Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-17
WEARY SENATORS.
An AIi-Night Session Over the
Election Bill.
rHE FINAL STRUGGLE COMMENCED.

Democratic Statesmen Orate Against
Time, and Talk Quorum to fhghi-
Hard Work Securing the Necessary
Sumber--The Contest stili ON mt Z a. m
-Grosvenor's Views OF the Legislative
Situation-No Vote ON the silver Bill
Until Action Is Had ON the Election
Bill.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. IA struggle
was begun in the senate yesterday when
gave promise of lasting all night, II not
all of to-day In accordance with Hoars
notice Thursday that he would call Tor
continuous session yesterday until the
election bill had been acted upon, both
parties were braced for the fight and had
girtied up their loins, so to speak, to make
IL one 10 the death. After the routine
business had been gotten out of the way
one feature of which was the presentation
of protests from fourteen states, mostly
southern, against the passage OF the Dill,
and containing in the aggregate s,ooo
signatures, the election bill came up, with
Pasco on the floor to speak in opposi
ton
He Welded to Hoar, who had read from
the clerks desk an editorial from The An
glo Saxon Churchman. of Little Rock,
Ark The paper, he said, was the organ
of the Protestant Episcopal church. one
of the most conservative of sects. The ar
ticle was headed safety Without Ras-
cality," and advocated the suffrage re-
quirement of $1,000 in property and the
payment of $40 poll taX-the white people
of the state having irrevoeably made up
their minds that the negroes of that state
shall not rule. One statement in the ar
ticle was that stuffing ballot-boxes and
bulldozing negroes were making scoun-
drels of the sons of gentlemen, and an
other was that the plan laid down in the
new constitution of Mississippi (the read
ing or intelligence test was transparent
piece of humbug and would not defeat
the negro vote unless fraud was prac
ticed.
Truthful But Not weil-Informed.
Jones of Arkansas stated that the writer
of the article (Mr Carnochan) was not n
southern man, but that he had gone to
Arkansas a fewyears ago from Cincinnati,
o. He was a truthful, well-meaning man,
but he had not been long enough on the
ground to understand the matter, aud
therefore his opinion was worth no more
than that of the senator from Massachu-
sets, or that of any other poorly informed
man on the subject He (Jones) denied
that there was any effort to deprive ne
groes in Arkansas of their full right of
suffrage. Then Pasco proceeded with his
speech, but developed no new arguments
against the bill. He spoke. however, until
past 6 o'clock, when a motion to adjourn
was made by Wolcott.
Not Voting for Adjournment
Frye demanded the yeas and nays, and
the result of the vote was:-Yeas, %, nays,
82-Stewart and Wolcott being the only
voting aye. Washburn. who
voted Wednesday night against taking up
the elections bill, rejoined his party col
leagues and voted no, as did Plumb, who
was absent when the vote was taken
night. Pierce continued his
speech. and when he was done Hampton
took his place at the wind pump and was
followed by Dixon, who advocated the
Dill. Reagan was the next opponent of
he measure and he passionately declared
he would-as God was his judge-if he
,ould save the American people from the
,ending measure by giving up his life,
1t as freely as he had ever per-
ormed any act in his life The galleries
Ipplauded this sentiment.
The First Vote on the Measure.
Ii was lois before Reagan concluded.
ioar moved to table Buffers amendment
that all election officers shall be regarded
$ ministerial and not as judicial officers.
The senate at this point got into parlia-
nentary tangle, and German appealed
rom decision of the chair During this
ebate the vice president was evidently
Uncertain as to what the question was,
tut the appeal was finally tabled-s1 to Is
Ind the same fate melted out to Butler's
Teller was paired, but said
e was in sympathy with Buffers amend
nent
Faulkner Plays for Time
Faulkner's amendment providing
oard of United States canvassers In each
congressional district was next taken I'D,
nd Faulkner proceeded to advocate il.
nd at midnight was still talking. It was
vident that the object of the Democrats
vas to occupy time. The floor of the cham
'er contained only half dozen on each
ide, but the cloak and committee rooms
eld reserves in case of emergency. Faulk-
Ter made numerous efforts to goad
'pooner, whom he said Hoar had left in
lis place while he (Hoar) reti-el for re-
reshments. Spooner declared that he was
present on his own hook but declined
o walk into the trap which Faulkner had
prepared for him. The galleries were near
empty, and there was a general air of
about all who were present.
Quorum of Senators Missing.
Faulkner continued speaking until 1:SO
when the absence of quorum was
'rought to the attention OF the chair. The
all OF the roll showed that there vera
'nly thirty-six senators present-only five
u that number being Democrats. After a
'rief discussion Hoar moved that the ser
request the attendance of
Ibsent members, and messengers were
ent out to hunt them up. AT this time
here were but five Democrats present.
All business meantime was suspended
md at 2:l5 the chair reported that one
enator had sent word that he was i'll. and
mother that he was too fatigued to be
present. A motion was then made by Ed
nunds and was agreed to, directing the
TO use all necessary
means to compel attendance Of all absent
enators except those who are ill.
still In Session at 4 O'Clock.
The quorum seemed to be completed at
':dO a. m, and German moved to dispense
urther proceedings under the call. The
notion was rejected. There was then a
'ew roll-call, and forty-three senator's
answered to their names-still two
ess than quorum; and the
anne difficulty presented itself
IS before. In the course of another wait
ng period 1t was stated that Sherman and
wilson Of Maryland were too i'll to be
'resent AT o'clock the senate was still
Waiting for quorum. There seemed NO