Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-01
BLAND ON CL0TURE.
Free Silver's Champion Explains
What is Much Misunderstood.
he DOESN'T CRITICIsE MR.. CRISP
For Doing What the Rules of the Present
Congress Demand.
INTERESTING ITEMS FROM THE CAPITAL

WASHINGTON, March 3L-Representa-
tive Bland, the champio of free silver in
the House, in conversation with a reporter
to-day, expressed the opinion that consider
able misunderstanding existed throughout
the country on the subject of the proposed
''cIoture rule" which large number Of the
Democratic members OF the House asked to
have adopted to expedite action on the sill
yer bill Mr.. Bland said: 1.-THE difficulty
we have had with the silver bill is an sp-
parent Misunderstanding as to the real
nature of the rule that the Speaker had in
tended to report to the House. 1t is not a
cloture rule further than it is In aid of the
previous question.
'The previous question is the cloture rule
of the House. We have had it for over SO
years. There is no cloture rule in the
Senate. The rule proposed to be reported
to pass the silver bill was simply rule
made to prevent flibustering by declaring
it to be out of order for the Speaker to en-
tertain flibustering motions. The standing
rule that we have adopted gives to the
Committee on Rules the power in this way
to stop filibustering. That is to say, the
Committee on Rules reports rule to the
House providing that pending a PROPOSE
tion on which the House wishes to come to
a vote the Speaker is absolutely prohibited
from entertaining flibustering motions.
must adopt it or reject it, so that it is the
House that must determine whether or not
the House wishes to stop flibustering.
The Difference Between Rules.
'The difference between this rule and the
rules of the last Congress is that the rules
of the Fifty-frst Congress gave to the
Speaker himself the absolute power to re-
fuse to entertain a dilatory motion. The
rules of the Fifty-frst Congress vested this
power in the Speaker. The rules of this
Congress vest this power in the House it
self. But the House cannot act upon it
without the report from the Committee on
Rules. 1t seems that enemies of the silver
bill, after ascertaining that the Speaker in
tended to report a rule to prevent filibus-
tering, raised q hue and cry against
cloture. A great many of onr members, be-
ing new members, were misled as to its actual
nature Since the matter is over, 1 have
learned to nv satisfaction that the Speaker
was beset by good many members who had
voted for free coinage, and they told him
they would not vote for such rule. Con-
sequently he was apprehensive that the ma
jority of his own party would vote against
him. In view of this fact he changed his
mind and refused to report cloture rule
until majority asked for it. criticised
his action very severely, but did so without
full information as to the true situation. I
do not censure him at this time tor his
action.
When Filibustering Ran Mad.
"During Mr.. Carlisle's administration as
Speaker flibustering became so common
that it was impossible to pass bill where
few active opponents flibustered against it
and nearly every bill of Importance was fill
bustered against. 1t was notable fact that
General Weaver, of Iowa, then a member
of the House, acting alone prevented the
of any business in the House
for three or four days, until the Speaker
and the House and the country were dis.
gusted with the scene. The Democrats
then realized the necessity of some rule by
which filibustering could be prevented by
the House, and had the Republicans in the
Fifty-frst Congress gone no further than
our rules 20 now, the Democrats could not
have reasonably objected to them"