The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-12
REEDS DESPOTIC RULES.
THE DEMOCRATS AGAIN RIDDLE
THE AUTOCRATIC CODE

by the Votes Of Republicans.
WASHINGTON, Feb. lin the House
this morning the journal of yesterdays
proceedings containing the yea and nav
vote, upon which the speaker counted a
quorum, came up, and the democrats would
not, by their silence, acquiescs in its ap-
proval and a full call was rendered neces-
sary. The journal was then declared ap-
proved by vote of $50 yeas to l nay (Mr.
Buckalew), the speaker counting a quorum.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois called up for con-
sideration the proposed code of rules, and
he offered resolution providing that the
general debate shall close at 1 O'Clock to-
morrow, and that after debate under the
fve-minute rule the previous question shall
be considered as ordered at o'clock to-
morrow.
Vigorous protests against cutting off dis
cusson in such short order were made by
Messrs McMillin, Hooker, Springer, Nc
Creary, and Flower, but they were of no
effect, and Mr.. Cannon demanded the pre-
vious question. But the House would not
sustain this demand, and, many republicans
voting against it, the demand was rejected
by the overwhelming vote of SO to 149.
SPRINGER CLAIMS THE FLOOR.
Mr.. Springer Immediately claimed the
floor, bat Mr.. Cannon declined to yield it,
He proposed to press the previous question,
or at least to get some indication at what
time this year the gentlemen on the other
side were willing to close the debate. He
demanded the yeas and nays on his demand
for the previous question, but not suffi-
cient number of members arose to enforce
~h &c H.
democratic side, the speaker so announced
Mr. Cannon the yielded then floor recog-
nizing, as he said, that his colleague (Mr.
SpringeT) was in charge of the resolution.
Laughter
The democrats were jubilant over their
victory, and as Mr.. Springer rose to make
the motion he was greeted by many of his
colleagues as being in charge of the pro-
posed new code. Mr.. Springer then offered
a resolution providing that general debate
shall proceed until adjournment tomorrow,
after which the code shall be considered
under the five-minute rule until o'clock
Friday, when the previous question shall be
considered as ordered. This res luton was
adopted without objection, and Mr.. Cannon
good-naturedly crossed over to the demo-
cratic side and congratulated his colleague
upon its success.
GROsVENOR DEFENDS THE NEW SCHEME.
Mr.. Grosvenor defended the rule permit
ting the speaker to count quorum, and
criticised the action of the minority in
breaking a quorum by refusal to vote
Every member of the House had heen
guilty of this action. He confessed that be,
himself, had been guilty in joining in this
method Of preventing legislation on many
occasions, and he was ready to stand here
and say las his colleague, Mr.. Mckinley,
had said that he had never done it and
prevented the action of the majority
that he had not felt that he was guilty of
an unjustifiabe and almost objectionable
breach of duty to his constituents. In his
opinion, the rights of the minority were
ended when the minority had expressed its
opposi ion to a measure, had recorded its
votes against it, and had protested to the
country. He knew of no other God-given
or constitution-given right of the minority.
AGAINST oNE-MAN POWER.
he contended that the proposed rules in
stead of vesting power in the speaker, would
prevent one man power from ruling over
the House as had been the case in the
Forty-ninth and Fiftieth congresses, when
the speaker had declined to recognize mo-
tions for the passage of the tobacco tax bill,
the Blair educational bill, and general pen
sion bills. The democrats were here to-day
to obstruct legisl lation. The whole purpose
Of the Democratic party on this floor was
to obstruct and impede the representatives
of the people from going forward with
the business of the people. The Republican
party was on The side Of progress; the Dem
ocratic party stood as an obstructioni,t and
nothing else. The Republican party had
inaugurated every political reform in the
country since 1856. 1t was vain thing to
look to the Democratic party to recognize
the existence of the reform until it had
been forced upon it by the action of the
people, The propos ton now made was
that the majority should take possession of
the responsibility which had been placed
upon it by the votes of the people of the
country.
HOLMAN DECLARES 1T REVOLUTIONARY.
Mr. Holman of Indiana characterized
the proposed code as being complete rev.
olution in parliamentary procedure, ,extraor-
dinary in its character. He especially
antagonized the clause providing that 100
members shall constitute a quoru in COM
mittee of the whole, declaring that this pro-
vision would place tine greaS appropriation
bills at the mercy Of handful
of the majority. He spoke OF var
ious occasions upon which re-
sort to filibustering methods had been
of benefit to the country and referred with
much emphasis to the defeat Of the force
bill by the minority, under the lead of
Samuel J. Randall; and he declared that
Mr.. Randalrs course at that time would
crown his memory with honor as long as
the records of congress would survive.
Mr.. Payson of Illinois defended the pro-
posed code and argued The necessity of
rules which would give to the majority
power to take affirmative action.
HATCH AGAINST EVERY ITEM.
Mr. Hatch of Missouri said he would not
attempt to argue in detail the radical and
violent changes in the rules. He made war
upon the report as an entirety. He made
war upon it as a change Of the system OF
procedure Of the House, because he thought
THAT he could see through the yelled move
behind it. He was opposed to the report
IN too to because it was partisan question;
because it came from the republican side
OF the House, representing the Republican
party, because it came from q majority
The republican representatives which had
whipped into the traces the minority OF
their party and compelled them, under
pains and penalties Of the party lash, to
approve the rules as whole. He believed
IN parties. He stood by his party. He was
not complaining that the republican organi-
Eatlon had been strong enough to induce
some of its strongest men to support the
rules. But In that inducement lay the dan
ger to the country.
THE SPEAKERS POSITION.
lie deprecated any harsh language or epi-
.uelS addressed TO the speaker that did not
include In their structures the entire Repub-
mean DartY The snaakar had MS ha was