Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-10-19

/ Lue llult NC wants.
Mr.. Daniel said he did not ike tc
commit himself when there was no such
question presented to the Senate. He
might not be very good lawyer, but
I ne was too good a lawyer 10 answer.
hastily, proposition which he was not
discussing, and nothing to do with what
he Was discussing.
AIr. Hill remarked that. if the pre-
siding officer Of the body agreed with
him. the bill would pass in spite of all
the distractions of the minority.
Before order was restored, Mr.. Hill
retired to the cloak room, fact which
was referred 10 by Mr.. Daniel, saying
that the Senator from New York had
left the room with alacrity after q
speech in which be had been beating
all around the gooseberry bush with a
lantern
MIR. Aldrich asked Mr.. Daniel wheth-
er he believed that, under the rules,
there was any method by which the
majority could reach a determination
on the question of amending the rules
in the face of obstruction on the part OF
the minority, whether by speeches or
otherwise.
Mr.. Daniel answered that he did not
see that the Senate rules had provided
for the contingency.
In connection with the right to
amend the rules, Mr.. Frye quoted de-
cision of Mr.. Speaker Blaine in the 43d
Congress. in which Mr.. Blaine said
that. pending proposition to change
the rules, dilatory motions could not
be entertained: that the right of each
house to determine its rules was an or
ganic right expressly given by the con-
stitution, and that the House was in
capable of depriving itself of its inner
ent constitutional power to determine
its rules. Mr.. Frye added that there
was not a shadow OF doubt that it was
The duty of the Senate at any time to
make rule for any case then pending
before it. and that it would become the
duty of the presiding officer, under his
oath. TO refuse 10 entertain any dila-
tory motion, and to put q percmptory
stop to dilatorv motions, and thus pre-
serve to the body the right which the
constitution gave it. If the majority,
GIr. Frye declared, had adopted pro-
ceeding of that kind month ago. there
would have been vote on the bill be-
fore this time.
Mr.. Daniel-Yes: and il all the gen
tlemen who form the majority had
stayed in the chamber for these past
three weeks. we might have Lad vote
before this.
In closing his speech be said Il am
here to le2isiatc, and l want to proceed
to legislatc in an orderly, straightfor-
ward way do not want you gentle
men democratic Senator'S TO lecture
me about breaking up the democratic
party as long as YOU stand in the mi
nority of the party and are unwilling
to abide By its judgment"
When Mr.. Daniel closed there was
another ioll-call, and iilty-seven Sena-
tors answered.
Mr.. Butler excused himself for not
voting on tue last roli-call, saying that
Mr.. Hill, after delivering lecture
about absenteeism, had fled 20 the
woods, and that he (Mr Butlerlhad tried
10 get him back, and had succeeded.
AIr. Mills replied with much excite
ment of manner. 10 the criticism of Mr..
Daniel because he would not GO into
democratic caucus. He argued that
there was paramount power in each
house to make the rules necessary for
the dispatch of public business. Sena-
tors in the majority had been tainted.
he said, because they had come to the
Senate chamber TO a test Of physical en-
durance to sit up all night, and to hear
somebody rcau papers Tor fifteen hours,
and to be tortured every five minutes
by being compelled to wake up ard
come in and answer to their names.
and take their punishment. He de-
clared that to-day the government was
III paralysis. Congress could not pass
an appropriation bill, or a bill to eman-
cipate commerce or any other meas
ure They were told that no business
should be done unless it was done in
the way that the minority wanted.
And so the great question which the
American people had to consider to-
day was whether majority should rule
in the legislative bodies of the govern
ment. Should the public will be ex-
pressed, or was the Senate to stand at
The demand of a minority which said
that when the majority agreed to terms
which it proposed it would permit the
majority to act and register the decree
of the minority? He had been
asked whether he would go into
caucus and abide by the result.
He answered without hesitation mo"
a caucus meant meeting to nominate
officers. A conference meant meeting
10 settle difficulties. He would not go
into a caucus, but he would go into
conference to see whether something
could not be agreed upon by which
"the great nightmare" might be dis
PEELED. He had been rebuked by the
Senator from Alabama because he had
said that he would not vote for any
amendment to the bill He was the
sole proprietor of his own vote, and he
would vote as he pleased. There had
been time when he would have lis
tened to a compromise. There bad
been time when he would have sought
compromise, but when Congress con-
vened the guns had been opened o., the
democratic administration, the chief of
the administration had been charged
with infidelity to his party, and the be-
ginning of an anti-administration party
had been started, and now he had cut
down his bridges and burned his boats
behind him on the subject of compro-
mise. The people did not intend to
abandon the democratic organization or
tn see the chief of the administration