The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-06

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5-Unusual pre-.
caution were taken to preserve the
secrecy OF the proceedings OF the caucus
Of the Democratic members Of the House
on the tariff bill tonight, The CORE
spondents rooms attached TO the press
gallery, which have been open to ,e-
porters on similar occasions ever since
the Fiftieth Congress, were opened as
usual by the officials in charge, but i'm
mediately after the caucus had been
called to order Deputy Sergeant-at-Arns
Ike Hill, with one of the assistant door
keepers, closed them under orders as.
was said OF Chairman uo.m au, and the
representatives OF the press were COM
PEELED to pass the corridors in 5. 40 of
unrest while the proceedings IVES in
progress
IL recalled tho time when Senator
ingalls, succeed, d III having the cor
respondents and telegraph operators
! rooms on the Senate side of the building
closed to reporters during executive
sessions of the body The House press
spondents room is shut eff from
the hall Of the House and from the
press gallery by heavy doors, through
which il would be inpoSsib bic 20 hear
anything.
1t was five minutes after whom
Chairman Holman raped the caucus
to order and Beading Clork Houghee,ing
begin to call tao roll One hundred
and forty. seven nam bers answered to
their names, an unusually large attend
ance, and gaeater than had been antici-
patcd on this occasion. One hundred
aud nine members are majority OF the
| Democratic membership.
Speeches Limited to Five Minutes
! 1t was determined to limit the
! speech TO Two minutes and Speaker
Crisp was accorded the floor to open
the proceedings. He declared that it
was the duty OF the members OF the
| Democratic party to stand together in
support of the tariff measure reported
by the committee on ways and means
and recalled promises and pledges of
the past TO the public in regard to this
matter.
He said President Cleveland and the
Democratic majority in Congress had
been elected for the purpose of carrying
out the will Of the people expressed &c
the polls in 1892 upon the Chicago plat
form and he urged united action by the
majority. "If any man objects to the
promise of the BILL he said, ''let him
state his objections on the floor in open
the bill, he can vote against it,"
He protested against the policy of
tearing the measure to pieces in caucus
and closed by Offering a resolution
pledging the majority to a support CT
the bill The Speaker was loudly ap-
plauded as he took his seat
General Sickles, of New York, one of
the twelve Democratic members OF that
State who were present followed in the
same strain. Mr.. Sperry, OF Connect
icut, rose. He outlined his obi sc.ions
| to the bill in accordance with his we'll
| known views.
Cochran Makes ~ Strong Speech
Bourke Cochran then pointed out
what he deemed to De the undesirable
nature OF tho proposed legislation.
Cochran spoke in his accustomed i'm
FASHIONED manner and at tho close OF
| bis remarks he was given round OF
| applause.
Cultivate, OF Ohio, member OF the
committee on rules, was the next
speaker. He followed in the same line
as Speaker Crisp, and urged tho mem
bers to lay aside their differences and
personal prejudiccs and rally to the
support Of the committee on ways and
means i'll their effort to meet the Just
expectations of the people. Cultivate
| evidently struck popular chord, for ne
was also greeted with applause.
AT this point it was said that there
| were l62 Democrats present, leaving
fifty -one Democrats to be accounted for.
Sibley, OF Pennsylvania, pointed out
| some OF the matters in which the bill
did not go far enough to suit him, and
he would like to have it amended.
tn SUCCEEn O,EEoD