Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-29
THE ATTITUDE OF THE PRESS
Seeking to Take a Page From
English History.
Senator Gray's Splendid Effort Against
the Odious Senate Gag Rule--A hit
With Sherman, In Which the Ohio
Senator Was Decisively Worsted--A
Sharp Running Discussion.

tnterposition of the grasping, rude, violent
proposition now before the Senate. There
had been no necessity for IT, 1t had been
violation of all the presidents that had
obtained in the Senate for hundred
years. Coming to the Election bill, Mr..
Gray asked what public opinion did its
promoters represent outside of that opinion
which came from tight and close party
organization What public demand did
they represent?
was referring to and was told that it was
the Elections bill, We supposed, he said,
that the question before the Senate was
whether a majority should assert its power
to transact any business or whether mi
nority of the Senate should have the
power, by the abuse of debate, to prevent
the majority from expressing the will of
the majority.
MIR. SHERMAN CATCHES IT.
Mr.. Gray resented the attempt of the
senator from Ohio to read lecture to him
as to how he should conduct debate The
senator's age and long experience in pub
lie service gave him great many prvi-
leges which he (A1r. Gray) would be the
last to ignore but still they gave him no
right to interrupt him (h1r Gray and to
administer a reproof as to the manner in
which he addressed himself to the qlles-
ton. Suppressed applausel He had
the Elections bill had been conducted
within the lines of propriety and of the
usage of the Senate, and he would proceed
in that line.
THE PRESS AGAINST THE BILL.
II might not be pleasing thing for the
senator from Ohio to hear that even his
own party. did not stand behind him in
pressing this measure, which Democratic
senators considered odious and inconsist-
xr,tt AI.
liberty. The great city of Philadelphia
with its able and wel-establshed press
had spoken with no uncertain tones as to
the policy of the bill. That great city.
which was often called the stronghold Of
the Republican party in the country cat
least so far as the great cities were con
cerned) with its constant, unyarying and
enormous Republican majorities, repudi-
ated the bill. Out of its ten daily news
papers only one supported it. 1t was not
mere idle words, those finger points of
publiQlopinion. II meant something. ID
meantMhat this was, after all, deep-seated
in the American heart, that love of Amer.
lean traditions and free local self goyeri-
ment which had made the United States
the republic of republics on this continent,
Party lines, he was glad to say, did not go
below the surface. Down below party
lines lay the great bedrock of American
liberty and American self-goyernment.
Mr. Gray referred to the Boston 1dueuiser,
one Of the oldest papers Of that city, a Re
publican paper, as opposing the Elections
Mr.. Frye-Ias the senator with him the
editorial from the Boston 4duertiwr as
proof of what he has stated?
Mr.. CRAY think have it and | will
produce it.
MIR. Frye would like you to do So be
cause do not understand that to be the
position OF the Boston Adgertiser.
WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION.
MIR. Gray went on to say that the same
thing was true of the great metropolitan
city of New York. They were daily plead
ing that the Elections bill might be laid
aside in order that the great interests of
the government, the country and the
people might be properly attended to by
appropriate legislation. So, too, with the
west. He mentioned as some of the western
Republican papers that opposed the Elec-
ton bill the Omaha Bee, the Minneapolis
Journal, the st. Paul Pioneer Press, the ST.
Louis G'obe-Dcmocrat and the Denver Re-
publican
In reference to the aforementioned paper.
Mr.. Teller spoke of it as the leading paper
of Denver and of that section of country,
and Mr.. Wolcott added that its proprietor
(Mr.. HID was the gentleman whose name
had been sent to the Senate by the Presi- |
dent as one of the monetary commits
sioners, and who, he hoped, would be con-
tirmed at the earliest opportunity.
Mr., Gray said that he was glad to hear
that the paper had the imprimatur of the |
President. Thegentleman he understood,
had formerly been member of the Senate,
Mr.. Wolcott assented and remarked that
the senator from Montana (Mr. Sanders) |
had asked him, in very feeble voice, if |
the proprietor of the Denver RepubLicdn |
was good man. The answer was that he |
was formerly member of this body. |
Laughter,
PAusE AND CONSIDER.
Quoting from resolutions adopted at the |
convention of the Farmers Alliance pro- |
testing against the passage of the Flee. |
tions bill, Mr.. Gray said the Language Of |
those resolutions was the language of dig
nified, sober and patriotic men. Could it |
be true that those whowere advocating the
Force bill were asking the Senate to pass n
drastic measure that was to stop debate
without the support of public opinion? |
The Republicans were not justified in put
ting behind them all the parliamentary
procedure which had prevailed for a hun
bred 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-this gag
law or this cloture resolution. He said
"cloturen because he liked the foreign
phrase. He did not want such a phrase to
be Americanized 1t had nothing Ameri-
can about it, Let senators call II by its
foreign name, ''cloture'
LET THE BILL GO OVER.
The American people would not sustain
that majority. Let The Force bill 20 over
until the next Congress. The Senate had
waited. for a hundred years; could ii not
wait nine months? The Senate had done
without a closure for the past hundred
years; could it not wait until the ides Of
next December
Mr. Gray then proceeded to discuss the
closure rule of the English house of COM
mons, when he was Interrupted by Mr..
Stewart with the suggestion that the rule
had been adopted without violation Of
the existing rules.
Mr.. Aldrich said that the English closure
had been adopted by a process which
would not be attempted by the United
States senate-by turning members out.
MIR. GRAY ON FREE SPEECH.
Mr. Gray replied that that was the only
way that was open TO the English House
when it was attempting to put the gag
upon free speech, which had lived in Eng
from Rhode Island could never succeed in
the United States Senate until he had the
power and the 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.
Mr.. Aldrich said that the people were
living under the rules Of parliamentary
and constitutional law; he thought that no
attempt would be made to exclude the SEN
ator or any other senator.
A STAR AT CIVIL LIBERTY.
In all the years of our history never be-
fore had an attempt been made to gag
free speech or limit debate in the United
States Senate. This proposition was a
oto h and blow nj civil liberty Ahsolntism