The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-21

than a quorum and Mn. Fitch demanded
call of the House and the yeas and
nays were ordered upon it. But the
Democrats, believing that their quorum
had returned, voted against the motion,
which was made by Mr.. Fitch in order to
give the absentees an opportunity to
return, and the motion was lost-yeas,
%; nays, 164.
The vote then required on ordering the
previous question but before it was
recorded. The Speaker complied with
the request, whereupon Mr. Burrows
voted in the affirmative, and when the
result was announced-yeas, 180; nays, 3
moved reconsideration.
Mr.. Fitch moved to lay the motion on
the table. This was carried and the pre-
vious question ordered
Mr.. Reed said that he could not
equal the fiery denunciations of the gen
tleman from Indiana, Mr. Bynum) against
the rules of the 51st Congress nor could
he equal the choice epithets used four
years ago by the gentleman from Ken
lucky (NIr. .Breckinridge) He (Mr. Reed)
was suffering from the fact that he was
not backed up by such chorus as had
made the air vocal four years ago. The
members on the Republican side were too
well educated to indulge in mere noise.
Naughter.0 The Repub ublican party in
the 51st Congress, had made certain
rules. The Republicans today occupied
an unusual position. They stood to win
in any event. Uaughter.) The Demo-
cratic party had either to resort to every
thing they had denounced or to be
beaten. The Democrats had their choice
between humiliation and defeat, and
they had chosen humiliation. Naugh-
ter. Not Only had the House today
violated all the precedents of one hum
dred years but it had also added new
zest to the occasion by violating all the
principles of parliamentary law. 1t had
announced that committees could origi-
nate legislation. 1t had destroyed the
sacred right of appeal. The Republicans
had offered the majority, iii good faith,
an honest system by which it could con-
troll the business of the House without
acts of violence. Instead of THAT, the
majority wanted violence in each particu-
lar case. What spectacle the House
going through the valley Of humiliation.
(Repu blican applause).
Mr.. Catchings, sarcastically, said that
it was cruel of the gentleman from Maine
to advise the Democrats that they were
in state of humiliation. He (Mr.
Catchings) had not discovered it himself.
He thought that the Democrats were
with the gentleman from Maine was that
he had discovered that there we're other
methods than those invented by him and
his associates in the 51st Congress by
which the House could do business. Be-
sides the methods now proposed were
eminently fair. This House stood ready
to do business whenever it chose, with
out the consent of the gentlemen on the
other side. (Applause.)
Mr.. Henderson of Iowa, said that the
resolution which it was proposed to adopt
under circumstances that were without
parallel, was aimed at the ballot box.
There was little need for these laws in
this country, yet if this bill were passed,
ten years would not see a Republican
elected to the House except from Eastern
Tennessee. Democratic applause
"Oh", exclaimed Mr.. Henderson, ap-
plaud your own infamy if you Will".
lRepublican applause.) Continuing Mr..
Henderson said the time was coming
when the country would not be con-
trolled by a minority elected by fraud
and violence. He protested against the
measure which would destroy the only
safety valve of the republic, the ballot
box Republican applause).
Mr.. Payne of New York, said the Dem
ocrats today had carried into the House
the same spirit that had been rife in the
Southern states, which had blotted out
the right of the minority to vote or to
have its vote counted. Now Tammany
Hall was reaching out it's hand over the
bloody chasm of the South and asking
that the same methods that were used in
the South might be used in New York
city, but when they attempted to deprive
the white men of the North of their
rights, the day of Nemesis would come.
(Applause.)
Mr.. Hatch of Missouri, sarcastically
alluded to Mr.. Reed as the man who in
the 51st Congress, ruled the House with
a hand of iron and who now protested
against a majority of the representatives
OF the American people controlling its
action. The action today was not the
action of despotic speaker. 1t was the
action of the House (Applause.l The
gentleman from Maine had said that be-
yond this was the ballot, and he (Mr.
Hatch) thanked God for it. Beyond the
51st Congress there had been the ballot
Qaughter) and the people hadrwiped from
this chamber majority of the men who
had perpetrated the outrages on the
House and the country. Mr.. Hatch de-
clared vehemently that today the head
and front of the rabble was John |.
Davenport. This dec ,ation was loudly
cheered by the Democrats. There was
no parallel to the iniquitious conduct of
that man in New YORK who would rob
the American people of their birthright
in order to aid the. Republican party.
(Applause.)
Mr.. Fellows of New York made brief
and humorous speech, after which the re-
port of the committee on rules was agreed
to, and the Speaker proceeded to call the
committees for reports. Mr.. Tucker Ere
ported the Federal election bill and it
was placed on the calendar. The House
then adjourned.