The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-18

~. Il.
the chairman Of the judiciary committee,
reported the bin TO the house ana mower
lis massage. The Democrats opposed the
measure. but they were in a minority, ana
the prospect Of beating II seemed nope
les Rut Samuel !. Randall, OF Pennsyl
,.ania n man who never knew what defeat
moan and whose grim tenacity was as
,,orked ~ his courage, was the Demo
cratic foor leader. and be had made up MS
mind that the bill must be beaten.
Tbore was an additional reason why
psrdau was determined 10 beat the bill
n came ND for consideration in The second
session Of the congress, and during the re-
coss the elections had been held and
Democratic majority had been elected 20
the new congress. Randall was very am.
bilious TO be speaker, so we're seNera'
other men. The grim old Pennsy iyanlah
knew that II he won the fight his election
As speaker would be conceded without
struggle. On Wednesday, the 9th OF Jan
nary. the struggle began. Motions to al
iourn and take a recess were made without
ceasin0. and for seventytwo hours the
house remained in continuous session.
During those three days and three nights
members were in constant attendance ana
the excitement was at fever heat There
was only one man who did not seem az
fected by the general excitement and the
turmoil Of the fight. That man was han
dali. lie was i'm his place TO make every
necessary motion, and old members re-
member how he had a little brown teapot
brought 10 his desk, and in The intervals
between roll calls he gulped down cup OF
strong black tea and hastily swallowed n
fovv moutbfuls of bread and butter For
seventy-two hours he did not sleep ormoye
awav from bis desk. Other members
dropped off. overcome with fatigue. Ran
dali. grim and stern as an old Covenanter
fighting for what he considered to be the
cause of freedom and liberty, was at ms
post. When his tea was exhausted his at
tendant renewed it.
That little brown teapot made Randall
speaker Of the Forty-fourth congress. At
the end Of the third day, although the he-
publicans outnumbered the Democrats two
to one. they saw the folly of keeping up
the fight and "a Republican representative
from Chicago made motion TO adjourn
When the Democrats heard this they set
ma mighty shout. 10 was q victory for
them. Randall said nothing. He was as
watchful as ever. Men Ike Jay Hubbell,
OF Michigan: Senator Hale, of Maine, then
a representative, and Senator Hawicy, OF
Connecticut. voted for adjournment. The
motion TO adjourn was carried; Mr. Kan
dali finished bis last cup Of tea and went
home 20 seek much needed rest. The fight
was renewed later on, but the victory was
practically with Randall and the Demo
Gratis, for when the bin passed the o0jec-
tionabe features complained Of by Ran
dali and his fellow Democrats were stricken
out.
The second session Of the Forty-fourth
congress witnessed a remarkable, con-
test. That was a great year anyway in
American history 1t was in the days OF
Hayes and Tilden, the famous year oil
1876. the year of the electoral count. The
Forty-fourth congress had TO settle the de-
tails Of that bin, and, as is well remom-
bered. it gave rise TO some fierce debates
The house remained in session for thirty
days-that u.s. the legislative day continued
that length Of time-although there were
adiournmeuts taken from time to time
and there were no seventy-two hour ses-
sons, as there had been in tie congress
before it.
In the Fiftioth congress there was also a
prolonged and bitter contest. For many
years there had been an attempt made on
the part of Democrats to refund the direct
tax, tax which arose out Of the necessi-
ties of the war, and which was severely
felt in the south. The Fiftieth congress
having large Democratic majority, and
Democratic president being in the White
House, it was thought the time was ripe
for passing the bill Although a majority
of the party ia the house favored the bill,
there was q minority, small, il is true, but
full of courage and resolution, who thought
that the government had no right 10 re-
fund this money ard this minority an
nounced its determination TO fight the bill
at every stage.
The flibGsters were led by Colonel
Oates, Of Alabama, "a one armed veteran
of the confederate cause, and whose cour-
age had been tested on the field Of battle
For eight days Mr. Oates was able to bid
defiance to at least $50 men They wanted
the bill passed, they had done everything
possible TO bring the bill before the house
and secure its favorable consideration;
they knew that there was an overwhelm-
ing majority In IT'S favor, and yet the one
armed confederate colonel stood like
a second Leonidas at the pass Of Their
mOpyl@ and was able to hold il against
the enemy.
Night and day Oates offered his motions
to adjourn and to take q recess, and with
mOnOtonous iteration the clerks called the
roll Reading clerk after reading clerk
broke down, owing to the strain put upon
his voice, and toward the end not a clerk
WAS available and one Of the doorkeepers
had 10 be drafted into service He also
was unable TO 90 the pace, and members
who were ambitious TO show their elocu-
tionary powers came 80 his relief One Of
the members who thus OBLIGATED was the
in fated Taulbee Of Kentucky who two
years later was shot in the corridor of the
Capitol
One Of the remarkable things in con-
nection with this flibustcring was "call
Of the house" lasting for twenty-six hours
It has already been explained that when
after roll call less than q majority of the
members answers to their names further
time can be consumed by the filibuster by
calling the attention Of the speaker to the
fact that quorum is not present, and
when that is done 1t is usually followed
by motion TO order a call of the house.
When a call Of the house is ordered the
doors are locked and no member is al
lowed TO leave the chamber until a quorum
Is secured and a motion is made TO dis