The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-08-18
STEADY DEBATE.
Favorable Expectations Of the
House on Silver.
A VERY BUSINESS-LIKE PROGRAMME.
The Senate VIII Profit by It-Ill-Advised
Action Not Likely-The House VIII
Probably Adopt the Last Con-
gress Rules.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.-Congress has
| settled down to a debate with degree
of expedition almost unknown in its
history, and with an apparent deter
mination to do something that prom
ises well for the outcome.
Fortunately for the majority of the
senate, the action of the house on the
silver question relieved them from the
necessity of speedy and perhaps i'll
advised action. The democratic caucus
committee charged with the prepara-
tion of plan that shall secure the ad-
herents of the united majority will
therefore commence its labors with
more deliberation than would other
wise have been possible, and it is not
expected now that they will perfect
their work-which involves consulta-
tion with many senators at each stage
much before the house has acted.
The finance committee will probably
wait upon the action of the caucus COM
mittee, and SO the silver question is not
likely to figure in formal way in the
proceedings of the senate this week.
1t is entirely possible and even prob
able that speeches will be delivered up
on the subject, but if so, they will be
based upon some such resolution as
that introduced by Senator Lodge. call
ing for repeal of the silver purchase
section of the Sherman act, and not
upon bill regularly formed by the
finance committee. There is a strong
disposition in some quarters to fill in
the time during the week by the dis
cussion of the Lee Mantle senatorial
election case, which is in a privileged
condition and can be called up at any
time to the displacement of other busi-
ness.
The programme in the house has been
definitely fixed by the adoption of the
order introduced Friday last By Mr..
Bland. The time will be devoted eX-
clusively to the consideration of the
silver question under the rules of the
last house governing general debate.
Notwithstanding the apparent lack
of interest in the discussion manifested
by members Saturday, the number of
applicants for recognition already on
the speakers list demonstrates that the
period allotted to the debate-cleven
DAYS under the general rules and three
days under the five minute rule-will be
all occupied. There are between
ninety and 100 names enrolled by the
speaker. the ma jority of whom proba-
bly, expect to talk the full hour allowed
by the rule. There are a number,
however, who have stipulated for
shorter periods, generally twenty min
utes or half an hour. If it appears
that the time for debate will be
too short to accommodate all who wish
to speak, night sessions will be held to
lengthen the period. but this expedient,
it is believed, will not become neces-
sary before next week, with the eXpira
tion of which the debate will close.
Since the house entered upon the dis
cussion of the silver question, Friday,
under an order which will not exhaust
itself until the close of next week. the
probability that the organization of the
house, by the adoption of rules and ap-
pointment of committees, would not be
completed for two or three weeks, has
changed into almost a certainty. As
yet no call for meeting of the COM
mittee on rules has been issued, al
though one may be to-day or Tues
day. One of the members of the ma
jority of the committee when asked
about the prospects for action on the
rules, said that until the present order
of the house expired there was no need
of rules. 1t was not possible to break
in upon the silver debate with one over
the adoption of the rules. even were
the new code ready to be reported. SO,
in his opinion, the committee would
not be in a hurry to prepare its report.
The member further remarked the
probabilities were that the rules of the
house in the Fifty-second congress,
which had been referred to the com
mittee for consideration, would not be
materially changed: in fact, he ex-
pected but few changes of any nature
in the system under which the house
was directed