The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-13
BUREAU OF THE SENTINEL.


WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept s.
The house this afternoon was the scene
of an interesting incident between Mr..
Bynum of Indiana and Mr.. Reed OF
Maine. in which the man from Maine
for the first time this session became so
disconnected that he could not reply.
The subject Of the rules was yet under
discussion although their consideration
was nearly complete and a vote was not
far in the distance, when Reed repeated
briefly claims that he has made from
time to time that the rules Of the Fifty
first congress were a model for the rapid
and safe conduct OF legislative business;
that they were the most satisfactory to
the house and to the people Of any rules
ever adopted and that in the course OF
time future congresses would come to
realize this fact and to accept them as
the concentrated essence or parlia-
mentary wisdom.
Reeds manner was full OF braggadocia,
Just as 1t has been whenever he has
dipped into the debate on the rules. ex-
cept that today there was, IL possible. a
little more of the sarcastic drawl than
usual injected into his utterances and
his manner was a little more exasperat-
Ing than ordinarily. He was heard with
out interruption, however but as soon
as he had relinqulshed the floor Mr.
Bynum was recognized and the manner
In which he proceeded to dress down the
gentleman from Maine has seldom been
equaled in congress. Mr.. Bynum re-
cited numerous occasions upon which
congress at this extra session had been
called upon 10 listen to the wonderful
achievements Of what is known as the
Reed congress and its wonderful
rules and the conclusion had been
reached quite generally that the gentle
man from Maine had not been at all
modest in recounting his exploits Upon
every occasion, in season and out, he
had sounded his own praises, but 1t has
been noticed that one important chapter
covering his greatest and final achieve
ments, has not even been referred to by
him. Mr.. Bynum then proceeded TO tell
how when the work Of the first session
OF the Reed congress had been finished
and presented TO the people OF the
country for ratification, Mr.. Reed went
upon an extended tour to meet them
and present TO them an account of his
stewardship. Everywhere great crowds
turned out to hear him present his case
and that Of his republican associates in
congress and to consider whether it was
the polls in the election soon to follow.
What was the result of the hearing?
What was the verdict of the people %
asked Mr.. Bynum.
And then. without giving Mr.. Reed a
chance TO answer the question, he
rapidly traced the speaking tour OF the
gentleman from Maine and showed that
in every state where he had explained the
beauties OF the Reed rules" one or more
congressman had been retired to private
mid 1xr nd rrvfF5
great force and vigor, making his points
so clearly and forcibly that Mr.. Reed
was completely silenced. BynuTn's
strong blows had pierced a weak point
in his armor and for once the man who
has assumed to tyrannize over the house
looked more like a large, but thoroughly
whipped boy than an arrogant and auto
cratic congressman. The members of
the house thoroughly enjoyed his dis
comfture and Mr.. Bynum was warmly
congratulated on the neatness Of the Job.
The house completed the consideration
or the rules today and they were
adopted with only two important
changes from the form In which
they came from the committee. The
first change placed the committees
on banking and currency and coinage
and weights and measures on the same
footing with the ways and means and
appropriations committees, clothing them
with the power to report at any time.
quorum in the committee Of the whole to
the old number, a majority Of the house.
The rules committee made a complete
surrender on the latter proposition and
Cen Catchings's announcement this
morning Of the fact that the committee
had decided to retreat from its PROPOSE
tion In favor Of reducing the size of the
quorum to 100 members gave rise TO the
most entertaining debate of the day. It
was participated in by the leaders on
h1Hh uf1 Ufrr~n
Dearmond Of Missouri, providing for
docking" members for absenteeisun. and
one by Enloe Of Tennessee providing for
congressional funeral services on Sun
days, failed, In the concluding debate
Mr.. Burrows offered the code of the
Fifty-hrst congress as a substitute He
declared with much emphasis and some
thing like exultation that under the
code about to be adopted the house
could be bound hand and foot by filibus-
terers and that he himself could block
all business from now until the end of
the session unless the aid Of the commit
tee on rules were invoked In fact. ac-
cording 70 his opinion, the rules would
place in the hands Of the committee on
rules absolute power over all legislation.
As soon as the rules were adopfed a
great avalanche Of bills was nf1e5
breast high on the speakers table.
Why IL Was Done.
Gen. Catchings in explaining the
change OF front made by the rules COM
mittee said that so many members on
the democratic side had expressed their
opposition to the change in the size OF
the quorum in the committee of the
whole that the rules committee HAD
decided to accept the amendment Of Mr..
Kyle restoring the size Of the quorum
to a majority OF the house. Although
the committee yielded he wanted 1t to
be distinctly understood that the COM
mittee still believed the proposed change
was I'm the interest OF the expedition
of business. Nevertheless IL was not
the purpose of the committee to force
such a radical change against what was
manifestly strong opposition on the
democratic side
Mr. Deliver Of Iowa took the floor.
saying that he was just about to make
a speech in favor Of the position from
which the committee on rules had just
announced its intention OF retreating.
He was sorry, he said, that the COM
nittee had surrendered.
Il remember" said Mr.. Deliver,
when my friend from Indiana CMr. By
NUM- rushed like mailman to the