The morning call., 1894-01-06
THEY SAT SILENT.
Democrats Who Declined
to Vote.
MUTE IN THEIR PLACES.
No Support to Be Given the
Wilson Bill.
AID REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTION
1t Seems That the Limit of Admins
tration Dictation Has at Last
Been Reached.
AID REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTION

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.--The power Of the
p Committee on Rules was invoked to-day to
break down the obstruction in the path of
the iaTiff debate. An irOncad order was
brought in. setting out the programme for
debate and fixing January % for taking
the final vote. This resulted only in side
tracking Boutelle and his Hawaiian reso-
luton, as when the vote was taken on the
adoption of the order the Democrats lacked
nine votes of quorum. At least twenty
Democrats at the Capitol either abseDted
themselves from the hall or refused to
answer their names when called. For
four hours thu Democratic leaders tried
with rolcall after rollcall to bring their
men into line, but instead of gaining they
lost votes on each successive rOllcai. The
PODulists, with the exception of Bell of
Colorado, also declined to aid the Demo-
Gratis to get the tariff bill before the
House, giving as a reason the short limit
1t was proposed TO set on the debate. Their
votes would have made I'd the Qurom. To-
days proceedings are, therefore, of addi-
tlOnal Importance. as marking the first
time in the history OF either branch of
Congress since the organization of the
third party that its members have held
the balance of power.
Immediately after the reading of the
journal the row began. Boutelle was on
his feet clamorng for recognition TO call
up bis Hawaiian res solution, but the Speaker
recOgr lied Catchings from the Committee
on Rules to present the special order
adopted just before the House convened.
Boutelle loudly insisted upon knowing
what had become of his privileged resOlu-
ton, which had been called up yesterday.
The Speaker replied rather sharply that
yesterdays proceedings had fallen with
the adjournment, and the report called up
from the Committee on Rules was the
matter of highest privilege.
Burrows. amid great confusion, reserved
all points Of order, and, when Catchings
demanded the previous question on the
report of the Rules Committee, Boutelle
raised the question OF consideration. The
Speaker decided Boutelle out of order.
The latter appealed from thedecisiou, and
the Speaker, amid some evidences of salts
faction on the Democratic side, promptly
refused to entertain the appeal.
The Speaker was about TO state the
question on Catchings' demand for the
previous question when Burrows called at
tentlon to the fact that be had reserved
all points of order, and desired to be
heard. The Speaker graciously yielded
and Burrows made the point of order that
the special order presented by Catchings
had originated in the committee instead of
in the House. and as it carried with il a
change Of existing rules in giving leave 10
print to all members who so desired il
should, according to the existing rules.
have had its inception in the House in
stead Of IN committee. After some debate
and discussion of presidents the Speaker
oVerruled the poins of order. The vote
was taken on the demand for the previous
question on the adoption Of the report of
the Committee On Rules. The Republi-
cans declined to vote, and several Demo-
Gratis who were in the ball and known to
be opposed to the tariff bill also remained
mute. among them being Sperry OF Con-
necIicut, Haines of New York, Robertson
of Louisiana and Ryan of New York. The
vote resulted 1863 to /, nine less than a
quorum.
AS soon as no quorum had been an
nOunced by the Speaker, on motion of
Catchtngs a call of the House was ordered.
The call developed the presence of Oh
members, ana the motion then required on
the adoption of the special order Repub.
licans sat client in their seats, and a small
coterie of Democrats, led by Sperrv. de-
clined to aid their Democratic brethren In
the effort to secure a quorum. Sperry. in
fact, actively busted himself in raising the
standard of revolt. going so far as to ask
Democratic members to refrain from yot-
ing. and be induced those who had not
hnfo To
Cadmus of New Jersey was an addi-
uonal Democrat who declined to vote on
the second rollcall. The vote resulted
l69 to nothing, and instead of gaining. the
Democrats st on this rollcall, lacking
eleven OF quorum.
Outhwaite moved a call of the House
and Reed demanded division and call
was ordered, 1O4 to 81. The call devel.
oped the presence OF $50 members, when
Iurther proceedings under the call were
dispensed with and the vote was again
taken on the demand for the previous
question. On this rollcall Coombs and
Sickles of New York declined to answer
their names, and. although Breckinridge
and Berry OF Kentucky, who had lust ar
rived, voted there were only 168 votes. a
lose of one since the last vote.
The Democratic leaders decided to con.
tlnue the struggle, however. if for no other
purpose than to impress upon absentees
the necessity of attendance as a measure
of party discipline. Accordingly, on
motion of CatchingS another call of the
House was had. 1t developed the pres
ence Of 271 members and again the roll
was called on the motion to order the
previous question. English of New JERSEY
and Sibley of Pennsylvania refused to
answer to their names on this vote, which
resulted 166 to O. loss of two compared
with the last vote. II having become
manifest that Democratic quorum could
not be secured to-day Catchings moved an
adjournment at 3 80 p NJ.