The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-12
1t May Continue for a Fortnight and
Then Mr.. Harris VIII Put OH All
the Steam He Can Raise.
EXPLANATION BY MORGAN
He Denies that He Belongs to the
Hill-Gorman-Pugh Combine.
Ex-Speaker Reed Blocks the House and
Forces all AdjOurnment-The State
Bank Tax Repeal Bill.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE truce en-
tered into by the opposing forces in the
Senate whereby II was agreed that for the
present week the debate on the tariff bill
should be confined to the hours between
and % o'clock each day, and that during
that time there should be no interruption
by roll calls or for any other cause, was
the result of an understanding at first
among the Democratic leaders and secondly
between the Republicans and Democrats.
The general impression about the Senate is
that the agreement entered into will prob
ably continue for about fortnight, but
Senator Harris has not agreed to extend
the time beyond a week, for the reason
that he did not wish to be bound when it
became apparent that legitimate debate is
exhausted. Eve may" he said, wish to
extend the hours at any time, at first to g.
then probably to Z, 8, 8 and II o'clock and
after that all night, and to provide for sit
ting continuously. / can't say" he added,
when we shall undertake 10 make this
change We have to exhaust the speeches
before We can pass the BILL but when it is
evident that the legitimate debate is con-
cluded, we shall press the consideration
with all the means at our command under
the rules of the Senate. We expect TO have
TO keep a quorum and be prepared for a
severe physical test before the end, but
the Importance of the bill is SUCH and, as
regard it, the Importance of early action Is
such that we shall be justified In pressing
the subject as rapidly we possibly can"
The galleries of the Senate had a deserted
appearance to-day. AT 1 o'clock the tariff
bill was taken up In accordance with the
terms of the agreement. Senator Morgan
took the floor and referred to a manifesto
,t,-
ton, in which a number of Democratic
Senators (among them HIMSELF were al
| legged to be In league with the "Hill-Gor-
man-Pugh combination in opposition to the
| tariff bill, in which they were called
| masked Democrats" That" remarked
| Mr.. Morgan, lis the French method of try
| ing a man in his absence and without serv-
| ing notice upon him." He expressed him
| self as satisfied with the bill now before
| the Senate as 1t came from the finance COM
mittee, and it was his purpose to vote for
| 1t without any amendments far he
| knew. He was willing to sit up for several
| consecutive nights TO accommodate Repub-
| lican tilibusters by listening TO their
| speeches. He had been tariff reformer
| before many of the gentlemen who had is
| sued this diatribe against him, and lie had
| never relaxed his purpose and desire TO
| have a fair just and equitable system of
| taxation in the United States.
L
| Hale inquired, humorously, whether any
other Senators whose names were included
in the Minnesota list desired to explain
| their positions and, none responding. he
began his speech in opposition to the tariff
bill; He concluded at Sl5. and then Senator
| PETER finished his speech which was begun
| and interrupted last Thursday.
| When Mr. PETER began the second in
stallment Of his speech there was a fair at
| tendance of Senator's on both sides of the
| chamber, but they gradually melted away,
| and at one time there was only one Demo-
crat and one Republican and one POpuliSt
visible on the floor.
During the speech of Mr.. PETER Mr.. Quay
| made the point of no quorum, when Mr..
| Harris remarked that he regarded that sug-
| gestion as a violation of the agreement
| reached that the tariff bill should be con-
| sidered between l and 8 o'clock each day
| without any dilatory motions.
| Mr.. Henderson agreed with Mr.. Harris
! to his understanding of the agreement,
majority and three from the minority could
| hardly be called the Senate of the United
States. Mr.. Quay explained that he did not
| understand that there had been any agree
| ment. and asked leave to withdraw his sug-
: gestion, but the ball had been started roll
| ing and could not be so easily checked Mr..
| Wolcott said he did not understand that
| an agreement between Senators Harris and
| Aldrich bound the rest of the Senate, and
he. for one. should not hesitate to move
| an adjournment, an executive session to
! obtain a quorum. Senator's Henderson and
| Harris explained that, according TO the uni
| versal usage of the Senate. agreement
| made by unanimous consent bound all SEN
ators, whether or not they were present
| when the agreement was reached. so Mr..
| Wolcott subsIued.
| Mr.. Dolph made the point of order that
the question of a quorum having been
| raised could not be Withdrawn, and the
| presiding officer (AIr. Allen sustained the
| point in spite of the protests of Mr. Quay
! who apo.ogized for unintentionally violating
the agreement.
| Enough Senators came in during the roll
| call to make a quorum. Mr.. PETER then re-
| sumed his speech. in the course of which
/ he said that the bill Disseminated against
the farmer, and that the only thing the ag-
| ricultural classes asked that they
| should receive protection the manufac-
| turer did He said ii was out of order to
| call the Wilson bill tariff reform measure
| and he criticised free wool, claiming that
| the farmer was not benefited nor was any
one else. The pending bill was not a bill
| for protection nor for revenue, and the De-
| mocracy could take no pride in its passage
At 5 o'clock the tariff bill was suspended
| The Senate then took up the urgency def
| cheney bill. which was discussed, without
action. until o'clock, when the Senate
| went into executive session, at the conclu-
sion of which it adjourned at $40 o'clock.
|