New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-12

| question than that We have reached the question
| of free government. We have reached the question
| Of constitutional government. We have reachcd
| the question whether have got government
that can administer itself or not. There mas peeh
idle. vapid talk in the newspapers about abolish
| ing the Senate Of the United States. The senate
can no more be abolished than the constitution
81 the United States. for it is great part thereof
But it can be governed by rules of its own max
ing so that it will be a self-actng and reasonable
! legislative body.
81 confess that when I confronted this question.
when II fell 70 nv fortune to manage this bill and
when | found how powerless | was l felt the
energies of my mind almost paralyZed. found
myself clothed with a mighty responsibility.
felt that there was keen. eager, hungry eNpecta-
ton for speedy action. without any power 10 re-
spond to IT, Never do desire to be put in such
an attitude again. Never do | desire any other
man to be so put; and he never snail be H. by
my agency, any reform can take place in the rules
Of this body whereby gentleman staining III 'he
attitude that am in tonight shall be clothed with
power under the rules. power under the Cohsutu-
ton power under the laws mot lawless power)' TO
bring about a vote. Mr. President | am tender or
minortes l would not injure the minority. but
| (passonately) shall the minority govern Answer
me. Shall the minority govern? somebody mas 10
rule Somebody has 10 control Shall it be the
minority or shall it be the majority? III the SEN
ator from Idaho will suggest possible day when
the minority will say il is ready to vote Will sub
nit to 1t gladly. willingly. The question comes
whether have got Government at all or not
The question comes whether that vicious principle
Uhe most vicious known in human history that
| the few shall govern the many shall prevail
! have stood throughout my life, which has been
in some parts stormy. and has not been very
short for the rule of the majority. Whatever the
| majority pronounces under form OF law mat
| should be gracefully submitted to- stand FOR that
simply tonight / stand not here talking of com
6aa1 has epp IA
| promise during the week l have not had part in
| It, There is an important principle involved in this
question. and if at the end we have to go down
will go down with my flag nailed to the masthead
II compromise is to take place on the principle
that the minority has the right TO dictate, 1t will
be done by others. not by me.
No DOUBT AS TO THE RESULT.
"Mr. President I have not doubt of the re-
suit. The majority can govern and the majority
| ought to govern 1t is the rule Of our being that
| II shall be So The spirit of this Government Is
on my side of this question The spirit of lib
erty regulated by law, is that the majority with
proper respect for the rights of the minority and
with Hberalty for the minority shall govern l
feel that we have swept beyond the magnitude
of the mere repeal OF the Sherman act to the
greater and higher question of whether ms body
shall be governed by the majority or whether
the minority shall dictate. Shall the many gov
ern or shall the few
Senator could complain of any want of hberahty
or kindness on the part of the Senator from In
diana in the management of the BILL Ii gave
him quite as much pleasure TO say thst II the
Senator from Indiana had been the Vericst OF
martnets he was powerless to secure action earlier
than action might come He. therefore. held the
Senator from Indiana blameless in his management
Of the bill II now haf-past O'CLOCK anu
Senator's had been in session since II. IT was now
long after the usual hour Of adjournment; nut ne
desired to say for hmself-and he knew that ne
voiced the sentiments Of several Senators on MS
side Of the chamber who. like him. would never
vote for the unconditional repeal of the sherman
act-that If the Senator from Indiana desired 'he
Senate to sit on he (Alr. Harris would never ask
for adjournment go
Mr. Butler Dem, s. O. said that IKE the
Senator from Tennessee he acquitted the senator
from Indiana Of any illiberality. want OF Kindness
or unfairness in the conduct OF the Dill but "h'''
the Senator from Indiana stated that the Issue no"
confronting the Senate was whether the SENATE was
capable of self-government, he had gone one step
beyond the issue. Had Congress been convened ior
no other purpose except to repeal what IL known
az the Sherman law? He submitted. In common
fairness to those Senators who had been opposing
the bill that such an idea neither legitimate
logical nor fair He appealed 70 Mr. voorhees, 10
agree to such settlement of the measure as would
leave no sting behind, and he declared that ne
should never consent to the unconditional repeal
of the Sherman law.
ators of the position which they had taken In
January 1891 in nbusterng against the Force Dill,
and he quoted extensively from THE Congressman
Record" to show how their action then CONNECTED
with the position which they assumed now against
the right Of obstruction He promised, however,
TO stay with the Senator from Indiana so long as
quorum could be secured but said that If 1t
should be demonstrated that there was no power
in the Senate to compel the attendance OF absent
Senator'S he should 40 home. lie was not gong
stay in the Senate chamber to tax Part IN "a, "a
farce. all such proceedings had tuiheu Out "
be during his ten years OF service.
MIR ALLEN TALKING AGAINST TIME.
The episode introducing the continuous session
closed here ana Mr.. Allen pop. Neb) resumed
the floor and proceeded with his argument. he
/. had scarcely begun before Mr.. Palmer interrupted
to ask whether 1t his view Of duty to resist
a vote on the passage the bill until the majority
submitted to do something else -, l.,
so within the pale of the law; he would a ado do 90
THAT is frank" commented MI; Palmtr mar.
fighting the public enemy fighting the combined
money power of England and this country, ,nt
ton and dshonor the flag If they could make money
out Of IT, We will stay here three years II neces-
Mr. Allen then drlfied off into long disqulson
and pfices. quoting Ieisurely and literally from
John Stuart Mill. Ricardo and other eminent polio
ate rapidly and to such AN extent that Mr.. Dubois
sS ococ called attention to ,he o aGsG ,be 81 81
Yer Republican Senators failed 10 answer. but see
ing that Senators came hooking lhto the chaiip'
! i'm numbers that assured a quorum they stood UP
and responded 10 their names. The result was inc
attendance of axty-two Senator'S. g.,
Then Mr.. Allen again took up the thread OF ms
argument lie received very little attention from
his colleagues Mr. Doph challenged several OF
MIR Aliens statements. which led the Nebraska
senator reply impetuously with upited inser:
Does the Senator dispute that the sun shines?
AS it was then o'clock at night Mr.. Doph saw
his opportunity. and responded; -,
yes / do-to-night The Senator has mistaken
The gasIight for sunlight and that Is what he has
/ n