The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-17
POWER OF THE MINORITY.
Lodge Speaks in Favor Of Amending
the Senate Rules.

and hold office in that portion Of Okla
homa territory known as the Cherokee
outlet, was taken up. After the resolu-
tion had been explained by MIR. Faulkner,
chairman of the committee on territories,
an amendment, proposed by Mr. Hoar, was
! agreed to restricting the right to vote
and to hold Office to citizens Of the United
States.
Mr. PETER moved to strike out the
word ''male," so as to allow women 70
vote, The amendment was reiected-nays
40; yeas 9,
The affirmative votes were cast by
Messrs. Allison, Cary, Dolph, Frye, Cal
| linger, Hoar, Kyle, PETER and Teller.
Mr. Faulkner moved to strike out that
| portion of the resolution TO which MIR.
| Hoar's amendment had been attached and
as amended the Joint resolution was
| passed. As amended 1t provides: That all
male citizens Of the United States above
| the age of 81 years, who are actual resi-
dents on the 2lst day of October, 1893,
and have been residents for thirty days
| prior thereto, of that portion Of OKLA
| homa territory, opened to settlement by
| proclamation Of the President Sept. Is,
| 1898, known as the Cherokee outlet, shall
| be entitled to vote and to hold Office at
| the first municipal elections held in said
| Cherokee outlet for the organization Of
city, village and town governments.
COUNTING QUORUM.
Mr. Lodge, rep, of Massachusetts,
spoke in advocacy of his proposed amend
ment Of the rules providing that no sena-
tor shall read printed or written speech,
and senator not voting shall be counted
as present for the purpose of making
quorum. MIR Lodge said it had been
held by the United States supreme court
that member silent ana present was
then acquiescent and for the purpose Of
making a quorum, and could be counted.
"Oh no' said Mr. Gray, 'it was merely
held that the House Of representatives
| the right to make its own rules"
MIR. Lodge said that it had been held
by tho state courts and by the English
courts as far back as the time Of Lord
| Beaconshcld, that presence and silence in
a corporate board constituted acquiesence.
| The present condition of the Senate was
an absolute travesty on every rule Of
parl iamentary procedure
Mr. Stewart thought the present debate
would go down in history as the most inn
portant and instructive, Excluding of
course, the humble part he had taken in
it, that had ever been conducted in any
parliamentary body.
wEBsrEBs SPEECH.
Mr.. Vest, dem, of Missouri, referring
to the reply to Mr.. Hayne of Mr. Web
ster and Lodges rules against reading
two speeches, said from the best au-
thority obtainable at the time, Mr.. Web
ster did not give that speech 10 the pub
| lie as it stood now in parliamentary liter
0JIfe for more than one month after 1t
was delivered. No stenographers were
then in the Senate and it was to-day ques-
tion OF very great and reasonable doubt
whether that speech as 1t had come down
| TO posterity was the same speech, at least
in verbiage, that was then delivered.
Mr.. Lodge thought the speech was
taken down somewhat in short hand, or
what passed for short hand by Mr. Gale,
and after being held by Mr. Webster for
some time and revised by him was pub
llshed in the form in which it was now
Mr.. Hoar said that whatever prepara-
tion Mr.. Webster made for his speech
was such as he could make in the hours
after the adjournment Of the Senate in
the afternoon and its meeting on the fol-
lowing morning.
VEST DEFENDS OBSTRUCTION.
Mr. Vest said his experience had taught
him to believe that a written speech was
much more effective than an oral one.
The best speeches he had ever heard in
the Senate, for the effect upon the people
of the country, had been written speeches,
and this he could say without prejudice,
as it was not his custom to deliver written
speeches in the Senate.
In regard to a closure rule, Mr.. Vest
said that IL the action of minority in re-
sisting the votes of the majority had no
other defence in American history the de-
feat of the Force bill would consecrate it
to large extent with the American people.
If the Senate had been false to all the
precedents of American history and to
the liberty-oving instincts Of the Ameri-
can people as was another tribunal in re-
gard to the Force bill, the country would
have been in a different condition to-
day-the states with their autonomy de-
stroyed and the liberty of great people
struck down by federal authority, while
the minions of partisan power would have
looted and reveled in the destruction
wrought
THE COUNTRY ONCE SAVED BY A MINORITY.
II thank heaven" said Mr.. Vest with
much feeling, that there was one time
in our history when a minority under the
rules Of the Senate were able TO defeat
that infamous legislation, and | am glad
that the Junior senator from Massachu-
setts can hear now in this tribunal the
deliberate Judgment of one senator that
that single incident furnished a whole
acre Of argument for the resistance of a
minority so far as the rules of the
legislative body will permit to
grossly outrageous legislation, which in
wolves the autonomy Of the states and the
liberties Of the entire people. "Mr.
President, whatever the Senate may do
this is not the time to consider it. / hon.
estly believe that we can never arrive at
a solution of the question that is harrass-
ing us and the country until all parties
are satisfied as l am satisfied that un-
conditional repeal cannot be had in
the Senate"
A LAUGH on HILL.
"Will you please explain TO us, s," asked
Mr.. Hill, what you mean by your conf
dence in the fact that an unconditional
repeal bill cannot pass the Senate2 Why,
If a majority is In favor Of it, can II not
be passed."
III the senator from New York, !" re-
piled Mr.. Vest, ''haying read the rules
and having witnessed our proceedings un-
der these rules for two months, cannot
answer that satisfactorily 20 himself, IL
would be arrogant vanity for me 10 at
tempt t." Laughter
There is no intelligent man la this
union who does know that the Senate
cannot pass this bin ! think that Is the