New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-17
iBr TELEGRAPH 10 THE TkIBuyE,Y

Washington, Jan. l6-rLc real contest in th6
Senate over the Election bill btgan at ? o'clock
this afternoon and at the hour at which this
is written the struggle to cor plete and pass upon
that measure is still in progress at the Capitol
The significant feature Of the situation so far
has been the success attending TIE effort on the
part of the Republican managers to keep the
Senate in Continuous session, and the ability they
have shown to prevent and defeat any
scheme for sidc-traclIing the Lodge bill
General debate, too has come 10 an end. and
the Senate has been enabled to reach ana
dispose of some at least, of the actual amend
ments TO the measure. Each amendment from
now will he subject, after one speech upon
it. to a motion to lay the table, which is dn-
debatabc. and although great number Of amend
mcnts can he offered in succession, there is always
the prospect of getting at each individual one
finally, and making way with it. Up to a late
hour tonight the opposition had not been driven
to open iilibustering, and il may he some time
before Mr. German and his friends exhaust
tine ordinary methods Of delay by pro-
tracted debate and continued roll calls
on amendments. But whatever tactics the
position may ioow. it will probably be only
question of hours before the patience and temper
of the ajority have been exhausted. and some
summary process will have to he rcsorted TO 10
~
continued for twenty-four thirty-siX or forty
eight hours without reducing the contest which
is being wagcd to an actual test of brute strength,
and with the haras,ing situation created by the
present system of minority veto in the senate, some
remedy by which the nil iOrity assert itself IN
its own defence is certain to he found. Whether IL
he by tine adoption Of the Aldrich closure resoln-
ton or some more summary solution OF the dlfii-
Guilty. the problem of coming to a vote will have
TO be solved somehow by the majority This, III
fact is the merit Of the continuous session, that
il puts an irresistible pressure upon the major
ity IA act, and if Mr.. loar and the other Re-
publican managers can maintain the session ae
long as other continuous sessions have been main.
taincd, the success of the Election bill
seems beyond question. The present situation
is of course noerable. and the only outcome
from it is either surrender to the minority. with
the consequent abandonment Of the Election Dill.
or the actual passage of the bill, with the adoption
~ means for securing the ordeliy cohuoA
of business hereafter.
Another encouraging sign in tu-Gay's proceed
ings was the disposition of nearly all the Repub-
lean opponents of the Election bill to help the
majority forward in its effort ro get a vote on tfs
Lodge measuTe. Only two Republicans Messrs.
Woicott and Stewart, voted with rhc Demo-
Gratis for an adjournment, and on many of the ques-
tions which arose the vote followed strict party
lines Mr. IIoar i thus assured practically In
his ability TO defeat any legitimate parliamentary
moves which may he made by the opposition, ana
the solid backing given 10 his own parliamentary
strategy will fore Mr. German scorer or later
to open fillbusterlnS. -,
When open GIibustering begins. the end will
be near.
Though full notice had been given that con-
,o int al
on. few more spectators than usual were attracted
to the Senate during the afternoon,
and little additional show Of inter-
est could be noticed either on the
floor or in the galleries In the evening" how
ever. there was a larger gathering of curious
spectators. who looked perhaps, for scenes
Of cAeitement or disorder. But the ipro-
cccdines were far less lively and IN
tcrcsting than those of "Wednesday evening.
and as midnight came on the crowd
in the galleries thinned ont perceptloy Nothlhs
sensational was done said. and the eNcltemeht
attending the session simply that which would
naturally attend the closing hours, however duli'
Of the debate on any great political measure Dy
l a H. most of the spectators had gone away
confident that there would he no end 10 'h'
session before tomorrow noon.
The Election bill came up quietly at O'Clock
and the last afternoon oi se.erdl uc''" o' ~
,yo. almost begun as listlessly any one of the
thirty or more which have preceded 1t. NO al
tempt was made 20 displace the Lodge measure
'by calling up other pressing pieces of lesNiat''h'
rho chance of considering which might provo
tcmptinr enough TO interested Republicans - le"h
,hrm to nut the pending bill aside. Ny. Horhln
lad evidently discovered that no supporter ot u"
odqc measure could he induced 10 accept any
such brbe at present, and that any motion ioI "''
placement he might make would Only serve ~
show the weakness of his forces. lie turned con.
scoucntly to debate the only means lelt ot
staying off action a little while longer, ana al'er
4 lively passage between Mr.. lloar ana the t"o
Arkansas Senators, Mr. Pasco, of Florida was IN
structed To go ahead with his four or hVe houls
speech
Mr. Ioar had asked for the reading OF an ed-
itorial article printed recently in The Anglo
Saxon Cburchman.' a periodical of the Protestant
rnisconol Church, published at Little Rock, AK.
In this article the broad assertion was made that
nrcsert election methods in Arkansas were de-
launching and dcmoralizins the peope OF tha'
STATE and making rascals and ruf'ans OF tne
sons of gentlemen The editor of the paper "'c
admitting the necessity of some means iof Pic'.i'
i, ,,bita rule denounced ballot-boN stunnS
and intimidation as unwise and brutallzln2, ana
a aivocated the adoption of educauohal anu
propcrty qualifications for sufiraee MI. hoar
briefly the article, and Messrs'
ZONES and Berry then undertook To dlscieui' 'ho
editor Of the periodical by saying that he had
lived in Arkansas but five or SIX years ana did ho'
kno,y the real condition Of politics and feeling Ia
that State ....
Mr. Pasco having finally gotten an opportunity
10 20 ahead, kept reading dreary essay on tho
general inequalities in suffrage and representa-
tion in all parts of the country due mainly 70 the
.p,cnce from the political system of the onlted
States Of the principle of minority representation.
Thus he showed that President might bc eiec'ea
without having majority OF the popular 'o''' anu
iwet on various exampliicatlons OF the prlhct'
nlc Of absolute majority rule in the various
ord rho consequent failure of the minority