St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-24
WHIPPED into LINE.
Republicans Of the House Sc
cure q Quorum Of Their
Own Party.
Venable Declared Not Elected
and Langston Is Duly
Sworn In.
The Robbers Follow Up Their
Triumph by Ousting An
other Democrat.
Threat From the Democrats
to Refrain From Voting
on the Tariff.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23.-By its action
to-day in seating Mr.. Langston the
house ended what was probably the
most protracted and bitterly contested
election case it has ever decided. Dur
ing the closing days of the last congress
the Democrats made strenuous effort
to unSeat FELTON, and put in Sullivan as
a representative from California, but
they were defeated by the refusal of the
majority of the Republicans to vote
upon the proposition. The result of to-
days proceedings was surprise to the
Democratic minority, which, after two
weeks successful operation of what has
become known as the mason plan" of
obstruction, was confident that its op-
pOnents could not secure a quorum.
But the whips" had been active, and the
word was passed around before the house
met that a quorum would be present.
The result of the first roll-call-to ap-
prove journal-waS awaited with con-
siderable nervousness by the Republi-
cans. During the call it was discovered
that Mr.. Milliken, of Maine. who had
just returned to the city, was not pres
ent. and Immediately messengers and
pages went to look him up. AS the
clerk proceeded it was also noticed that
Mr.. Mudd. of Maryland, had failed to
respond, and Chairman Rowell, of the
elections committee, went himself in
pursuit of the absentee. But these ap-
prehensions were groundless, as Mr..
Sweeney. who had hardly been expected
,,,t1
season to cast the vote necessary to
make the quorum. The further pro-
ceedings were remarkably expeditions,
and Mr.. O'Ferrall, the lonely Demo-
cratic sentinel, was absolutely power
less to check the majority III
Its Full Swing.
The yea and nay vote declaring that
Venable was not elected showed that
there were 165 Republicans in attend
ance, including those who did not vote,
but we're paired, namely: Messrs.
Bliss, Browne (Virginia). Cooper (Ohio),
De Haven. Frank, McCord, McKenna,
Stockbridge, Waddell, Wade, Wright
and Yardley. 7. M. Brown Qndiana),
Butterworth, Cornell, Ewart, Finley,
Hansbrough, Peters and Wilson Ken
tuckv), we're the Republicans who were
absent without pairs, and of these
Browne, Finley and Wilson had leaves
Of absence on account of sickness.
Speaker Reed stood ready to cast his
ballot, but did not do so, as the quorum
appeared without his vote. The Miller
case. which followed the Langston
case. was an even greater sur
prise, and. in fact. it was not known
generally to the Republicans that the
leaders contemplated this move. The
resolution which unseated Elliott and
seated Miller was cleverly framed so as
to be indivisible, and single vote
sufficed to achieve what had required
four separate votes in the Langston
case. The Democratic minority was
considerably veXed over the result of
the days proceedings, and a call for a
caucus was circulated with the purpose
of endeavoring to unite the party, by
way OF retaliation. upon policy of
treatment of the conference report OH
the tariff bill, which would require the
Republicans to maintain a quorum of
their own members to dispose of that
report. But, owing to the lateness of
the hour and the small attendance of
Democratic members. the attempt to
caucus was temporarily abandoned, al
though it was stated that it would
probably be renewed tomorrow.