Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-24

Louis Globe Democrat, and Denver Repubti-
oo,L In reference 10 the aforementioned
paper OF Denver and Of that section Of the
country, and Mr.. Wolcott added that It's
proprietor, MIR. HILL was a gentleman
whose name had been sent TO the Senate
by the President as one of the Monetary
Commission, and who. he hoped. would DO
confirmed at the earliest opportunity.
GOOD" EDITOR.
Mr.. GRAY said that he was glad TO hear
that the paper had the imprimature of the
President. The gentleman, he under
stood. had formerly been member of the
Senate. Mr. Wolcott assented and re-
marked that the Senator from Montana
(Mr. Sanders) had asked him in Q very
feeble voice il the proprietor OF the Denver
Republican was a good man. The answer
was that he was formerly member OF this
body. Laughterl
GOOD REPUBLICAN PAPER.
Mr.. Gray quoted articles from the Ecentng
Bulletin and Ecening Telegraph OF Philadel-
phia, 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 II for the
last twenty-five years. and that Il had
never huctuated in its support Of the Re
publican party. He also quoted from the
Portland Oregon5dn, Republican paper,
in opposition TO the elections bill.
THE FARMERS OPPOSITION.
Quoting from 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 the language of dlgnined,
sober, and patriotic men. Could II be true
that those who were advocating the force
bill were asking the Senate to pass q
drastic measure that was TO stop debate
without the support of public oplnlonE
The Republicans were not justified In put
ting behind them all the parliamentary
procedure which had prevailed Tor hun
| dTed years.
oIoTURE, NOT CLOSURE.
He appealed to the Republican senators
TO pause and consider the situation IN
which the Senate found itself in respectto
this measure brought forward-this gag
law or this cloture resolution. He said
"cloture" because he liked the foreign
word better than the American paraphrase.
He did not want such phrase 10 De AI men.
canized. IL had nothing American about
il. Let senators call it by its foreign
name-cloture.
THE ENGLISH CLoTURE RULE.
Mr.. GRAY then proceeded to discuss the
cloture rule of the English House of Com
mons, when he was interrupted by Mr..
Stewart with the suggestion that that rule.
had been adopted without violation OF
existing rules. Mr.. Aldrich said that
English cloture had been adopted by
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 it was attempting
TO nut a gag upon free speech,
which had lived in Englandfor generations.
The gentleman from Rhode Island could
never succeed in the United States Senate
until he had power and authority to turn
ont the minority which sat on the Demo
cratic side. Applause in the galleries,
which was promptly, checked by the pre-
siding officer, Mr.. Delphi
THE POWER OF OBSTRUCTION.
The Republicans said that the power OF
obstruction must be put down and taken
from the minority. II was SAID that that
mower was intolerable. Very well. Let
the mower of obstruction be destroyed,
and free parliamentary government would
also be DESTROYED. Obstruction was the very
weapon of liberty in every English-speaklng
country. There was no unobstructed road
for majority to walk unless that road LED
to despotlsm. Obstruction had been the
fruitful source Of some OF the grandest
achievements of human liberty the world
IL.
do away with it without at the same time
doing away with the muniments OF lib
erty and freedom.
THEY SHOULD GIT CAR.
To tbe gentlemen wanted O smoothly
working machine let them 60 to the
crowned Gar or to an unrestrained and
unobstructed majority. Thespirit OF free
dom would have to die before that state
Of affairs could be brought about. Though
the gentlemen might fret and tume about
obstruction; though time might be con-
sumed and money taken from the Irea-
surv vet il was more important that the
neonle should paw the price of liberty than
that the Senate should be permitted 10
strike down the least Of the muniments OF
American and English liberty.
WHY NOT TURN THIS BILL OVER TO THE FIFTY
SECOND CONGRESS?
Did the gentlemen dare to say that they
would not trust the representatives OF the
people nine months henceT DID II he IN
the mouths Of senatorsto give such miser;
able reason as that? The Senate had
arrived at a state of things where
obstruction did exist land he admitted
iA. but il existed under the Constltu-
tion of the United States. II existed by
reason of the nature and framework of our
Government, and gentlemen had no night
10 say that they would pull down this talr
fabric IN order that absolutism might
reign in the United States.
RESISTANCE BROUGHT MAGMA oARTA.
Resistance had been the cause of Magma
Carta. 1t would be the resistance of the
plain people of America of this day and
generation that would thwart and destroy
and make null the attempts OF any set OF
men to control their liberties and destroy
their freedom. 1t was
SIGNIFICANT FACT
pregnant with instruction and warning to
the American people that the first time In
the HISTORY of England that an attempt
was made in the House of Commons to
limit debate 1t was made in order TO sup
press home rule in Ireland. Let the gen.
tlemen 90 out and tell their natural
lied fellow-citizens from that stricken
and unhappy isle that the American
Senate was taking page from the history
of the English Parliament. Cloture had been
adopted in England IN order that Irishmen
might be gagged in the House of Commons
| when thew attempted to assert that free
dom of speech which belonged to them as
| representatives of their nation and of their
let the gentlemen tell naturalized citi-
zens that that was the example they were
| following in order to destroy home rule IN
| TINS country.
GLADSTONE AND CLoTURE.
Mr.. Hoar inquired whether the clotLre
| rule in England had not been adopted
under the lead of Gladstone, the great
leader of the Home-Rule party of to-day,
but who had not changed his opinion IN
| that respect.
Mr. Gray replied that he trusted that the
conversion that took place in the great
English statesman in 1882 would take place
m some equally distinguished American
statesman in 1891. lLaughter.l
Mr.. Aldrich inquired whether Mr.. Glad
stone had changed his opinion relative 80
| the change of rules?
GI.ADsroNE's ACKNOWLEDGED ERROR.
Mr.. Gray responded that Mr.. Gladstone
at the time he led his party, was the in
yeterate, uncompromising foe OF home
| rule in Ireland. He would not listen to
| the arguments of those who were defend
| inc their people. But since that unhappy day
| Mr.. Gladstone had been great enough and
big enough and grand enough to put behind
| him the errors he had committed. and TO
nut himself at the head of that gallant
band of Englishmen which was fighting
| for the liberties of Ireland. The United
| ctotas did not need to cross the Atlantic