The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-12
A LEGISLATIVE LOCOMOTIVE.
1uE Morse or REPREsENTA IIrES
RUNNING At RtILROAD SPEED.

A Red.,etter Day In Iezi.inuon-Moro
Work In Nine Hours thnn Had Been
Done In Three Months-The Democratic
Caucus Turned Down-How the Anil.
option Bni was Run Through the Mill
UuparaIiei-a Scenes In the House-The
Watch Dog OF the Treasury Utterly
Powerie-s-A Bin ApproprintinE Nearly
100000 Rushed Through In Less
than Thirty Minutes by the Clock.
wAsHrSGroN, d. c.. Juno 1.-THE Republic
can National Convention has apparently alb
eorbcd all interest in tho proceedings Of the
House OF Representatives. Yet Monday. June
y. was one Of the most extraordinary legisa-
two days ever known In tho history OF the
Government. 1t Was SUSPENSION Day. large
majority Of tho Republican members wero In
Minneapolis attending tho National Conven-
tion. There were not enough Of them In the
House to got the yeas and nays. The House
took the bit in it's teeth and absolutely ran
away with itself.
IT was not a rreconcerted movement. but n
sort OF inspiration. The House had been del
uged with talk for weeks, Discussions long
drawn out on points OF order and unimportant
amendments had wearied it. The weather
was muggy and hot. Weeks had been spent
In discussing two appropriation bills. and leg
islation had dragged monotonously. That
great inch worm, the Sundry civil bill. had
taken thrcc weeks and thirteen legislative
days IN hitching itself through the House.
Tho Post ONCE Appropriation bill. which had
been passed in fifteen minutes by Tom Reeds
Congress-. had used w seven more legislative
days. The longest bill OF n!l. tho Legislative.
Executive. and Judicial bill rcmnined upon
the calendar. Judging from experience. 1t
would take three weeks. aside from what are
known as Suspension. District. and Private
bill DAYS. to drag itself through the House.
On May "a Democratic caucus had been held.
Its leaders had recognized the gravity OF the
situation. There were only twenty nine legis.
latve days left before the end Of the fiscal year.
Tho Sundry Civil bill was still unfinished.
The Post Office Appropriation bill. the Legs.
lative. Executive and Judicial bill. the Fort-
acations bill. the Agricultural bill and the
General Deficiency bill still awaited action.
II they were not passed before June 30 an
other appropriation bill. continuing the ex-
travagant appropriations of Tom Reed Con-
gress must be passed to cover the interim.
After hot debate the caucus resolved to give
the appropriation bills precedence. The Hon.
William Henry Hatch of Missouri indignantly
refused to be bound BY the resolution. He
said that 1t was snap caucus. called ut four
hours notice. He gave notice that the instant
the Sundry Civil bill was out OF the way he
should demand recognition and call up tho
Anti-Option bill. II defeated he should press
1t on every occasion.
Hatchs opportunity came when the Sundry
Civil bill was passed. As quick as flash he
got the floor and moved that tho House 60 into
Committee OF the Whole on the state OF tho
Union for the purpose OF considering bills
al Ant
the first on this calendar. Mr.. Henderson OF
North Carolina. Chairman Of the Committee
on Post Offices and Post Roads. arose almost
at the same time. but the Speaker recognized
Mr.. Hatch. The House refused to consider
the Anti-Option bill by tie vote. 1t took up
the Post Office Appropriation bill This bill
was reported back to the House on Saturday.
June 4. and was passed between 3 and 4 2. NJ.
Thereupon Mr.. Hatch again secured recoRni-
ton. and moved that the House go into COM
mittee to consider bills raising revenue.
The opponents Of the bill. in view OF the &C.
ton taken BY the Democratic caucus. began
to hlibuster Mr.. Hatch said that he had no
purpose Of asking vote on the bill during the
afternoon session. but merely to bring 1t be-
fore the House for general debate. But he
added that he intended il he had the oppor-
tunity. to call for vote on it on Monday. Sus-
pension Day. The fllibusters refused to yield.
On Saturday the House always adJourns early.
They saw that 1t would take over half an hour
to read the bill. and then Mr. Hatch would
take the floor. BY the time he had concluded
his speech the House would DO anxious to
adjourn Nobody could control it's action.
Thus the opponents Of the bill would have
Very little opportunity to explain their views,
Monday came. amid the rambling at Min
neapolis. The journal was hardly read be-
fore fiery Hatch was on the floor. On
Suspension Day. under the rules. there
can be no flibustering Only one motion
to adjourn is In order. 1t requires two
thirds vote to pass a bill. but only majority
vote to second motion to take it up. Once
before the House. only thirty minutes debate
Is allowed. second was demanded as soon
As the Anti-Option bill was read. 1t was
promptly secured. Then thirty minutes was
used in debating it. the time being evenly di-
vided between its friends and opponents. The
House has seldom refused to allow members
TO extend their remarks in the Record But
this day objection was repeatedly made The
time allowed to those opposing the bill was
divided closely that Gold Dollar Harter Of
Ohio secured only a quarter OF "A minute in
which to express his views. The bill was
passed by vote OF 1877 to Az. The yeas and
nays are worth analysis.
Z
John f. Andrew. Joseph II. O'Nel. and Moses
7. Stevens Of Massachusetts,: Oscar Lapha IN
and Charles H. Page Of Rhode Island. Henry
Bacon. Timothy J. Campbell. James W. Covert.
Amos J. Cummings. John R. Fellows. Albert 5.
Greenleaf. Daniel Lockwood. Charles Tracey.
and John Dewitt Warner OF New York Thomas
Dunn English and Edward F. Nc Donald OF New
Jersey. William McAleer and William Mutcll-
81 hsor sna bIaS
ley q South CCsrolina. Co, Hilary 4, Herbert
Lagan. and Ger. AdClph Meyer q LoTislsna;
and John G: Tarsneyiof Missouri. Josiah Pat:
terson Of Tennessee, Allen X. Bushnell and
John r. Mitchell OF Wisconsin. Allen c. Dur
borrow. Jr.. Lawrence l. McGann, and Gen. Wal
ter G. Newberry OF Illinois; Michael d. Harter
and T; l. Johnson, Of Ohio. Byron G. Stout
The Repu blicans voting against the measure
Ohio. Matthew driswod and Charles o'NelIl Of
Psnnsylyania. Eugene +. Loud Of California,
Charles s. Randall OF Massachusetts. Samuel
NJ stevenson OF Michigan. and Ahner Taylor
Of Illinois.
The democrats who voted for the bill were
Gen. William G.. Oates, Louis W. Turpin.
james i. Cobb. John H. Bankhead. and Gen.
William ~ FOrnay OF Alabama. William III.