Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-10-19
The Time to Begin to Fight.

Mr.. voorhees, announced to the
Senate on Saturday, in the words of
Paul Jones when called on to surs
render, that he aud the friends of
the repeal bill shave only begun to
fight" If this can be taken TO mean
that Mr.. Voorhees, realizes the ne
cessity Of more vigorous action than
he has attempted hitherto and means
to undertake it, the whole country
will rejoice. For it certainly is true
that the advocates of repeal have as
yet scarcely begun to fight. They
have stood to and taken the fire Of
the enemy but they have made no
| vigorous attack.
Everybody perceives now that VIC
tory on the present lines, or with the
present mode of fighting, is improb-
able, if not impossible. The Senate
must either make up its mind to
change It's mode of procedure, so far
as to compel a vote, or else must
make terms with the minority. And
the decision which course to pursue
must rest with the Democratic lead
ers, since it is now plain that they
can count on no active assistance
from any considerable number of
Republican Senators.
While public sentiment has quite
ignored party lines in this discus
sion, and while most of the Senators
have professed to do the same, the
conviction has gradually grown that
many of these latter have been
shrewdly playing politics all the
while, with no real intention of
helping toward the solution of the
difficulty. If the administration
Senators are now convinced of this,
they have one clear duty before
them, and that is to challenge the
whole body Of the Senate to an early
vote on repeal.
This might be done outside the
rules. It can also be done with more
formality by the Introduction of a
new rule on which a vote can be de-
manded. For the majority has GERS
tainly the power, when it has the
will, to amend the rules of the Sens
ate, ven it be denied the power to
ignore them. And such a motion
would bring every Senator to the
test and make it impossible for any
one to pretend to be in favor of re-
peal while recording himself against
its enforcement.
Without some aggressive move
ment the controversy will inevitably
drift upon party lines, and the Re
publicans, having escaped a vote on
unconditional repeal, will content
themselves will content themselves
with voting against any modified
bill that may be offered. That this
is their expectation has been indi.
Gated by a number of Senators, and
it will compel the Democrats to rely
entirely on their cwn party siren 5tt
to bass the repeal, even if the condi.
tions accepted are entirely sound
Even so, the obstructionists will mo-
be disarmed, since no compromise
is likely to be entertained that viii
satisfy the mining-camp Senators
So that the necessity for providing
!, for some limit of debate will still
remain.
Such rule ought not to be adopt
ed by a party vote. 1t ought to b.
adopted now, while a majority O.
Senators of both parties profess t.
recognize the need of it. If the eff
fort fail, the country will at leas
understand why, and will know
where to place the responsibility
, The power of the Senate to contro
: its own actions IS q more importan
, issue than even the purchase of sill
yer. It is time for the real friend
of repeal to begia to fight in earnest