The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-14
THE SILVER BILL DEFEATED.
1t is Effectually Put to Sleep in
the House.
The Silver Men Make n Great Fight, But
Are Unable to Successfully Cope with
Their Opponents Ex-Speaker Reed
Creates Some Amusement = Other
Vote.

WASHINGTON, July 13.-TSpeciall-
The clock pointed to minute past 10
in the House to-day when Mr.. Catchings,
OF Mississippi, Crisp's lieutenant on the
floor, reported from the committee on
rules resolution, which all were ex-
pecting, to make the silver bill the spe-
cial order for day and the next legis-
lative day. The Republicans had deter
mined on their programme, and ex-
Speaker Reed, as the representative OF
his party, was on his feet the instant
the reading of the resolution had been
concluded by the clerk.
Before Catchings could say word
after the reading of the resolutions,
Reed interjected motion to lay the
resolution on the table, but the Speaker
would not recognize the man from
Maine, ruling that Catchings had the
floor and could not be taken from it;
when the gentleman from Maine got the
floor he could make his motion. Reed
insisted on his right to make motion
in advance Of one from Catching, who
was in control of the resolution, and
disclosed the purpose of his motion. 1t
the silver bill in the quickest time
possible.
The House, Reed said, should control
its own affairs. Here were two motions
which could be made for cutting off de-
bate; ono was his motion to lay on the
table, which had precedence and would
cut OFF debate and bring the resolution
to an i'm mediate vote. The other was
a motion for the previous question,
under which an hours debate was per-
missable. The House might not care to
have the debate and should be per.
mitted to vote that way IL 1t desired.
Speaker Crisp ruled against Reed He
did not combat Reeds general PROPOSE
tions in the ruling, but based his decis-
ion on the ground that Reed could not
make any motion when he did not have
the floor, and he could not obtain the
floor when the gentlemen from Missis-
sippi had recognition. No authority by
which the gentleman could be taken
from the floor could be produced. Catch
ings, accordingly, was recognized and
yielded tho floor to Chairman Bland, Of
the coinage committee. for fifteen min
utes, but before Bland could speak
Burrows, of Michigan, taking prompt
advantage of slight parliamentary in
formalIty on the part of Catchings,
made the point that the gentleman b ad
moved the consideration OF the resolu-
ton.
Ho insisted that all Catchings had
done was 10 report the resolution and
that, therefore, the report, like any
other report, must go over for dav.
Burrows was technically correct, but it
was ruled that it was the understand.
ing that the purpose of the gentleman
from mississippi was to move tho pre-
vious question. Bland was accordingly
recognized and in accordance with the
programme of the silver men he offered
an amendment to tho resolution, having
for its object the opening of tho path
way for an amendment to the Stewart
bill to meet the alleged legal defects in
1t and also TO apply thu cloture rule TO
the bill
He paid his res oects to those mombers
whom he knew were going TO oppose
his programme on the ground of antag-
onlsm on the principle to tho cloture
rule and declared that tho cloture lin
the form of tho previous question: was
fifty years Old. This remark was ro-
ccived with applause by the Ropubli-
cans.
MIR. Bland, in closing, said that he
would vote against the previous cues
ton and whatever the gentleman might
say tho vote on tho previous question
woald align squarely the friends and
enemies OF free coinage. MIR Bartine.
OF Nevada, leading The free silver Re.
publicans, spoke in tho Same strain as
Mr.. Bland. Mr. Clark, of Alabama.
then spoke on tho other side, declaring
he was still earnestly in favor of free
coinage, but recognized the inexpedi-
ency of trying to pass a bill now which
could not, by any possibility, become l.
law. He was followed by Mr.. Fore
man, OF Illinois. who said tina he should
stand by tho national platform and vote
against the resolution
Patterson, of Tennessee, was the next
Democrat who has heretofore been
classed as a free coinage man, but who.
to-day, came out against the Stewart
bill, and 1t was evident that on one or
another ground BANDS previous sup
porters were slipping away from him.
PATTERSON placed his objection to the
Stewart bill and the resolution on the
ground thatthe Democratic party was
squarely opposed to tho Republican
party on the tariff and the force bill,
and he would cast no vote that would
bring forward another issue. He would
march under the banner that "public Of
flee is public trust"
Catchings, of Mississippi, was anxious
that the Republican side should take
hand in the debate instead of listening
very willingly to his Democratic oppo.
nents and he now yielded fifteen minutes
to Reed, who was reluctant to accept the
time and sarcastically said that he
should feel obliged if the gentleman
from Mississippi would wait until some
body had spoken in favor of the bill.
He did not want to start with the neg
ative He was, however, compelled to
do so, Catchings insisting that a Repub-