The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-21
STEVENSON AND CLOSURE.
The Scheme to Have Him Push
Through the Repeal Bill Abandoned.

Through the Repeal Bill Abandoned.
Washington, Oct. 2O.-The idea Of hav-
ing the Vice President introduce closure
into the Senate, by refusing, at some
given time, to recognize any senator who
might rise to speak, is virtually abau-
doned. 1t ought never to have been con
templated and it probably was not, ex-
cepU by very few. This is not a ques-
tion 20 be settled by the Vice President;
1t ought TO be settled by the Senate it.
self. so intricate and so important are the
questions involved in the matters now
before that body. The precedent
established by the Vice President
closing debate al his pleasure would prove
very unsatisfactory to all parties. Even
those in whose favor it might be exer-
cised in this instance might, and most
probably would, have cause to regret IL
in the future. Precedent frequently be-
comes law, and a law thus established at
the present crisis might, in the near
future, become very unpleasant 10 those
who would now welceme it,
HILLS SCHEME.
If closure is adopted at all it should be
done by a majority of the Senate. The
effort of Senator Hill to bring about clo-
sure in this way may or may not be sue
cessful. He seems now very hopeful. He
wants twenty democrats ana twenty
three republicans, and is confident that
he will get them. 1t looks strange that
one who has made boast Of his democ-
racy as Senator Hill has, should rely
mainly on republicans to carry his point
in the Senate; but so it is. There
Senate; the Senate is therefore
justly called democratic; and yet
Mr., Hill is seeking to control the Senate
by majority of the republicans and o
minority of the democrats That looks
like strange democracy. Mr. HIPS plan
is to get signatures of both democrats and
republicans to paper pledging them
selves to give their votes and support in
every way to an attempt to cut off dila-
tory motions, and to secure the prompt
adoption of closure. How he proposes to
use the votes, If secured, has not yet
been disclosed.
AN APPEAL FROM THE DECISION.
Some who think that there is no proba-
billty of the Vice President going outside
of the traditional rules are of the opinion
that the only way in which the signers of
Mr.. Hill's paper could be utilized would
be on an appeal from the decision of the
presiding officer. Some of the shrewd-
est politicians here say that MIR
Hill will not succeed with his plGn. They
say it is too radical change TO be adopted
while question is pending over which
the excitement is so great as at present ;
and that however it might fare in the
future, when no such question is pending,
it stands no chance of success now.
AN AGREEMENT MORE PROBABLE.
But 1t is having, one good effect. 1t
has certainly walked up-not to
say startled-the Senate and
the probability Of some kind
Of an agreement among the demo
Gratis appears more probableInow than
for some days past. The bare possibility,
if there Is no more than possibility, of
such an aggressive movement by the
repeal democrats and their republican al
lies on this measure, has made the idea of
or concession, or agreement com
PROMISE or whatever you may
call it, decidedly more popular than it
was twentyfour hours ago. Mr. Hill is
in earnest and is full of fight, and COM
promise or settlement of some kind is
likely to be fastened by this danger
menacing. And it will not be surprising
If some rule for the adoption of closure IS
brought forward and adopted, after this
present fight is over, although it will
have to be done, probably, after very
hard fight.