Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-05-04

AASeAAo NAN VI
Pennsylvania voting-less than a quor-
UNI. Crisp immediately raised the point
of no quorum. The republican majority
being small, it was the established GUS
tom of the democrats to refuse to vote,
and this was equivalent to their absence
in determining a quorum, and thus they
blocked that part of the proposed legis-
lation Of the majority which was not
agreeable to them.
How it was received by the democrats,
is best told in the language of ex-Con-
| gresham Buchanan of Trenton, N. j.,
who, in a communication to the New
York Tribune, describes the scene. He
says:
For several days previous, the repub-
licans had been straining every nerve to
have every man present, but GrOsvenor of
a senator) O'Donnell of Michigan, Rock
well of Massachusetts, and WILDER of New
York, were absent. WILDER was very ill,
and subsequently died. lam not informed
of the cause of the absence of the others,
~ IL WOO ulluOuUUCOly SOUu, DIS UlIcy WCIC
all faithful men. AS the roll call pro-
ceeded and the democrats refused to re-
spond, Speaker Reed was observed glanc-
ing constantly about the hall, and from
time to time jotting something down upon
a slip of paper which lay upon his desk.
When the call vas concluded he rose to
his feet and announced the vote. Crisp
cried out. mo quorum; then the speaker,
hn1Hi1,r fhic S1fr, of IN Lsc ko-J -,
measured tones, in which there was no
trace of excitement or weakness, began.
"The chair directs the clerk to record the
following names of members present and
refusing to vOte"-and then bedlam broke
loose. The republicans %applauded, and
howls and yells arose from the democratic
side. Above the din conld be heard the
voice OF Crisp, IL appeal from the decision
OF the chair" but the speaker had not yet
completed his statement, and, oblivious of
the clamor and turmoil, went on to call out
the names, "Mr. Blanchard, Mr.. Bland,
Mr.. Blount, MI. Breckenridge of Arkan-
sas." AS he proceeded to call the names,
the democrats fell back, seemingly dazed
at the GOODNESS and, from their standpoint,
audacity. of the proceeding. but when the
name OF Breckenridge of Kentucky, was
called, that worthy sprang to his feet,
rushed down the aisle with clinched fists,
shaking his silvery locks, his face, more
forid than ever, and his usually m%elodious
voice thick with rage as he screamed, II
deny the power of the speaker: this is
revolutionary" The democrats rose in a
body, poured down into the centre, and
with threatening gestures hurled %scorniand
defiance at the speaker, varying the per-
fnrn,oJon with tba o1I soI>ol vail M.
publicans sat quiet, making no demonstra-
ton, but the lines Of set determination
were tensely drawn on every face, and
they were ready upon the first offer of
physical violence to hurl themselves be-
tween the mob and the speaker. The
speaker stood as calm and as u%nruf1ed as
II all were peaceful and serene before him,
but, for once at least, that great. laughing
boyish face Of his showed in its every line
nothing but determination as unmovable
as Gibraltar, and the mob stood at bay. its
leaders yelling, cursing, ~denOuncing, but
none bold enough to begin the personal
conflict, so evidently intended by some of
them IN the first moments of rage. 1t vas
splendid to witness the moral and physi-
cal courage of Reed. OF course, he knew
his friends were at hand ready to sustain
hAihs u ~ oAoO hlCW UlldU UClOEc IT'LL
stood men beside themselves with rage.
who had temporarily lost all control
of themselves, and to whom the use
of arms had not been altogether
unknown, but his face neither paled nor
flushed, and the crowd gradually sank
back to their seats. Taking up his paper
he went N, "Mr. Brookshire, Mr.. Bullock,
MI. Bynum, Mr.. Carlisle" and so on, with
frequent Interruptions, until McCreary. of
Kentucky, was named. Here occurred one
OF those comical incidents which some
times do more toward restoring good humor
than reams of good advice. Mr.. McCreary
is a staid, dlgniied gentleman, usually
with a smiling, rather florid face, but now
that face was white with anger as he
screamed out, Il deny your right to count
me as present, and desire to read some par.
Elementary law upan the subject" The
speaker, with perfect imperturbability of
face but a sly twinkle in his eye, replied:
The chair is making a statement Of the
fact that the gentleman from Kentucky is
present. Does he deny it" The republi-
cans broke into a tumultuous roar of laugh
ter. and many of the democrats smiled as
the absurdity of McCreary's situation was
shown by a single neat phrase. McCreary
attempted to read his parliamentary law,
but the laughter had done its work and
the danger was past.