Evening journal., 1891-01-24

was that he was formerly a member of
TINS body Laughter
air. Gray quoted articles from the
Evening Bulletin and the Evening Tele.
graph, of Philadelphia, and was asked by
Mr. Aldrich what were the politics of the
latter paper. He replied that it was a
good Republican paper: that he had been
reading 1t for the last 20 years, and that
u had never fuctuated in its support Of
the Republican party. He also quoted
from the Portland 0regonian, a Repubi-
can paper, in opposition to the Elections
bill
Quoting from resolutions adopted at
the convention of the Farmers Alliance
protesting against the passage of the
Elections bill, the language of those
resolutions was the language of digni-
hed, sober and patriotic men. Could 1t
be true that those who were advocating
the Force bill were asking the Senate to
pass drastic measure that was to stop
debate without the support of public
opinion The Republicans were not
justified in putting behind them all the
parliamentary procedure which had pre-
vailed for hundred years. He appealed
to the Republican Senators to pause and
consider the situation in which the
Senate found itself in respect to this
measure, brought forward by this gag law
or this clotHre resolution He said
'cloture" because he liked the foreign
word better than the American para
phrase. He did not want such phrase
to be Amerieanized. 1t had nothing
American about it. Let Senators call it
by its foreign name, "cloture."
The time that this provision was
brought in was opportune, The Force
bill had been pending in midsummer. 1t
laid upon the table. with the other great
measure-the tariff bill; and the Repub
lieans had deliberately chosen between
the two measures and the Force bin had
been postponed. The tariff bill had been
taken up; and now in a short session
(Which has always been devoted to ap-
preparation bills and necessary measuresl
1t was proposed to take up proposition
which had been laid aside and the
majority declared that the bill must be
pushed thorough, even IL the majority
had to trample upon the minority. That
was not right
The American people would not sus
tain that majority. Let the Force bill
go over until the next Congress. The
Senate had waited for hundred years;
could it not wait for nine months? The
Senate had done without a. cloture for
the past hundred years; could it not wait
until next December2
Mr.. Gray then proceeded to discuss the
cloture rule Of the English House Of
Commons, when he was interrupted by
Mr.. Stewart with the suggestion that
the rule had been adopted without vio-
lation Of the existing rules
faL
had been adopted by a process which
would not be attempted by the United
States Senate-by turning members out
Mr.. Gray replied that that was the
only way that was open to the English
House when 1t was attempting to put
the gag upon free speech, which had
lived in England for generations The
gentleman from Rhode Island could never
succeed in the United States until he had
the power and the authority TO turn out
the minority which sat on the Demo
critic side. Applause in the galleries
which was promptly checked by the
presiding officer (Mr. Dolph)
Mr. Aldrich said that the people were
living under the rules Of parliamentary
an constitutional law. He thought that
no attempt would be made to exclude the
S-AAeSA u az
Mr. Hoar inquired whether the Senator
claimed that there was any difference
between the constitutional power of the
Senate and the constitutional power of
the House to establish the previous ques
tion? If there was not, would it be
justihable for the minority to resist
forcibly the previous question:
Mr. Gray replied that, of course. ii
would not He had seen no proposition
that the minority should forcibly resist
any measure that it was in the power of
the majority to make under the Consti
tuition and the laws. He wanted to pre-
serve. at least in one body of this
Congress, the freedom Of speech The
difference between the Senate and the
House WAS entirely in favor Of the
Senate, aud it was important that this
difference should be maintained In ali
the years OF our history never before had
an attempt been made to gag free speech
or limit debate in the United States
Senate This proposition was a stab and
blow at civil liberty. Absolutism had no
place in American institutions aly-
where. Absolutism was at war with
American freedom and liberty. There
could not be an absolutism Of the
mai 3rity without the crushing out of the
rights of the minority.