Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-26
TUESDAY. -. DECEMBER &c. 1893.
a closure Rule Indispensable.

A Closure Rule l~ndlspensaDic'
Tho recent declaration OF the Commit
zee on Organization Of Tammany Hall In
favor Of the early passage OF the wilson
lin - asignihcsnt fact. That powerful
oreapizaH on Is asked 20 affirm that the
r,opular doubt and uncertainty as TO the
outeo,ne Of the pending tariff legislation
should not be permitted further to ma
rass business ventures TO the great In
Jury and suffering Of both employer and
w~orkingman. but should influence Congress
10 speed the passage OF that bill.
Wa may guess. IL we choose so TO do.
tbat Senator Hnl will understand this
,rammauy-Hall resolution to be an en-
dorsemcut II his course In advocating
the adoption OF a closure rule In the
United States Senate. whilst the Voor-
hees bill was pending in that body. he
bodily said that II a majority OF one
would stand with him he would soon
unite the hands OF the Senate and allow
II 10 proceed to the work for which 1t
was c-roated-namely. legislation. The
Senate. however, could not overcome Its
'scntiment" as 20 the binding force or
&c traditions. and managed. after an in
tolerably long delay. to pass the bill into
q law without having adopted a closure
ruie.
II is Just possible hat Mr.. Hill in
ends 10 endeavor TO force the Wilson bill
srough the senate under a closure rule,
ND that he has thus served notice upon
hat body Of his intention thus TO do.
However this may turn out to be,
n closure rule ought to be adopted by
the Senate. That body has no raison
d'stre except its power 10 legislate. III
Il loses. or in any way surrenders that
power. II no longer has any reason for
Ats existence. To consume three months
AZ time in passing a single bill Is TO In
wife lawless flibustering and other pro-
ceedlngs. which no friend of republican
institutions can witness without expert
tncing n pang cf regret.
Speaker Crisp speaks hopefully OF the
prospect hat the House Of Representa-
tives viii send the Wilson bill TO the
Senate in January. but, as we say else
where In this article. he can speak only
for the House, 81 for that. IL is the Sen
ate which has no closure rule, Is
closely divided on the tariff question. The
House Committee on Rules can at any
time report as a privileged question n new
closure rule. and the overwhelming Demo-
cratic majority in that body can adopt
A.. and thus bring the House TO a vote.
But not so. we repeat, In the Senate.
That body can spend n month, IL II
chooses 30 TO do. in discussing the most
insignificant section of the Wilson bill.
The voorhees, bill had but one feature.
IL was simply a bill TO repeal q law.
1t was. so to speak. negative legislation.
on the other hand. the Wilson bill pro-
poses legislation which Will involve the
merits of the existing rates of customs
duties upon hundreds. not TO say thou
sands. of articles. IL is not only taxes
and duties upon tobacco, sugar, cigars,
cigarettes. cheroots. whiskey, beer. ale,
wine. sumac, Irish-potatoes. oil. etc, etc.
that are TO be discussed, but taxes and
Duties upon an Infinite variety" of other
articles, such as incomes. chemicals.
paints, glassware. earthenware, metals,
irom-ore, coal. wood manufactures and
the manufactures OF other articles. fax,
hemp. lutte, wool. silk. silk goods. pulp,
paper. books, etc, etc. All these are
but a few OF the articles embraced in the
Wilson bill. II 1t took the Senate three
months TO discuss and pass upon the
single proposition TO repeal the pur-
chasing section of the Sherman law. how
long will It take that body TO discuss
the hundreds OF separate and Independent
propositions contained In the Wilson tariff
bin9
We are glad to know that Speaker
Crisp Is. as he says he is. In favor of
disposlng at as early q day as possi-
hle OF the tariff question. But we fear
that he reckons without his host when
ne assumes hat because the House OF
Representatives has a large Democratic
majority and a rule which In 10 all
intents and purposes q closure rule.
therefore the Wilson bill cam be hurried
through the Senate. Think OF the hun
drcds OF amendments which the Senate
may attach TO the bill and send to the
House for concurrence in them. Why.
n one single amendment Is adopted in
the Senate touching each article named
in the Wilson bill. the number OF amend
ments which the House OF Representa-
tives may thus be compelled to consider
will be numbered by hundreds and hun
dreis. not 30 say thousands.
We believe In practical politics. and SO
We believe a closure rule ought to b
adopted by the Senate. In the absence
OF such a rule, we do not consider II
possible for Congress TO pass the VIII
son bill before next May or June-avs
or six months only before the congress
tional elections OF next year, In other
words. the Democrats win icse the mex
House Of Representatives IL the new tarin
bill be not passed into q law, II 1t Is
10 be passed at all. time enough to en-
able the people 10 become reconciled 10
It's provisions before they are called upon
70 vote upon them. and the new tariff
MI cannot be put into effect that soon
u the absence OF a closure rule.
We have assumed in this article tina
NE Democrats are strong enough in the
eSaaie TO pass the Wilson bill In tina
way This. however. the Republicans do
h'' eonoede. They claim that seven all.
wNsato senator's will vote against and
Ne@' The Wilson bill unless silver Il
S0'scted' 10 the same or a like ex.
With coal ~iron-ore. sumac. sugar
manufactures OF tobacco. etc. etc.
know moi how this battle h Il
en- AA'e' but we think we DC know tina,
x,.. ohe the Wilson bin u disposed Of
Co.. PASSED or defeated-ths better
ssy -, ls Democratic parry. certainly. and
"s pubic presumably.
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~ Edmunds on Hawaii