Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-29
BEDLAM BREAKS LOOSE.
LEGISLATORS OF THE HOUSE JOIN IN
A WILD JAMBOREE.

An Semblance Of Order Thrown to the Foul
winds-Two Blinking Owls Play Part
The Fight Over Ballot Reform Comes
to an End.
HARRIsBURa, May 2S-The House was in
session nine hours, from l o'clock until II
this forenoon, and behaved pretty well until
about o'clock. Then its exhuberant spirits
could no longer be controlled, and found
vent in manifestations which, had they been
INDUCED in by schoolboys, would have re-
| suited in a sound trouncing all around
Paper balls were thrown; handsful of beans
ratified among the pendants on the chande.
| liers, while packs Of firecrackers exploded
in rafting. ..fusillade on the very floor of the
with shock which almost Jared the few
members who were in their seats out OF
them.
But the climax came when two large owls
were @ brought in and perched upon @ the desks les s
birds ruffied their feathers and blinked their
daZZled eyes with an expression of gro
tesQue surprise that was ludicrous in the
extreme. It was a scene as ridiculous as it
was out of place, but even those who were
most shocked at it could not restrain their
laughter.
Trying to Restore Order.
Meanwhile, Mr. Burdick, and afterward
Mr.. Gillian, whom Speaker Thompson had
called to the chair, pounded with the gavel
until it seemed as though they must break
the desk to splinters, and alternately inn
plored and threatened. The sergeant at
arms and his assistants were commanded to
arrest all offenders; but these discreet Off
cials seemed to be always looking the. other
way when the act was being done, and no
one was called before the bar of the House
to receive the dread reprimand of the Chair.
The monotonous roll calls on Senate bills
went on. Members voted, but were not
heard or perhaps were heard when they did
not vote, then tried to vote and were OBJ
jected to, or some one objected to their votes
being counted because they had not voted.
Bad blood was engendered as persons were
cast upon the count. The bar of the House
was thronged with angry, shouting, gesticu-
lating Representatives and altogether the
celebrated monkey and parrot time was had
to most "halcyon and vociferous" extent.
just as the first red rays of morning
lighted the hall Mr.. Baker arose and called
up the conference report on the ballot bill,
and, for the first time in five long hours,
there was perfect silence. Mr.. Ritter, who
had dissented from the report. said that he
could not vote for the bill. The duty of CIV
ing to the people an honest ballot reform
bill had not been done. The twenty-seventh
section removed all privacy from about the
ballot, the public count had been stricken
out and he mnst vote nay.
Baker Explains the Changes.
Mr.. Baker took the floor and explained the
changes made in committee. They were
not, he said, such as he had hoped for, but
he had been long enough in the Legislature
to know that all legislation was the result of
compromise This bill was the best that
could be got this session and he hoped it
would pass. Mr.. Hays declared the bill a
cumbrous one, affording no protection to
the voter more than he now had, and he
would vote against it.
Just thenIMr. Fow ran in from the Senate
and said that there was no use bothering
with the bill. as it had failed in the other
branch, receiving only "a votes, or two less
than the required number. The House pro-
ceeded to vote, however, and the report was
adopted, the vote standing 120 to 81 The
yeas were evenly divided, go Republicans
and 60 Democrats, while the 81 voting nay
were Republicans.
In the Senate this forenoon the bill. which
fell solely because a number of Senators
favoring it were absent, was reconsidered
and passed by vote of 81 to IA. The Repub-
licans divided even on the question, IA voting
each way. The IL Democrats presens voted
yea, and the fight over ballot reform was at
an end.