Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-21
INSENATE ANDHOUSE
Spirited Debates in Both Branches
of Congress.
Mr. PLATrS CLOTURE RESOLUTION UP.
Time for Vote on the Fedora
Election Bill.
ABOUT COMMITTEE CLERKS
THE SENATE.

THE SENATE.
Mr.. PETER OKan.) reintroduced the bill
to provide for a bureau of loans, and asked
that 1t lie on the table for the present. 1t
is, with some notifications, the same - he
introduced in May. 1882
MIR. PIatt's ClOture Rule.
Mr.. Platt Comm offered the resolution
for cloture, Of which he gave notice last
Tuesday.
The rules Of the Senate, Mr. Platt said.
ought to facilitate the transaction Of busi-
ness. That proposition would not be de-
MED. But the rules OF the Senate, as they
stood today. made 1t almost or entirely i'm
possible to transact business. The Senate
1t was fast being considered a body that
existed for the purpose Of retarding and
obstructng legislation.
1t was being compared in the minds of
the people to the English house of lords.
And the reason Of it was that, under the
rules. 1t was impossible. or nearly impossi-
Bile. to obtain action when there was any
considerable opposition to q measure. He
knew that It might be said that in the
present condition Of affairs in the Senate
the resolution could not be adopted. But he
believed that 1t could be adopted Just as
easily as the repeal bill could be passed,
and Just as quickly. He had not consulted
with Senators on his side of the chamber
to any great extent. and yet he thought he
might safely say that there was a large
majority on his side Of the chamber who
would favor the adoption Of q resolution at
this time.
II vote on the repeal bill could be reach
ed, vote on the cloture rule could be
reached. II the consideration Of the rule
was opposed and delayed factionally, that
iact would demonstrate most clearly that
w nt>nf
clustering against the repeal bill. The
country. he added. did not understand why
the Senate did not vote. He doubted
whether any explanation could make clear
10 them the reason why the Senate did not
vote. He got letters every day from his
constituents (he q member of the minority
sewing why do you not do something to
bring on vote on this bill?''
What the Trouble Was.
The trouble was that the Senate rules
permitted unlimited debate 1t was not
the courtesy Of the Senate" as was gener-
ally supposed. that was involved. 1t 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 an he
pleased ON any pending proposition.
When measure was up, on which the
senate divided with great interest, which
the opposition believed to be to the detri-
men. 1 OF the country. and on which the
was no practical way in which the debate
could be limited. The country might feel
and Senators might feel that the matter
had been sufficiently discussed, but Senator
in the opposition said that it had not been
when, he asked. was the time coming when
they would admit that 1t had been sufficient-
~ discussed? There were Just two WAYS.
unusr the ruies BY -w1ew>1 VOTE c0uRd- be
reacheo. One was by getting unanimous
consent to take vote at a certain time.
IT had been demonstrated that that method
OF obtaining q vote could not be made avail
able on the present occasion.
Could Not Get an Agreement.
If the Senator from Indiana CMr. Voor.
hees) were to rise this morning and ask an
agreement to take q vote on the repeal bill
on the 10th Of November he could not get
It II he could the country would be satts-
fed and Senators would be satisfied. The
discussion would practically cease, and The
Senate would go 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 opposi-
ton was serious and where the Senators in
opposition believed that they had a right to
struggle and to use all parliamentary meas
ures to prevent vote. Next came what
was sometimes known as the process Of
sitting 1t out" That was for the friends
Of the bill to remain In continuous session
until its opponents were physically exhaust
ger. That might or might not result In a
vote, either on the repeal bill or on any
great measure over which great contest
was made. 1t had not resulted in reaching
q vote on what was calld the force DILL al
though Senators had sat up one night over
it. In other matters since he had been in
the Senate Senators had remained in ses-
sion all night and all the next day and the
next night, and finally vote had not been
reached. Why not?
He supposed the case Of minority OF
thirty Senator'S: and said that ten OF them
might occupy twenty-four hours IN
speeches another ten twenty-four hours
more; the third ten twenty-four hours
more, and then the first ten might begin
again. Such a method of trying to reach a
vote. Mr.. Platt declared to be harsh-he
might almost say inhuman.
It would require the friends OF the bill
to keep a quorum present constantly dur
ing q continuous session. There were Sen
ators in favor OF the bill who could not, as
session day after day and night after
night, in order to get a vote.
The Senator from Vermont, on the finance
committee (Mr. MorrilD had gone to his
home on account of his inability to remain
in this climate. Other Senators would be
absent, sick. Others. by reason Of age OF
by reason Of feebleness. would be unable te
remain in continuous session long enough
to tire out the opposition.
He had said that 1t was almost inhuman
It smacked Of the method Of obtaining q
verdict by locking up a jury. 1t was q
proposition to force the minority to sur.
render on q test Of physical endurance
The result usually was that 1t was the
majority which surrendered on that test
That being the case, why might not the
Senate just as well try to change its rules
THE HOUSE.
There were many empty seats in the
House at noon today. Indeed, there were
not more than 100 members present when
the Speakers gavel called the House to or
der.
The journal having been read. Mr.. Reed
(Me) suggested that the document was no,
correct, although the journal clerk had
shown good judgment in writing the jour.
nal as he had. He had stated that the
Speaker had ruled out certain motions yes
terday on the ground that they were dila
tory motions. This was not the fact though
it should have been. and he called the at
tention Of the Speaker to the matter.
The Speaker replied that, owing to thu
fact that the committee on rules had beer
in session this morning. he had not had ar
opportunity to examine the Journal, bu
from listening to 1t he was Of the impres
sion that 1t was not correct.
Mr.. Reed would like to congratulate tn,
chair upon the fact Of the Journals being
correct, even through inadvsrtence
Gaughter)
The Sneaker took the journal to examin.