New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-01
THE oUoRU PROBLEM IN THE HOUSE
MEASURES VIII fH REQUIRE THE PRESENCE OF
NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS WHO DRAW
sTHEIH PAY ANneST AWAY

NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS WHO nn,w
'THE1H PAY ANnss Away
Washington. be- 81 (SpeciaD-The R.rr,,.
leaders in the House are seriously considering wh,
might be called the quorum problem tits M saor.,
that the Democrats propose to require the presence =,
q quorum OF Republicans 10 confirm the Indignant ~
the Elections Committee In all contested election go.
Of which two or three are stn undlsposed ., IT,
involve the unscatlng Of Democrats. N n,.. 49,
shippiug hill. 10 agree to the Senate arrsrdu..s.
to the Election BILL which many Of them now hnI,.,.
will be returned the House before the end ~ ne,t
month and they propose to take any other action
which may seem distasteful to the minority.
"Will the Republican representatives do their duty
has become a practical and serious question which
experience has answered in the negative so A, ,a
first month ~ the season is concerned Al ro .,n,e
since the beginning OF the session have moro ,ha
1913 Republcan Representatives been in WASHINGTON
AT the same tine, and the highest vote thew haro
mustered was l45, or twenty-five less than quorum
Including Mr. reathcrson, of Arkansas who usnauv
votes with the Republicans, they have IT'S members
majority of eighteen, but only eigh, more than a
ouornm. which now that the House has fuIl connie
ment ~ members, is l67. IT will thus be seem that
With nne absentees the majority woud Iack nm. 10
ouorum although II would still have a maioritv n,
nine votes In this condition Of affairs the constant
ahsenca from Washington and their post NJ duty NJ
twcnty IN forty Republicans is a depressing fact
Whether the Democrats will begin To fIbuster al
IN. outset against tho Shipping bill remains to be
seen; there nav bc ten or fifteen who would not do
So That nearly all OF them will leave the hall when
the bill is put upon its passage is altogether prohahe
Mr. GUINNESS is Of the opinion that he will be the
onIv Democrat 10 vote for the BILL but other friends
Of the measure leleve that at least ten Democrats
will do so II Is asserted by some Southern Demo
Gratis A. veil by certain Free Trade lobbyists who
have ALREADY begun to nfest the Capitol and hotels
in the expectation that the shipping bill will soon
come before the House. that assurances have been
given to The effect that TIE Democrats and most of
their Farmers Alliance allies will Join forces to pass
free ship" bill through both branches Of Congress
before the next Presidential election II such pledges
have been gwen. there is to doubt that they
will he redeemed so far as the House is concerned
nor is then any reason to doubt hat the Senate will
promptly reject such measure
II is expected that the shipping bill will be brought
before the House on Tuesday. II "a quorum should
appear o Friday, which is hardly probable, the bill
might b brought up before the end Of this week.
Chairman Rowen, of the Elections Committee. is
anxious to have the remaining contests disposed Of
soon as practicable. One Of the cases, that Of Eaton
against Phan of the Xth Tennessee District has not
vet been reported TO the House. Repeated efforts were
made a, the last session TO have it considered and
dispo,eS Of by the Elections Committee, but they
thwarted by the lack of quorum, caused by the re-
fusl o. Democratic members 70 attend, and the ao-
sence or illness of one two of the Republican men,
bers Nj. phelan has not attended a halfdozen sit
tngs Of The House since the List Congress assembled
Thirteen months ago, and thus the Nth Tennessee Dis
ric has been left unrepresentcd. for Colonel Eaton,
who entitled 10 the seat. has not yet beel able 10
oltaio possession His case we'll as the two cases
repoed last session, ought TO be disposed Of soon but
quorum Of Republicans will be required to do IT,
Major Mckinley is now of the opinion that the Sen,
ate VIII pass the Election bill in modlhed form, ana
his opinion is shared by other leading Republicans
or ror>e if the bill pass, the presence Of Re
publican quorum in the House will be needed 70 dis
r"se oi in that body. The first roll-Can in the
iTomse viii reveal the names of the Republicans who
are absent, but who draw their pay with scrupulous
puncualty, and enjoy the other emoluments ana
honor n, the Office to which they were elected, out
The duties of which they refuse neglect TO perform