Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-10-10

An Important Amendment That Was
Thought of Too Latc-Synopsis of the
oratory in the Senate ON sherman Law
Rcpeal-WoIcot Attacks the Presiden,
for Writing the Sortheu Letter-DoIIiver
and Fitch Close the House Debate.
WASHINGTON, Oct I0.-The house Dem
oeratic caucus after session Of TWO hours
unanimously adopted the following reso-
luton. Resolved, That it Is the sense Of
this caucus thar the pending bill ,house
bill! 2,3al should be passed oy the house OF
representatives On tomorrow, and that the
Democrats should present an uabrokzn
column in its support" The caucus was
called originally for the purpose Of decid-
ing whether The Tucker bill or the Fitch
substitute therefor, which is uch less
comprehensive in it scope than the Tucker
bill, should be accepted Is the measure ex-
pressing the sense OF the party upon the
declaration IN the platform respecting the
repeal Of the Federal elect on laws.
Generally Agreed iu Opinion.
1t was also the intention 20 determine
what, # any, amendments should be made
was unusually we'll attended. between 40
and 10 members being present. mum
Der Of them came directly from the cars,
upon which they had returned 10 the city.
to the Capitol. Representative Holman,
chairman Of thescaucus, presided, and
Representative Anderson, of Virginia, was
secretary. The discussion was at times
quite animated, but II i said TO have been
entirely free from any radical differences
of opinion. Fitch and Tucker nj some
length aualyzed and defended their re-
spcctive bills Fitch pointed ont that the
sections Of the law omitted from his
measure were simply declaratory 10 their
nature and contained nothing in them.
selves by which the processes complained
OF by the Democratic party can be en-
forced.
An Important Section Omitted.
The discussion was further participated
in by Patterson OF Tennessee, Springer of
Illinois, Bourke Cochran Of New York.
Talbcrt Of South Carolina. Oates of Ala
bamH, and others. 1t was pointed out in
the course OF. the evening 10y Fitch and
Oates especially that the Tucker bill.
through an oversight. did not include sec
ton j52s Of the revised statutes. The
terms OF this section are such that it was
felt not only by these gentlemen, but by
others, that 1t was essential to have Il re-
pealed in order thai the intention to pre-
vent the use Of troops at the polls should
be wholly carried out. There were num-
Der OF suggestions that the Tucker bill be
amended by inserting this section in its
provisions, the overwhelming sentiment of
the caucus being in favor Of the Tucker
bill.
Too Late to Amend the Bill
But Speaker Crisp, in statement of
some length describing the parliamentary
situation, showed that the bill could not
be thus amended ut this stage The order
OF consideration provided for the taking of
the vote at ! o'clock this afternoon upon
the bill and pending amendments, and
therefore it was impossible to add to the
list of amendments that had been intro
duced up to the hour of adjournment yes
terday afternoon. Thereupon Fitch moved
that the resolution which the caucus
adopted as already stated He explained
the section referred to 5,52S - could
be inserted in conference after the meas
ure had passed the senate, in case any
amendment was made by that body, or if
found necessary its repeal could be accom-
pllshed by an additional bill.