The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-22
Democrats Block Both the
Senate and the House.
ELECTIONS BILL IN DOUBT.
Republicans Must Have Party
Quorums to Set Wheels Moving.
Senator German Outgenerals Hoar-
Reed Unmoyed by Southern vitupera-
tion-Coinage Committee Not In
ciined TO Hurry Free silver Bill.


WAsHINGros Cry, Jan. 2l.--TSpecial.l-
The outlook for beneficial legislation in
either house of congress is not cncourag-
ing, as the Democrats have determined to
obstruct all progress until the elections
bill, which Senator Hoar refused to leave
on the shelf, is disposed of. In the Senate
the Republicans are demoralized and half
dazed, and the superior generalship Oh the
part OF Mr.. German has confused them to
such an extent that it is doubtful if they
can extricate themselves much before con-
gress adjourns. Mr. Hoar seems to be lln-
able TO cope with the Democratic leader,
and all the efforts of Senators Edmunds
and Aldrich to help him appear to be with
out effort, except to muddle them
more completely. An error in the journal,
admitted to be such by the vice president,
gave the Democrats another opportunity
TO delay application of the c.oture rule
this morning, and discussion was begun
which continued all day and promises to
keep up tomorrow. Nothing can be done
until the journal is approved, and the
Republicans early in the day signifed their
Willingness to have the correction made as
desired by the Democrats, but the latter
did not want that. They said the question
was one of great gravity and wanted to
discuss it, and they did. They discussed it
all day without intermission, and the Re-
publicans sat in committee and cloak
rooms and fumed and chafed under the
restraint put upon their movements for
legislation.
Signs are increasing that the senators
are becoming more and more disguised
with the elections bill, and some of them
would be glad to seize upon any pretext
for a change III the order OF business. They
point TO the defections that already exist
on the Republican side of the question,
and intimate that there will be more de-
sertions unless speedy action is had Sem
ator Hoar's ability to keep his party to-
gether has not SO far been of the highest
order.
In the House the situation is little
more hopeful, but Speaker Reed will have
to be backed by a Republican quorum be-
fore he can accomplish anything. Yester-
day and today. under fire of personal
abuse and insult, he has kept his head, and
such furious and senseless fighters as Mills
of Texas and Rogers of Arkansas have
only made themselves ridiculous bv their
exhibitions of temper and bombast To-
day the speaker refused to recognize any
dilatory motions or appeals, rendering the
Democrats frantic with rar d their impo-
tent efforts toward obstruction, and it is
believed that in few days Mr.. Reed will
have his wild animals subdued and will
rush business through with Republican
working majority. The shipping bill will
he first to come up after the district ap-
preparation bill is passed, and by that time
rules will have been adopted curtailing
unnecessary debate and preventing dila-
tory tactics. In the House this is called
gag law;" in the Senate, the "cloture
rule" which accurately draws the dis
tinctive line between the planes upon
which the fights are being conducted in
each house