Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-04-14
NOTHING CANE Of It.
Democrats TO Crush FIJI.
Iibustering Tactics.
CRlSP'S NEW HOUSE RULE.
Another Day Wasted in a Vain En-.
dssvor to Get Quorum.

1 w AhHlAbln Apf.i II ubuHe
Demo ratio caacus Was held yesterday
afternoon. Mr. Bland presented a prop
osition looking to the enforcement by the
sergeant-at-arms OF section GO Of the re-
yised statutes, which provides for dock
ing" membe for such days As they are
absent, except on account Of sickness.
The suggestion was heartily approved
as the best method Of compelling mem
bers 10 attend sessions of the house
After some debate resolution instruct
ing the sergeant-at-arms to enforce this
statute was unanimously adopted.
The question OF compelling mem bers
who decline to vote TO participate in legis-
lation then came up. Several PROPOSE
tions were presented; the rule formulated
by the com mittee on rules TO fine mem
bers, the Springer rule TO bring mem bers
present, and refusing to vote, 10 the bar
OF the house. and others compelling them
to vote or register their names on the
Journal as present and several others.
Hap at Reed.
Speaker Crisp made an elaborate and
vigorous speech, pointing out the deplora-
BILE position IN which the house found IT
self on account OF continued and persist
ent absenteelsm. IL left the house at the
mercy OF the minority whenever, at a
wink or nod from Mr.. Reed, the Repub-
licans declined to answer 20 their names.
He reviewed the legislative situation and
the necessity for prompt disposal Of bust
ness in the house, and insisted that some
thing must be- done TO remedy the evil.
A vote by tellers on resolution 10 refer
all propositions TO change the rules, quo
rum counting, etc, to the committee on
rules resulted In tie-64 to g.
Chairman Holman broke the tie by vot-
ing In the Affirmative. This would have
carried the resolution. but another vote
was demanded and secured. and the reso-
luton was defeated-66 TO SO.
opposition From Democrats
sociates are In a quandary. They find that
there is considerable opposition among
their own friends to the rule reported
Thursday.
II he could hold bis own party together
there would bs no difficulty In securing
Its adoption. There are quite a mum Der
Of prominent Democratic representatives,
however, who denounce the proposition
and who hold that the house has no right
or authority to find absent and non-voting
mem berA
The speaker expected that the Republi.
cans would antagonize the rule and
would resort TO every known parlia-
mentary expedient to defeat 1t. He sup
posed, however, that the experiences with
which the majority has had to contend
during the last few weeks would make it
willing to adopt any scheme to compel
those present TO vote and aid In securing
quorum.
Something Must Soon BE Done.
1t is admitted that some method should
be adopted to enable the business OF the
house to be carried on In an orderly and
decent manner, and that 10 Is time for the
farce to cease. Ex-Speaker Reed and his
Republican associates cannot force the
speaker TO count a quorum, and they
ought in fairness, it Is claimed, to allow
the business TO proceed and cease their
obstructive tactics. II they will not do
30, Speaker Crisp may feel compelled to
adopt more abit-sry course and deal
with them without fear Of the past or the
future.
Filibustering was resumed In the house
yesterday Immediately after the reading
of the journal, Mr.. Boutelle of Maine OBJ
jecting to its approval. The yeas and
nays were then demanded At l o'clock
the house. unable to secure a voting
quorum, adjourned.
Tariff In the Senate.
The urgent deficiency bill was consid-
cred In the mo rning hour in the senate
without any action being taken upon it.
At o'clock the tariff bill was taken up.
and Mr.. PETER finished his speech begun
over week ago. His conclusions were
that IL there was one thing worse than
the Mckinley bill, 1t was the Wilson
tariff bill. He was non-commlttal as to
his attitude on the bill when It should
come to It's final passage, maintaining
that IL would depend very largely on the
changes made in the bill in the mean
time.
He was followed by Senator Mitchell OF
Oregon, who discussed the subjects of
wool, hops, hay, plums and prunes, agri-
cultural products, fish, coal, lumb Der and
other products In which Oregon was par
ticularly interested. Mr.. Mitchells atti-
tude toward the bill was clearly defined,
1t and in his opinion It did not possess a
single good point. It breathed the spirit of
free trade with all its blighting influence.
was neither free trade nor protection, and
yet 1t was both. He regarded IL as a leg
islative monstrosity. which ought to be