The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-18
QUORUM COUNTING ADOPTED.
Thus Mr.. Crisp Becomes . Czar, and
Filibastering Is Ended.
The New Rule Practically the Same -
Reed's-On the Ktrst Motion After
Its Adoption Republicans Abstatn
From Voting. to illustrate IL


ali practical purposes, Is the same a. that
which Speaker Reed. of Maine. enforced
during the Fiity-frss congress. 1t won
for him . world wide reputation. Neither
undue excitement nor tumultuous scenes
marked the crushing Of the old legislative
barriers. Reed and the Republicans gem
orally were in happy hnmor over the
victory they had achieved. Those who
expected that Reed would tackle aud jibe
bis political adversaries with their incon-
sistency were disappointed. 0aly fifteen
minutes on side were allowed for debate,
and Reed consumed that with an arraign-
mens OF the Democrats. good naturediy
distributed. most of 1t, among the
Democrats who desired 10 oppose the
new rules. When his time had ex.
pired he joculsriy asked for more
time to dole among his friends on the
other side. Bryan. Cummings. Wheeler,
kilgore and Russell being the Democrats
who were thus given an opportunity to
protest against the adoption of the rule
When the vote was taken Al Democrats
voted against it, but it secured every
Republican vote and was carried by vote
of 2I2 to Al. The Popuiists did not vote
on the proposition. The adoption of this
rule today. taken in conjunction with the
decision to enforce the old law of 1916 to
dock the salaries Of members absent save
on account OF sickness, will. it is thought,
put an end forever to parliamentary OBJ
struction. After the adoption Of the rule
1t required only Q few minutes to
straighten out the parliamentary tangie
which the house has been in for some
days, and the house then quietly pro-
ceeded with the consideration of the con-
suiar and diplomatic bill.
Catchings. from the committee on
rules, secured recognition after the journal
was read. and after withdrawing the rule
reported last Thursday. presen ted the new
quorum-counting rule agreed upon by the
committee. Skirmishing among the DEM
ocrats about limitation Of debate followed,
Reed and Burrows saying nothing, but
watching the proceedings closely. After
amendments had been offered by Burrows
and Reed. the speaker submitted request
for unanimous consent TO close the debate
At O'Clock. Wells objected and this
ended the attempt at peaceful agreement
Nothing Was left bus to apply tho gag
Catchlngs demanded the previous ques-
ton. The vote was taken by yeas aud
nays. The Republicans made no effort to
tilibuster, but voted in the negative, be-
sides many Democrats who were opposed
to the proposed rule or to driving il
through. The demand for the previous
question was sustained, 140 to 100.
Under the rule fifteen minutes was a.
lowed on each side for debate. Hatch at
tempted to ask unanimous consent for
further time, but Bynum objected Some
fol-
which the time should be divided. In the
course of the controversy Reed stated that
so far as the Republican minority was con-
cerned the rule reported from the commit
tee on rules embodied the principle for
which they had been contending There
might. perhaps. be some objection to the
details of the rule. but the principle was
the correct one. Burrows, after stating
that the proposed rule was substantially
the rule of the Fifty-first congress. with
drew the substitute which he had offered.
Before the debate began Catchings asked
unanimous consent that those who SO de-
sired should have an opportunity to print
remarks on the record. ''Oh, l object"
shouted Mr.. BouteIle, with smile. such
remarks would make bnt q melancholy
contribution TO congressional literature"
The debate was then begun. IL was
calm. even-tempered and wholly unlike
what had been anticipated. The Republi-
cans had been bubbIiug out with good hu-
NOR over the contamination of their long
legislative struggle and applauded every
Democratic convert to the rule put in
practice. Catchings was recognized and
made two-minute speech. he yielded
one minute TO Wheeler of Alabama, who
had just enough time to protest against Ii
as antagonistic to the d.ilberation which
ought to obtain in a legislative body like
the house of representatives, when the
gavel dropped and he was summarily
taken off the fioor. Reed who controlled
fifteen minutes for the Republicans, at this
lunciure yielded i've minutes to Bryan,
who was very earnest In his opposition 10
the proposed rule. This was a matter OF
great Importance, he said. Over nalf the
states in the Union. including New York,
Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio, required
the affirmative vote of a majority of their
legislative assemblies To enact laws. IL
might he incouyenient at times, but il was
essentially q safe plan. IL was the safe
guard OF the minority. 1t gave the minority
power to compel the concurrence of a ma
lori;y on any measure. and, while the
power could oe used for finhustering pur-
poses. after all it was better to be safe than
10 be sorry. Springer, who followed
Bryan, supported the proposed ra,e be-
cause. he said. il would enable the members
OF the house 20 transact the business which
their constituents sent them there to
transact A burst of Republican applause
greeted this statement, which vas renewed
whea he said the house had in month
done bat two days business. my con-
stituenis are tired 20 said he in conclusion,
and | hope the house is tired of II also |
hail this as the dawn OF brighter day"
Gilmore argued tha: the proposed rule vas
unnecessary ii q legislative body in which
tie controlling party had nisety-four ma
lnFlly and thirty more than a quorum.
E1-Speaker Grow upheld the principle in
corporaIed in the proposed rule, but OBJ
Jseted 10 It's details as cum nberoas.
Russell Dem. Georgia. 10 whom Reed
yielded one minute, declared no one would
nave the temsri,y TO affirm that the Fifty
frsi congress would have adopted the
quOTgm-counisng device had The Repahli-
cans IN that house not been SO hard
pressed for quorum. With the enor-
moas majority held by the Democrats. II
@as a hamillAting spectacle 10 see them
torcesi 10 tee adoption Of revolutionary
expedlents
round ns Republican applause an