The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-22

| VOORHEES, Tries to Secure - Vote on an
| Amendment to tho Repeal Mn. but IL Or.
posed by the Minority, Who Resort 20
| FrnbusterinE-The House Decides to be-
| gin Debate on the Fedora, Elections nm
on Sept. 80 and End IL on Oct. N.
WASHINGTON. Sept. o1.- Soon after the Senate
mot Today Mr. Plat tRep. Conn., offered his
/ resolution for cloture. OF which he gave no.
! tice last Tuesday. The Senate, Mr.. Platt said
was last closing the respect OF the people. Itwas
! last being considered a body that existed for
! the purpose OF retardinE and obstructing leg.
! islation. 1t was being com pared In the minds
| OF the people TO tho English House Of Lords,
and the reason OF 1t was that. under the rules.
IL was impossible, or nearly impossi.
| bic. to obtain action when there was
any considerable opposition to a measure.
Tho trouble was that the Senate rules permit.
TED unlimited debate. 1t was not tho cour.
| tesy OF tho Senate" as was generally sun.
posed. that was involved. It was the right,
| under the rules. OF any member OF the Senate
to speak when he pleased. as long as he
pleased. and as often as he pleased on any
pending proposition. When a measure was
up on which the Senate divided with great in.
terest which the opposition believed to lie to
tho detriment OF tho country. and on which
the feelings Of Senators were enlisted thero
was no practical way in which the debate
could be limited Tho country might feel and
Senators might feel that the matter had
been sufficiently discussed, but Senators
in the opposition said that it had NOT been:
and when. he asked. was the time coming
when they would admit that 1t had been sum-
ciently discussed There were Just two ways,
under the rules. by which a vote could he
reached. Ono was by getting unanimous con.
sent to take vote at a certain time. Il had
been dem oustrated that that m eth cd Of obtain.
ing vote could not be made available on the
present occasion. II the Senator from Indiana
'Mr Noorheesl were to rise this morning and
ask an agreement to take n vote on the Repeal
bill on Nov 10. he could not get II. II he could,
the country would DO satisfied AMI Senator's
would be satisfied. The discussion would
practically cease> and the Senate would 90
about other business until that date. and then
the Senate would live up to its agreement.
But that agreement could not be obtained In
this case. 1t could not be obtained in any case
Where opposition was serious. and where the
senator's in opposition believed that they had
right to struggle and to use all parliamentary
means to prevent vote. Next came what was
sometimes known as the process OF sitting it
out" That was for the friends OF the bill to
remain in continuous session until its Cd.
ponents were physically exhausted. SO that
they could not struggle any longer. That
might or might not result in vote either ON
the Repeal bill or on any great measure
on that test That being the case. why might
not the Senate Just as we'll try to change It's
rules? He offered his resolution In good
faith, As one memb Der Of the minority side OF
thick and thin: Neither the fact that the lie.
publican Senators who favored the Repeal bill
ators. nor the fact that Democrats In the House
We're forcing I another hil! which he looked
them, They would stay here ready to second
the Chairman Of the Finance Conimitte. in
Sete on the propose to get
M, NJ, Hoa5 ksp;, Mass thought that Mr.;
it gave the Vice. President who was not even n1
mem Der of tho Senate the power OF determine
Pf Ir ' asg q es es.s "a
take the vote. He did not think that the Sem
ate ought to impose that duty on the Vice
State from which the Vice President came
three Senators. He suggested 2 substitqtefor
It, to the elect that when any bill or resolution
shall nave been under cons liberation for more
than one day it shall be in order for a Senator
if such demand be seconded by o majority The
question shall forthwith be taken without
Mr.. Voorhees, DEM. Ind.) said that he felt
that the senate and the country were under
from Connecticut Tor the clear. fair and affablo
statement OF tho true situation.
tor f 9o fS fea s3%' has s coma
mnnd OF the silver forces IN the senate. had
Gus way. that he lMr: LODGE had been beat.
ing tho drum" for the forces Of repeal. He
fo @s that time for action 1 had "a
rived. 1t seemed to him that at the moment Of
5R"p tn. Of H. ffsysd res .sfssss
s sry L ren S the sepH
instructed Republican Senators as to 'their
duties the other day But DO mad some ae,
'S the 10
Of the Senate had rnmaine ed unchanged fore
vote BY S se op tSs
Senate every senator could speak. at any
method q prevSn,inr ,' nnrestricted dsSate:
But system of courtesy In the conduct Of
70 be anything. had to be reciprocal
There was another right moro sacred In .
Ms h SGf H% To rht %a 70 E. an
e. s%osS IS
unlimited debate t. q right conceded % BY coprt-
then that system OF courtesy became impos-
slble. When a minority not only did not allow
a debate to come to close. but, would not even
Which II would assent to a close OF tho debats.
then i was obvious that courtesy had become
to be permitted but that the right OF vote was
to be taken away.
continued, did not proceed on the Same line as
the majority that controlled the conduct Of +,
business in the Senate The conduct Of busi-
ness rested alone and absolutely on tho Demo-
cratic Senator's: and il tho Senate did not
reach vote on the Repeal bill 1t was because
conduct Of business. did not choose to have
that vote reached. To substitute for 1t the
lest Of physical endurance In body like the
Senate Of the United States seemed TO him
ptiablc Why could not the vote be reached
In a dgnifled and proper wayp IL the day bad
some when the courtesy q the Senate NO
onger existed. except for those who would
speak ana dGhats ana oet t. Tas not the
, stable rule to enable the body, through it's
majority, to reach a vote AT some time. Legis-
alive bodies in this country were governed by
voting and debating. 1t was desirable to have
hem both. Both were Of great importance.
But il only one OF them were to be had. then
ho one which led to action was the more Inn
portant. To vote without debating might be