St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-29
Speaker Crisp Ends All Hope
for the Mucf-Talked-of
Measure.
He Refuses to Vote in Favor
Of Clotupe Unless Backed
by a Majority.
Mr. Bland Is Very Indignant,
but Virtually Admits
His Defeat.
Conflicting Statements Made
by the Missourian and the
Speaker.

Speaker.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 2S.-The
silver question is an issue of the past,
so far as the house of representatives Is
concerned. The developments of today
clearly indicate that the all-powerful
decree of cloture will not be invoked by
the committee on rules to assist the free
coinage men in forcing final vote on
the passage of the bill, and without such
a decree all the resources of parliament
tary law will be powerless TO resurrect
the bill from the cemetery of unfinished
business to which it has now been coll
signed.
In the house the measure now hangs
in chancery, with Democratic majority
always able at will to take it from the
calendar and force it to final vote. In
the senate hardly less interest is felt,
because on the action of the house de-
ponds the question of whether silver
bill will ever reach the senate for con-
currence.
1t was not until the house had met
and passed to the consideration of UNI
interesting routine business that Speak
er Crisp finally announced today that
the committee on rules would not deem
it proper to report a rule preventing
.filibustering and forcing vote unless a
majority of the Democratic members
should sign petition demanding such
an arbitrary procedure.
Bland Was Aghast
Mr.. Bland was quite indignant, and
insisted upon a rule, but the speaker
was obdurate and seemed to be sup
ported by most of his prominent Demo-
cratic colleagues. Mir. Pierce and sew
eral other gentlemen at once began the
circulation of petitions, but thus far
they have not secured more than forty
or fifty Democratic signatures, although
the work will be continued tomorrow.
Mr. Bland this afternoon made the fol-
lowing authorized statement with refer
ence to the bill:
When the bill was first reported, set
ting apart three days TOR the consider
alton of the silver bin, l insisted that
the rule should bes continuing order.
( to be considered from day to day until
disposed of. knowing that three days
could be flibuStered out and no action
had upon the bill. When | made this
suggestion to Speaker Crisp, he rather
tartly replied tllatssI ought to try the
committee OH rules in that matter; that
4if the three days were filibuStered out
without disposing of the bill, the com
mittee on rules would report a rule
preventing all filibustering motions,
and compelling vote upon the bill.
Motions and filibuStering tactics were
ID f,'n IN las
day for the consideration Of the bill.
The friends of the bill were determined
to keep in session so as to prevent
lapse of the legislative day. Myself,
MI. Pierce, of Tennessee, and other
members Of the house, went to the
speaker. Mr.. Crisp, and asked his adj
vice about the matter, whether he
thought that tilibustering had pro-
ceeded long enough to satisfy the house
and the country that the committee on
rules would be warranted in reporting
a rule by which all tilibuStering no
lions would be prevented. and bring the
house to a direct vote upon the bill.
Crisp Changed.
He assured myself, Mr.. Pierce, of
Tennessee; Mr.. Stone, of Kentucky,
and number of others that he thought
fiibustering had gone on long enough
to demonstrate the fact, and that the
committee on rules would report rule
to bring the bill to vote. | may ada
that | moved that the house adjourn on
Thursday night at the instance of the
speaker, and with his emphatic state
ment that he would report a rule cut
ting off filibuStering motions and bring
the bill to vote.
"Ihe next day. being Friday, | went
into the speakers room and met Judge
Crisp. He then advised the Introduction
of a rule to be voted on today, Monday,
preventing all filibustering motions,
and compelling a vote upon the bill. lie
sat down and wrote out the rule him
self. | introduced it at his request and
suggestion, and had it referred to his
committee, with the distinct under
standing that therule would be reported
today. | never heard anything about
his wanting a petition of majority of
the Democrats until this morning,
when we ought to have been voting
upon the order itself. Then the speaker
: said that he would not report the rule
. unless o majority of the Democrats pc
titioned for it, Had he intimated
Thursday night that he wanted petit
ton, we would have gone to work and
got the members of the party voting for
the bill, Which was majority of them
! to have signed petition without doubt
shut nOintimation of that sort was given
by the speaker.
The Record Showing.
s We consider the roll call of the house,
showing as it did large majority of the
Democratic party in favor of the bill, as
sufficient warrant for him to act accord
ing to the wishes of the Democratic
party, as shown upon the record. About
the time of the meeting of the house
this morning | went into his committee
room, and for the first time learned that
he had changed his mind.
The speaker had given a number OF |
the free coinage members of the Dem
oeratic party to understand that lie pro-
posed to have vote either today or to-
morrow on this rule. We had tele |
graphed for absentees. We had made |
Ievery eXertion to have our men in the |
house and to have them present. When |
we found the attitude Of the speaker |
had changed, it created confusion and |
CONSERVATION among the free coinage |
advocates. They felt they had been de-
ceived and disappointed by the action |
of the speaker.
OF course they regarded it that he |
had made pledges and promises to our |
opponents that he did not advise the |
friends of free coinage he had made.
The consequence is that at critical
moment they saw the speaker had de-
serted them, al<a many members, espe-
cially those who were personally the
followers of Crisp, are now refusing to
sign any petition. While petitions are
being circulated, it is very uncertain
whethef, under the circumstances,
majority can be got for that purpose.
Tie Speaker Surprised.