The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-24

roll or newspapers Of that city. The sena-
tors all received them, and read them at
their desks every day. They were dealing
in no tlippant and idle denuncIation Of the
bill, tut in serious admonitions and
appeals to the senator's. They were
daily pleading that the elections bill might
be laid aside in order that the great inter
ests OF the government, country and people
might be properly attended to by appropri-
ate legislation. So. too, with the west He
did not pretend to have list of the western
papers that opposed the bill; but be had
reason to believe that public opinion in that
great region Of the country, without regard
to party, was opposed to the bill in refer
ence to which the Senate was asked TO
apply the drastic measure Of shutting of OF
debate-he was going TO say gag Law.
''The better word" Mr.. Morgan said in
low tone.
Perhaps it is the better word,n assented
Mr.. Gray
THE WESTERN PRESS.
Mr.. Gray mentioned as some Of the west
ern republican papers that opposed the cleo
tion bill the Omaha Bee, Minneapolis
Journal, st. Paul Pioneer Press, st. Louis
Globe Democrat and Denver Republican,
In reference TO the last mentioned paper,
Mr.. Teller spoke of 1t as the leading paper
of Denver and of that section of
the country; and Mr.. Wolc0tt added that
its proprietor (dr. HID was gentleman
whose name had been sent to the Senate by
the President as one Of the monetary COM
missioners. and who, he hoped would be
confirmed at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. Gray said that he was glad to hear
that the paper had the imprimature Of the
President. The gentlemen, be understood,
had formerly been q member of the SEN
ate. Mr. Wolcott assented, and remarked
that The senator from Montana (Mr. Sam
dersl had asked him, in very feeble voice,
if the proprietor of the Denver Republican,
was good mau. The answer was that he
was formerly member OF this body.
daughter
Mr.. Gray quoted articles from the Euen-
ing BuLLetiR and Euening Telegraph 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 it for tho
last twenty-five years, aud that it had
never fuctuated in its support Of the Re-
publican party. BE also quoted from the
Portland Oregonion, republican paper, in
opposition TO the elections bill.
OPPOSITION OF THE ALLIANCE.
Quoting from the resolutions adopted at
the convention of the farmers alliance, pro.
testing against the passage Of the elections
bill, Mr.. Gray said the language Of those
resolutions was tbe language of dignitied,
sober and patriotic mon. Could It be true
that those who were advocating the
force bill were asking the Senate
TO pass Z drastic measure that
was to stop debate without the support of
public opinioni The republicans were not
justified in putting behind them all the par
liamentery procedure which had prevailed
for a hundred years. He appealed TO the re,
publican senators TO pause and consider the
situation In which the Senate found itself
in respect to this measure brought for ward
this gag law or this cloture resolution. He
said clotuTe because he liked the foreign
word better than the Amsstcan paraphrase
he did NOT want such a phrase to be Arneri-
| canized. 10 had nothing American about
it. Let the senators call it by its foreign
name, "clotrre.n
CLoTURE IN ENGLAND.
Mr.. Gray then proceeded to discuss the
cloture rule OF the English House of Com
MONS when he was interrupted by Mr.
Stewart with suggestion that the rule had
been adopted without violation OF the
existing rules.
Mr.. Aldrich said that the English CLOSURE
had been adopted by process which would
not be attempted by the United States SEN
ate-by turning members out.
Mr.. Gray replied that that was the only
way that was open to the English House Of
Commons when it was trying to put gag
upon free speech, which had lived in Eng
land for generations The gentleman from
Rhode Island could never succeed in the
United States Senate until he had power
aud authority to turn out the minority
which sat on the democratic side. [Applause
in the galleries, which was promptly
checked by the presiding officer. Mr..
Dolph.l The republicans said that the
power Of obstruction must be put down and
taken from the minority. 1t was said that
that power was fntolerable. Very we'll, let
the power of obstruction be destroyed, and
free parliamentary government would also
be destroyed.
OBSTRUCTION THE wEAPoS OF LIBERTY.
Obstruction was the very weapon of lib
erty in every English speaking country.
There was no unobstructed road for the
majority to walk unless that road led to
despotism. Obstruction had been the fruit
ful source Of some of the grandest achieve
ments of human liberty the world had ever
with it without, at the same
time, doing away with monu-
ments of liberty and freedom, II the
gentlemen wanted a smoothly working
machine let them 60 to the crowned czar,
or 60 an unrestrained and unobstruetel
majority. The spirit of freedom would
have 10 die before that state of affairs could
70 AOuBub 1UOub. 1uOuBu tub EouJloubn
might fret and fume about OBJ
struction, though time might be con-
sumed and money taken from the treasury,
yet 1t was more important that the
people should pay the price of liberty than
that the Senate should be permitted to
strike down the least of the monuments of
American and English liberty. Why not
turn this bill over to the Fifty-second con-
gresss Did the gentlemen dare TO say that
they would not trust the representatives of
the people nine months hences Did it lie in
tue mouths CT the senators 70 give such a
miserable reason as thatG
CONSTITUTIONAL OBSTRUCTION.
The Senate had arrived at state of
things where obstruction did exist land he
admitted it,, but it existed under the consti-
tuition CT the United States. 1t existed by
reason OF the nature and framewor Of our
government, and the gentlemen had no
right TO say that they would pull down this
fair fabric in order that absoiutism
might reign in tina United States.
Resistance had been the cause of the
Magma Charta. 1t would be the resistance
of the plain people of America of this day
and generation that would thwart and
destroy, and make vain the attempts Of any
set OF men to control their liberties and de-
stroy their freedom. II was a significant
fact, pregnant with instruction aud warn-
ing to the American people, that the first
time in the history of England that an
attempt was made in the House
Commons TO limit debata IL Was fnada IN