The sun., 1890-08-17
A STORM IN THE HOUSE.
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE SWEEPS
OYER IT LIKE 4 TORNADO


Representatives Strengthen Their Feaees-
A. Business Blocked by the stnmPede-ThS
| One-sIded Operation OF n Holiday Rnl-
How Bills Sleep In Comuaitteo.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16-Toward the end OF
July full half the members OF tho House OF
Representatives were absent from their duties.
Storm clouds had unexpectedly appeared In
| nearly every Congressional district In aEricul-
tural sections OF the country, South and West.
The political sky was ablaze with suggestive
premonitions. The Farmers Alliance was at
work. In q few districts It had roared like q
tornado, overwhelming many Representatives
seeking a reelection. Repuplcans and Demo-
Gratis had been served alike In other
districts IL resembed flood sweeping
over river bottoms and carrying everything
before It There we're astounding reports from
Kansas and reports equally alarming from
South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and the
Gulf States Senators as distinguished as 1n-
gals and Vance were threatened. There were
anxious faces In the House, Experienced vet-
Grams heard the whistllng OF tho storm and
knew TINT they were in danger. They paired
with men OF opposite political faith In equal
peril and spod to their districts to look after
their political households. In some cases they
were too late to save themselves. In others
they are still struggling.
The rising Of the farmers might aptly bO
compared to the rising In the depart ments Of
France at the time OF the French revolu Il on.
Honest LEGISLATORS. who mad never failed In
devotion to the agricultural interests OF the
country, struggled for their political existence.
In Georgia there was II violent gale. James
II. Blount OF Macon, serving his eighteenth
consecutive year In the House. was forced to
raise his umbrella. Judge J. d. Stewart was
overwhelmed. Tom Grimes and Judge Barnes
nleo nndar Thara ain
ports concerning the political future Of
that prince OF Confederate soldiers, Gov John
b. Gordon. Tho farmer5 were making the fight
for the Legislature with the intention OF putt
ting one Of their own number in the United
States Senate in the place OF Gov. Joe Brown.
Gov. Gordon had thrown himself into their
ranks in the hope OF securing the prize.
Such were some OF the reports that reached
the House. In Mississippi such tried veterans
as Gen. Hooker, James Bright Morgan. Gen.
Catchings and Thomas r. Stockdale were en-
dangered brilliant John NJ. Allen received
ss bnrse senomnntSn before the storm had fairly
been national loss. He we'll fills Samuel j.
handalls place in the Committee on Appro-
In Kansas. Iowa, and Illinois everything In
at sea The political life OF, the Rev. John A.
pertinaciors Funston is at stake. Anderson
is born hgher. His assaults upon the Pacific
farmers. Hs viii be in the Held des bite ali ops
position and Il ne must go. will fall like hero.
carns mere Se Eas aampG nsTs from s0uth
a2 al9ne was pndismayed. He is brother OF the
o ThS Se the S
uary is probably already In type in the compos.
Ing rooms OF more than one daily newspaper.
basts Of the Far9ers aanee Gut 70 8ers sas
the German Lutheraus. This agitation threw
The RePT6lica1 Pub & RepresfSntatiyes Of the Badger
rremacy to such an extent that it is claimed
the State = S VII 70 @ Democrats moe The great Cas-
nomination. There were also cyclones @ m 8 in in
Congressional districts in Illinois, Indiana.
Minnesota, and Michigan.
III these rumors wlthered up the House like
sions. The Speaker had difhcuty in counting
desperate struggle. Bot sides find it diflcuit
to keep their lines. TeleGrams are received
hundreds and thousands Of miles away.
A quorum was found only when q vote was
TheEe, were tiresome debates In Committee Of
the Whole on o,bs the S package the bank
seats. The Committee on Rules kept its grip
on the throat OF tho House. 1t not only directed
time for Standardization % anu % specied eli ef The hone on
for voting. Without this specification II would
nave = ave, been almost impossibie to have obtained
~. There was no chance for the thousands OF
little bills upon the calendars. These are usu-
tion by unanimous consent. The list of bills
on the printed calendars toward the end of the
%Goo ON Ss sate
Union took up twenty three; the House calen-
spread over iorty-seyen pages Theie was 10 a
page OF special orders five pages OF unfinished
over ], 100 bills remained upon the calendar:
only 297 OF which were private pension bills,
=. The iaborinR mon looking for labor leGisla-
plaimanfa st frnD tbsR
Government and The thousands Interested In
measures affecting the commerce, agriculture.
can readly understand, why. nothing is done to
relieve them. The rules 1t was said, were
1t is the business designated by the Committee
on Rules under the rules. PrIvIIeged, business
tunity member secures recognition from the
Speaker. and asks unanimous consent Tor the
from the Treasury, somebody Invariably OBJ
Ieets, II. by any accident. the objection Is not
no quorum when a vote is taken.
a.. Not an hour up to date has been given by
Indeed, the Committee on Patents hns gad q
Congress. and has had no day In the Fiity-
first Congress. The rules set down, Friday as
robbed OF their day for ' over four a months. m .
sh ,roas6 ana catehes the e Sts ones a the 0H
Here Is a bill granting fifteen days leave OF
absence TO per diem men in the customs SER
vice. The Secretary Of the Treasury iavors II.
It takes not a cent out OF the Treasury. All the
other employees In this service have leayos OF
ABSENCE for thirty days with pay. They work
eight hours day. These per diem men work
In relays from sunrise 10 sun set and from sum
set to sunrise All are compelled t. remain
upon duty whether their services are needed or
not. In summer importa'ions nre not as
heavy AS In winter. One-tith OF tho force
might easily be spared for fifteen days
while the other fonr.nfrhs did tho. work.
asked TO considor this bill, and thrice
has objection been made. A similar bin Affect
ing Post ONCE EMPLOYEES remained hanging by
the eyelds Tor q month on a motion to rec
consider. entered two days after It's passage.
No man can get consent TO bring up the eight
hour back pay law. tie bill to restore the wages
In tho Government Printing Ofcc. and u score
OF similar bills placed on the calendar by the
Committee on Labor. 1t is an III tempered
House; The Speaker has made it so, sense
less objections are made ana tho point OF no
quorum raised apparently without reason,
Despite these overloaded calendars and tho
absence OF over $50 members who are skir-
mlshinR with the Farmers Alliance and the
lutheran preachers. committees are urged to
report bills lately introduced. The committee