The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-13
A BATTLE TO THE DEATH.
VOORHEES, Still Leading Ills FOTlOrn
Hope in the Senate.

The Sitting Unbroken Since the Open
ing on Wednesday-The Silver Men
Taking it Easy, While the Admins
tration Forces are Wearing Them
selves Out Under Continuous Duty.
The Silver Men Prevent Mr.. Voor-
hees From Securing a Recess From
1 O'Clock This Morning Until IL
O'Clock.
Washington, Oct. 12, IL As p. m,-The
weary struggle in the Senate goes on and
little progress seems to have been MADE
towards settlement.
The silver men still seem to have the
upperhand and control the situation.
The first intimation of the weakening Of
the repeal forces was the decision of Mr..
Voorhees, to move for a recess tonight
from p. m until IL a. m. tomorrow He
reckoned, however, without the silver
men, who announced that they would not
yield the floor to Mr. Voorhees, to make
the motion, and thus he was obliged to
abandon his plan.
Many stories of compromise were in the
air tonight, but the unqualified sate-
ment of both sides is that the fight now in
promise can be broached with success.
Secretary Carlisle was again at the
capitol in consultation with the demo-
cratic senators in order to keep himself
well informed of the situation
The hours dragged along until at s 80
O'Clock, Mr.. Voorhees,, chatting under the
continued roll calls, petulantly arose and
demanded to know of Mr.. Frye of Maine,
who was in the chair, to what extent the
privilege of calling for quorum could be
abused.
BRILLIANT SCENE.
The scene was a brilliant one. The
setting of the fierce struggle in progress
on the floor in the dazzling glare of
the artificial lights, was one to impress
the mind and fascinate the eye
The galleries were banked to the doors.
In the reserve galleries were many ladies,
their bright dresses adding color to the
scene. The press gallery overhangIng the
Vice Presidents chair was crowded with
busy espondents scratching away
with persistency. Below, on the floor,
was the wreck of great parliamentary
battle, then thirty-two hours old. The
venerable Senator Stewart, looking like
patriarch with his long white beard,
was grinding monotonously away, while
the haggard faces around him betokened
the long strain to which the attempt to
force the silver men to yield by test of
brute strength had subjected the Senate.
Mr.. Cullom sat listlessly in his seat.
Behind him, Mr.. Hoar was pegging away
at some correspondence. Mr. Turpie and
Mr.. Bate were talking wearily and Mr..
Lodge, the student senator from Massa-
chusetts, tall, erect and undaunted, stood
aimlessly in the aisle.
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TAKING IT IN.
In the rear of the chamber were rep
resentatives from the other house, CON
spicious among whom was "Siiver Dol
lar" Bland, who was talking earn
estly to MIR. Teller. Over in the
corner, Mr. German was the center of an
interested group, composed of Messrs
Hill and Murphy of New York and Faux
ner of West Virginia.
HELPLEssNEss OF THE MAJORITY.
No more perfect demonstration of the
helplessness of the Senate under the pres
ent system of rules has been given than
by the events that followed Mr. Voor-
hees' inquiry.
'Mr. President, my inquiry" said Mr..
Voorhees,, with head erect and defiant,
sis whether there is any limit or restraint
on the rule permitting senators to make
the point of no quorum2'
"In the terms of the rule" said Mr..
Frye, who was presiding, "there is no
limitation, and the chair knows of no
power in the presiding officer to place a
limitation"
Mr.. Voorhees, sank back in his seat,
angry, but with no further word of pro-
test. The roll call brought forty-four un-
willing victims into the chamber.
QUAY POINTS OUT THE SITUATION.
AS soon as the announcement was made
MIR. Quay, of Pennsylvania, got to his feet
and suggested the absence of a quorum.
He did it, he said, because the decision
of the chair put it absolutely
in the power of any one senator to block
legislation for as rapidly as a computation
was made senator could suggest the alb
sence of a quorum and the roll would
have TO be called.
THE Senate of the United States"
said Mr.. Frye slowly, and with gravity
that caused the galleries to litter, sis the
most dignlfed legislative body in the
world" Here he paused. "And," he pro-
ceeded, ''the trainers of its rules did not
suppose that any senator would violate
Senate. Therefore the rule is made
without any limitation upon a senator ex-
cept his own sense Of right
THE SENATE FAR FROM IDEAL.
''The theory of the constitution" said
Mr.. quay, dlSguStedly, may be as stated
by the chairman, but our recent expert
ence has shown that the Senate is very
differently constituted" He then with
drew his suggestion of the fact of quo
rum not being present, when, to the as
tonishmeHt of ALL Mr.. Carey of Wyoming,
who evidently desired to show the coun-
try exactly how powerless the Senate
was, repeated it.
THE RULE READ.
The chair had the rule read. It pro-
vides that if at any time any senator raises
a question as to the presence of a quo
rum, the presiding officer shall forthwith
direct the roll to be called.
Mr. Aldrich, rep, of Rhode Island, said
ii was plain that that rule, carried out as
the chair had ruled, would destroy all ac-
tion by the Senate at the will of any one
senator. He thought a correct interpre-
tatiOn of the rule required the interposi-
tion of some business between one call Of
the Senate and another
Mr. Faulkner in the same line sug-
gested that there should be a reasonable
Interpretation of the rule, and that the
chair should not entertain "A suggestion
Of the absence of a quorum Immediately
following an official announcement from
the chair that quorum was present.
The presiding officer suggested that the
Senate could give a construction Of the
rule by an appeal from the decision Of the
chair.
There is no decision to appeal from,