New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-20
Try TELEGRAPH TO TIE 1RIRrsE.1

\
! THE HOUSE.
fpy TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIRrsE1
uosbi,g,on Feb 19-"If a party with majority
Of = hundred votes in the House Of Representatives,
cannot muster a quorum. think 1t would he ne''er
N turn the business over to party tha' cd' Sa'
Mr. Bland to-day.
The observation seemed TO be sound one anu 40
| # feu from the lips OF Democrat who for nearly
| a week has been busy trying to muster voting
| onorur # must be accepted such. After inc
first vote in the House to-day 1t was apparent "a'
his efforts would be vain as those ne put 'or'h
last week Ii appears that about thirty Democrats
are absent from Washington and that tweh'y-esh'
who are in town. and most OF whom were at ''e
Capl,o to-day. refraned from voting
II "a natural that Mr. Bland and his faithiui ioi-
lowers should feel Indignant as well as dsgus'ei
at this state of affairs. and 1t IS SURPRISING WA
Mr. Bland should declare that t. cNoo D''"o
Gratis who refuse to vote 20 ma"' quorum" "''
not Democrats at ali 1t is also natl Al that eager
49,, aor,, olvoco.es Of silver imitation should try to
devise some means TO compel members who are
n~esent 10 vote The expedient proposed by Mr..
Dearmond OF Missouri to-day in this behait Prooap'
o rks the limit to which the extremists are "lihs
TO 60 majority Of them would be dehgh'cd 10
have the, Speaker clothed with authority 10 coun'
as voting in the negative all members present VINO
decne TO vote at all Democrat who Is oi'eh
o,roa unon =, nres,le over the House said y's-
,ordav that he would vote at any time for rule
giving the Sneaker that authority, since the Hu-
nreme Court Of the United States mas passel upon
the question and sustained the cons,i'utcnah'y oi
the action of the List Congress In that regard
r,ut the spectre Of ''Reed rules" still frightens
ma ioritv Of the Democrats and they cannot yet
n,uc, IN the courage 10 do what they eventua'F
must and will do If they ever again Obtain a ma
iortv in the House OF Representatives. Inc pro-
ceedings in that body during the last i"" DAYS
have been a travestv upon representative govern
,nent With from thirty TO seventy-fve members
IN excess Of a quorum in constant ATTENDANCE 'he
hands of the majority have been tied emo Ho'hliH
has becn n ,compshed. It is true that MI i'and
has made himself primarily and mainly fe"pohSIole
for this state os affairs. by refusing 10 aiio" id
opportunty for debate. except upon oonu''ohs
which he had no right Whichever to attempt To I'M
pose and which the opponents OF the pehon's "'''
would have been foolish 70 accept
Mr. Bland and his supporters may lack "'Suo'h'
brt few of them are foolish enough to attempt 10
throw the responsibility Of the present conditoh
of affairs in the House upon the shoulderS Oh '"e
Penubcan minority. and they promptly votch GOWN
in the caucus MIR. Bynums resolution whicn "h''
In effect that the minority would not alo" 'he
ma ,oritv 70 proceea with the public business. Even
Mr. Springer could not persuade himself to consent
TO that absurd proposition.
According TO all accounts the caucus WAS n
rather doleful affair although Mr. Blands Dtter
denunciatons Of the cuckoo democrats VII" ""'
refused to vote were warmly applaud"d. The
lamentations OF Springer appear TO have been M
hitter as were the deauncIations pronounced by
Bland. and his gloomy picture of the prospects o'
the Democratic party in the coming 'ohbIeSS
elections sent chill TO the hearts OF those peio'c
whom he displayed 1t. The resolutions s'n'm'''e'
BY Mr. Bland for adoption BY the caucus were not
written in language calculated TO inspire eh'hus-
asno or even hope and the fact that a consider
able number Of Democrats had refused TO attend
the caucus or TO be bound by It's action ana the
further fact the, larger number had failed to
grace ard honor the occasion with their presence
also damper upon the assemolase'
PROCEEDINGS OF THE Caucus
The caucus was held Immediately after the ad-
journment of the House at O'CLOCK MT norman
of Indiana read the call. which showed that ninety
members he'd afixel their signatures to the docu-
rnent The roll was then called and disclosed the
presence Of l$) members.
None Of the Democratic members OF the New
Yorl, delegation were present although a number
had been In attendance at the session OF the House
this afternoon and heard the call read
The first speaker was MIR. Bland lie offered inc
following preamble and resolutions:
Whereas Thirty-two Democratic members OF tho
House are absent from the city, and whereas
twenty-eight Democratic members Of the House are
present and Intentionally fail to vote on the pend
ing Silver bill, thus breaking quorum -,
Resolved First. Tnat II Ia TN dutY Of evey Demo-
on account OF sickness of himself or family to
Immediately return to discharge the duties OF his
Office. m -, A., -
Democratic member OF this House TO attend the
"a Resolved. Third, That i; is the duty Of every
Democratic member to record his vote, for or
against the pending Silver bill, to the end that
quorum be obtained. and SAID bill speedily dis-
posed OF, ana the House proceed 10 otheT pressing
business.
Mr.. Bland then made earnest speech in sup
port OF his resolution, and strongly censured the
opponents OF the bill for obstructing legislation
He especially anmadvcre1 upon those Democrats
who have co-operatel with the Republicans In no;
voting and in pursuing other questionable" legis-
latve methods Mr.. Bland was followed by Mr..
Springer. of Illinois. VINO also favored the resolu-
TONS and appealed TO absent members 10 appear
and vote az the sessions Of the House. He pointed
out the fact tina, during the contest for the repeal
OF the sllver-purchasin clause of the sherman
all Democrats opposed to that measure had prompt
~ responded upon every rollcall, had furnished the
necessary quorum. and had contented themselves
with speaking and recording their votes. Mr..
Springer appealed to the constituents Of absent
members to urge their members by kilograms and
letters to appear In the House and vote on all
questions lie had never known an occasion before
when any number Of Democrats refused to come
into Democratic caucus. and to take counsel
with their brothers lie regretted this only on
account OF pending legislation. but on account OF
divisions and Discussions which would be engen
dered In every Congressional district In tho land
and make future success impossible.
When Mr.. Springer had concluded. Mr. Bynum OF
Indiana in a brief speech offered n resolution Ak
ing the failure to make quorum upon the Repub- |
leans He offered this resolution as an amendment !
to the Bland resolution which was still before the
caucus Instantly the han was filled with murmurs |
OF dissent. and the Bynum resolution Mt once |
voted down by a large majority. the explanation |
being that the Democrats responsible for the |
breaking of the quorum as they were the party in |
power and 1t their business to see that a |
quorum was present. After Mr.. Williams Of Mis- |
sissppi. had spoken briefly In favor OF the Bland |
resolution, vote taken and 1t was adopted |
ThercupoD, Mr. Bland offered an |
other resolution. which was as follows:
Resolved That 1t is the sense OF this caucus that |
the pending bin shall be the SPECIAL order Of bust
ness of the House the exclusion OF all other busl
ness until hrally disposed Of