Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-06
ALACK OF COURTESY
Gets Speaker Crisp in a Hole
and Postpones a Vote
on the Tariff.
BURROWS is DETERMINED
To Teach the Speaker Lesson for
Snubbing Him as He Did.
EVIL EFFECTS OF A BAD TEMPER.
A Season of Filibustering Opened Up That
May Not End
EVIL EFFECTS OF A BAD TEMPER.
BEFORE THE MAJORITY Is VERY TIRED
fsPECIAL TELEGRAPHIC LETTER;
BUREAU OF THE DISPATCH,
" WASu1NGDnN ID q n1.il

lack of good manners on the part of
Speaker Crisp resulted in waste of the
whole of this day by the House at flibus-
tering. Mr.. Crisp has been conspicuous for
testiness and bad judgment of late. In his
treatment of the free coinage men he began
with unparliamentary tavoritism toward
them, and ended with breach of faith for
which they have not by any means forgiven
him.
Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, taught him a
lesson to-day which may be of great benefit
to HIM if he lays it to heart. Crhp's
blunder was so foolish, so lacking in the
simplest of common sense, that his own
party criticises him this evening much
more severely than do the Republicans.
Had he shown the most ordinary courtesy
due from him to one member on the floor
of the House the free wool bill would ha We
been passed before the hour Of ad ournment.
As it is the time of its passage depends
now not on the act of the Speaker or the
power of the great Democratic majority,
but on the grace of Mr.. Burrows and the
Republican minority.
Shortly Snubbed by the Speaker.
1t all started from proposition of Mr..
McMillin, of Tennessee, who has had
charge of the tariff debate on the Demo-
cratic side, to limit discussion of the first
section to one-half hour. Mr.. Burrows,
for the Republicans, asked for more time,
and while attempting to arrange matters
was roughly'told by the Speaker that he
was out of order.
1t is usual when an arrangement is to be
made in regard to the extent of debate
for the leaders on each side to indulge in an
informal colloQuy somewhat regardless of
rules
Mr.. McMillin had stated his view, but
when Mr. Burrows, than whom there is not
more gracious or courteous member in the
House, attempted to give his reasons for
asking more time, the Speaker almost in
sultingly ordered him to take his seat, de-
claring that there would be no attempt to
do business until Mr.. Burrows was seated.
Mr.. Burrows, even when insisting on his
right, and in which he is upheld generally
by members on both sides, was calm and
respectful, and at the ultimatum of the
Speaker he sat down quietly, but with an
ironical smile wreathing his face, which
boded an uncomfortable day for the Speaker.
Burrows Starts Up the Filibuster.
Mr.. McMillin, willing to be liberal,
offered to extend the time of debate to an
hour and quarter. MI. Burrows moved to
amend, making it two hours. This amend
ment was defeated, and then, on call OF the
previous question Mr.. Burrows, seconded
by the jolly Mr.. Payne, of New York, began
to filibuster by motions to ad journ, to take
recess, that when the House adj ourn it ad-
iourn to certain time-in short, all of the
dilatory motions which cannot be overridden
in the operation of the present rules. On all
of the motions a general viva voce vote
would be taken. Then would come a de-
mand for division" (that is, a rising
vote), then for tellers, and then for the ayes
and noes And thus the time was consumed
until the entire day was wasted, and Mr..
McA1illin, poweSless to accomplish any
thing, himself moved an adjournment,
which was of course acceptable all round.
At times the Republicans refused to vote
and then broke the quorum and forced a
call of the House. The minority had barely
a sufficient number of members present to
enforce tellers and roll calls, but that num-
Der sto3d together and did its work admir-
ably.
No Hard Feeling OH Either Side.
The obstruction was attended with no
disorder. Between the two parties the
floor the utmost of courtesy and good humor
marked the whole performance, both sides
recognizing that the Speakers bad temper
alona was responsible for the situation.
While the Republicans began to filibuster
solely for the purpose of rebuking the
Speaker, new thought entered into the
fight later on. 1t occurred to the Republic
ans that elections take place in Rhode ISL
and tomorrow, and that it would be bit of
fine humor to postpone the vote on the first
of the tariff bills until after that event, and
leave the Democrats of Rhode Island with
absolutely nothing to point to in the work
of their great maj iority in the House except
the passage of two or three appropriation
bills and the defeat of the free coinage bill,
which was accomplished only with the val |
liant assistance of the Republicans. !
Yet a more important matter may spring |
from to-day's work. Some of the Republic |
ans encouraged by the easy obstruction of |
to-day, urge upon their party in the House |
that this would be good time to force the |
Democrats to support the cloture, which |
has been the one thing violently objected |
to by the Speaker and most OF the majority. |
Free Coinage Men See a Ray of Light.
A continuation of to-day's filibustering |
would doubtless compel the Committee on |
Rules to report special order, with the
cloture, to prevent all obstruction and force |
a vote on the free wool bill No fault could |
be found with such obstruction, as a con- |
spicuous precedent is furnished by the |
treatment OF the free coinage bill, in which |
the filibustering was led by Democrats. |
But ii the Republicans force the Com /
mittee on Rules to report the cloture the |
free coinage men declare they will them |
selves tilibuster against the ''gag law unless
the free coinage bill be included with the |
free wool bill in the operation of the |
cloture. 1t is really the most interesting
parliamentary situation of the session, and |
the only way out OF it. without the sharpest |
sort of a fight, is for the Republicans TO
voluntarily abandon the field after having
given the Speaker a lively lesson in polite
usuage. and permit the tariff bill to pass.
They have it in their power at this moment
to force the Democrats to petition the Com
mittee on Rules to report special order
with the cloture, to secure a vote on the
free wool bill, which is just what the DEM
ocrats refused to do for the free coinage
bill, and such a petition would give the
free coinage men another chance to OBJ
struct the special order and cioture unless
their bill be included.
The Republicans have not vet decided
what they will no. 1t is probable that ex-
Sneaker Reed will return from Rhode
Island tonight, and he is almost certain to
lend his voice to those who wish to drive
the Democrats to the wall with their own
rules
Morgan Determined in His Course.
Senator Morgan may find it difficult to
GET his silver resolutions from the calendar,
but he seems determined to offer an occa-
sional amendment to them to afford Sena-
tors who desire it an opportunity to give
their views to the country. An amend
ment introduced by him to-day instructing
the Committee on Coinage to report bill