ the chair shall be, shall the main ques-
ton ne now putt And II the nays pre-
vail the main question shall not then
be put.
"And vet distinguished Southeastern
sff---~-- 80 10 AflCAA d4-AAf VI
ciously asserting that unlimited debate
has been the rule of the Senate for over
a century. As a matter OF fact the SEN
ate, during ITS first decade, Was so small
body that long debates would have
been as unbesrsble. useless and ia
possible as IN the Executive Committee
OF one OF our biz corporations. Even
after Kentucky, Vermont and Tonnes
see were admitted two former III
1871 and the last in lb96-the Senate
had but thIrty-two members. so the
previous question became a needless
| and unenforced rule, and died natural
death. But the right 10 make aud en-
| force the rule was asserted. and the
weight of authority of this precedent
can not be overcome. IL was not until
/ 1880, when the siaveocracy showed its
ugly and rebellious front IN fighting
against the admission of California,
that there was any occasion for limit
| ing debate, and then Stephen A. Doug
/ las moved resolution for the previous
| question, although the anti-slavery ex-
| tensionlsts IN the senate only numbered
a third OF that body. But the resoIu-
| ton was kept IN committee until after
| California was admitted, through a
| compromise bill making large concess-
| ions 10 slavery, and then the occasion
had passed and the Douglas resolution
was laid on the table"