Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-10-18
THE sENATE'S RULES.

question. be said, should come up
squarely. Ifthe regular presiding OH
Ger (thc Vice President decided that
the senator should be entered Oh the
journal as present, the other side
might take an appeal. But if he de-
cided differently, following the ruling
Of the Senator from West Virginia (Mr.
Faulkuerl. the side which presented
the question might take an appeal and
have the question decided by the Sen
ate. That was the ordinary and prop
er way Of disposing of it.
Mr.. Morgan said he was not surprIs-
ed that the Senator from New York
had championed the rulings of the
Speaker Of the House (Mr. Reed on
that same proposition. The Senator
had been instrumental, when he pre-
sided in the Senate of New York, IN
the introduction Of that heresy, not
only into the democratic party, but
also into the constitution and into the
siitutional rights Of legislative
bodies. The majority Of legislative
body, he said, could take care OF Itself.
Dir. Morgan went on to speak OF the
':aliiance and coalition" formed in the
Senate at the time of the Malone and
Riddleberger controversy. Whatever
the purpose Of it was, the result would
be 10 break up the democratic party,
and he asked his democratic colleague
whether they were willing TO strike the
fatal blow. 80
He again paid bis respects to Mr.. Hill,
and said that he did not wonder that
politician born and raised in New ork'
where arbitrary force was the moving
agency in all political machinery, both
democratic aud republican, should at
last come TO believe that there was no.
thing else to be done in politics except
to simply get majority OF votes and
then use the power which they gave;
The present coalition. be SAID, had
been created by the national banks, for
the purpose OF destroying silver money.
Mr.. Morgan, in the course OF further
remarks, saiCfthat he proposed to offer
an amendment TO the bill to strike out
all after the enacting clause and insert
a section repeating the whole OF the
Sherman law.
Mr.. Washburn denied that there was
any agreement between republicans
and democrats in the Senate who favor
the silver repeal bill.
After little personal colloquy with
Mr.. Washburn, during which Mr..
Morgan said
Il stand here responsible for every
word | speak-responsible here and
outside, either. Now, you understand
that? Perfectly responsible
Mr. Morgan went on with his argu-
ment. In the course of it be referred
TO Mr.. Sherman as one of the leaders OF
the coalition on the republican side, and
said that he never had followed, and
never could follow, the lead OF that
Senator on any subject, political or fl,
nancial. He also connected with the
coalition what he called, disdainfully,
the Juveniles from Massachusetts and
New York" meaning Senators Lodge
and Hill.
II defy you,n he continued, ';to pass
a closure rule here. You cannot alarm
me into subordination to your scheme
BY anything of that kind. am not
going to follow the lead of any man or
set of men, or TO surrender my consti-
tutional rights, in response to bowling,
rampant demands Of concessions to the
national banks. If | must die here, !
will die like an honorable man, at my
post"
Mr.. Gray failed to see any provoca
ton for Mr.. Morgan's "heroics." He
had failed to hear much of argument in
proof of any of the important PROPOSE
tons pending. He submitted to Mr..
Morgan and other Senator'S on the same
side of the question that vituperation
was not argument, and that imputa-
tons on mems motives did not carry
conviction. He went on to argue
against the position taken by Mr.. Hill.
"Let me state said Mr.. Hill, what
my proposition is. According to the
ordinary principle of parliamentary
proceedings, l claim, first, that it is
within the power of the presiding offi-
Ger, in the absence of express rules to
the contrary, to determine the presence
ola quorum. My second proposition
is that there is no rule of the Senate
which expressly, or even implicitly for
bids that action.
Mr.. Mcpherson, democrat Of New
Jersey, asked Mr. Hill whether he
made any distinction between the
POWER and duty of the Vice President
in TIE chair, as compared with Sena-
tor temporarily called to the chair.
Mr.. Hill do not.
Mr.. Gray took issue with Mr.. Hill.
Senators were obliged, he said, by the
necessity oforderly proceedings, to pro-
coed in an orderly fashion to the obtain
ing of parliamentary results. The Sen
ator from New York was mistaken in
saying there was no rule to show that
the presiding officer could not act as
Mr.. Hill suggested.
Mr.. Hill, democrat of New York, said
that he had not expected to convince
the Senators from Alabama and Della
ware. They were not willing to bow
to the unanimous decision of the Su-
preme Court on the question. His own
view of the case was that it was the
duty of the Senate to give such con-
struction to the rules as would not
make the Senate absurd, and as would
facilitate public business.
Mr.. Hill proceeded to pay his re-
spects to Mr.. Morgan as having spoken
contemptuously of the politicians of
New York. He admitted that there
were politicians there; but they were