New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-21
MUCH TALK, NO ARGUMENT.
JUDGE COBB SPEAKS FOR HILL AND HIS
FRIEND ROCKWELL.
aIE RAMBLES ON FOR THREE HOURS UNTIL TOLD
TO STOPPING OTHER SPEECHES.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBINEf

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.f
Washington. April 2O.-The parsans OF Fiji and
Rockwell held the floor all day In The House they
were busy and more noisy than bees In the coat
rooms and Hobbies Never before n the experience
of the older members of the House has open.
persistent lobbying been during the consideration
of any measure, public private, than has been and
Is being practsed in behalf OF Rockwell. No stone
Is left untumed, trick Is forgotten. by his friends
and psrtisans. Among the tricks reSorted to Is that
OF pairing Republicans who are absent with Demo
Gratis who anxious 10 shelter themselves behind
general pairs vote to sustain bipartisan re-
port from the Elections Committee, and Of pairing
Republicans who are present with Democrats who are
absent the assumption that all of the latter are
opposed to the committee repor-wmch assumption
Is false One of RockwelPs friends to-day gleefIlly
boosted that less than thirty-fve Republican mem
bers Of the House are thus paired. The number may
not be so large. but there is no doubt that as the
pairs stand tonight many Republican Representatives
have allowed themselves to be overreached and unless
these pairs are rearranged before the vote Is taken to-
morrow these Republicans will play INTO the HANDS
Of the willy Hill and will probably save his pal
Rockwell who occupies the seat which belongs 10
colonel Noyes The list of pairs from the Clerks
desk tomorrow will be closely scrutinzed and Re
publicans found to be paired with Democrats who
agree with them on this need not be surprised TO
find themselves severely criticised, for their conduct
will be wholly ineXcusable.
The chief feature OF today's debate was long, pro
Tx speech by Judge Cobb. of Alabama, who prepared
the views of the minority of the Elections 'omm'C
tee which were signed by himself and Mr. Gillespie OF
PENNSYLVANIA lie held the floor for nearly three hou"
If would have been better for himself. as well as 1or
his client II Judge Cobb had taken his seat al the ehd
of the first hour. for after that he lost the reu VI ~
discourse repeatedly and induged in antics when must
have weakened his case in the mlnds OF all WIZ VIZ
messed his performance. More than once during MS
borap
nealed 10 the Speaker thus will the speaker please
tcr me where left of ?" Judge Cobb is easily lrri
tated and lie was greatly annoyed not only wheh llor
ruped by questions, but by the noise MADE by henDcIs
who we're more deeply Interested in private coh'c'e"-
ton than in his speech. Judge Cobbs lrSSclo' no'
only detraced from the force of his arment. Dn' De-
trayed him into assertions which Chairman oferr''i
quickly forced him to retract
But Judge Cobb labored under moro serious dlsao-
vantage which he realized more heeniy, PoDaoiy' Jim"
did most of the who listened to him. lie N"ie"-
bered that after he had studied the record Of the case
and listened TO the arguments on COUNSEL De came 10
the conclusion that Colonel Noyes had been fnry elect
ed and was entitled the seat and that decision ne
frankly communicated to several Of his Democratic col
leagues Of the Elections Committee. His views after
ward underwent a change, and he reached contrary
conclusion Whether this change took place before or
after the conference between Hill and several Demo
cratic members OF the Elections Committee at HIPS
the committee room IS not known, nor is II material
II must have caused by some evidence. inforna-
ton or other fact consideration apart from
The printed testimony and public arguments In
the case which must have been extremely
weighty for II is as absurd 10 suppose that
a man with an experience Of fourteen years on
the bench should have reversed his own dellber1te dc
cson without such additional evidence. Information or
consideration as ii would be to suppose that he
should have confded TO his Democratic colleague
conclusion which lie had formed after mature re
Election and with all the evidence and arguments before
him. The Of this radical change OF views have
not vet been clearly and satisfactorily explained,
although Judge Cobb consumed much time to-day,
Judge CObb's attempt To explain why twenty eight
marked ballots cast for Rockwell ought to be counted
while sixteen marked ballots east for Noyes ought To
he rejected was a lamentabc failure, and Rockwells
partisans must have felt relieved when he abandoned
H. although with apparent reluctance. Indeed, II Is
possible that he might have continued indefinitely II
COLONEL Fellows had not taken advantage OF pause
in the flow OF eloquence to persuade the 1ushegee
Statesman that he through.
General Wheeler of Alabama opened the days de-
hate speaking In criticism Of the majority report
Mir Magner, OF York, also favored the claims OF
Rockwell. He said the Committee on Elections cVl-
IDENTIFY had attempted to rectfy the errors mace by
similar committee in the last Congress. but In thS
attempt II had gone too far. and proposed 10 oncr
mn the sitting member : a vicarous sacrifice. ,
The House, pending further discussion adjourned