Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-08
Special Tslsqran to n. Register.


WAsHINGrON, ID. c., March THE
preliminary skirluish In the House
occurred to-day and the lighting was so
spirited and prolonged that II Is enti-
tied 70 rank as battle.
IL ragged from the instant the Chaplain
finished his prayer, couple OF minutes
after twelve, until four o'clock, when 1t
closed with the free silver men victorious
at every point aud in full possession Of
the field.
There were some pretty sharp speeches
made by silver and anti-Silver Demo-
Gratis, but nothing occurred that is like
ly 10 permanently impair the harmony
of the party in the House. The con-
test was precipitated by the belief that
the anti-silver men intended 10 tli0uSter
in the approval of the journal.
To prevent this the Committee on
Rules reported its resolution fixing
March %, % and "a as days on which
the silver bill should be discussed, i'm
mediatelY after the Chaplain's prayer
and before the journal OF Saturday 5
proceedings was read.
This at once raised a protest from the
anti-silver men, but Speaker Crisp ruled
that under the rules of the House the
report could be received at any time.
From this ruling the silver men took
an appeal % the House and began
short course OF filibusteriRg, which was
kept up until four o'clock. But at
every point the Speaker was sustained
and the free silver men, aided by the
Republicans, carried the day
On the debate on the appeal from the
Speakers decision Representative Will
son, OF West Virginia, made very good
point. To show the danger Of any
business being done until the journal OF
the preceding day had been read Mr..
Wilson pointed out that the reading OF
the journal might disclose that the very
rule on which the Speakers decision
was based might have been abrogated
by the House on the proceeding day.
Az the West Virginia members voted
20 sustain the Speaker in his rulings.
One Of the motions made by the anti
silver men was % recOmmit the rule 70
the Committee on Rules with instruc-
tions 10 change the date for the discus
sion Of the silver bin from March %, %
and "a 10 December 10. On this motion
Mr.. Pendleton and Mr.. Wilson voted in
the Affirmative. They think IL would
be better for many reasons 20 postpone
the silver discussion until next session.
OF course, Mr. PenGletOn will vote for
the silver bin when IL comes TO vote,
aud Mr.. Wilson will doubtless do the
same.
Mr.. Anderson and Mr. Capehart voted
against recOmmitting the rule. The
contest among the Democrats over the
question gave ex-Speaker Reed an op-
portunity 10 make one of his character
istic sneering speeches about the DEM
ocratic party, aud 70 declare untruth-
fully that Speaker Crisp, in holding
that the report of the committee could
be heard before the journal was read,
had gone much further than Mr.. Reed
himself had ever gone in his much
talked-of despotic suppression Of the
rights Of the minority in the last Con-
gresS.
The fact is that Speaker Crisp's de-
cision was clearly justified by the rule
under which it was made, which says
that a report from the committee on
rules can be received at any time. The
rule may be a bad one, but that is not
Speaker CriSp'S fault.