The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-13
TO STOP FILIBTSTERING
Necessity for Determined Action
in the National House.
PROPOSITION TO IMPOSE A FINE

Men VINO Refuse TO Perform the Work
for which They Are Paid May Find
Their Salaries Rcduced--Over Six Hours
Of Tnibustering Yesterday.
WASHINGTON, April 13.-The Democratic
managers of the house yesterday decided
that the time had come when some ellpc-
tive method should be adopted to force
the Republicans to participate in legisla-
tion. All through the last congress and dur
ing the present congress the Republicans
have on frequent occasions deadlocked
the house for days by refusing to answer
to their names, thus breaking n quorum.
As there was no rule to compel them TO
vote, and rs the speaker declined TO adopt
Mr. Reeds eNpedient of counting a quo
rum without the authorization of IA rule,
the house was constantly at the mercy of
the minority.
The question Of the adoption of some
method to compel the Republicans to vote
was agitated during the last congress and
at various times during the present ses-
sion. Many different plans We're offered
| by different Democrats, and there were no
iuconsiderablc number of them who fa-
I vored rule which would empower the
/ speaker or clerk to record as present, but
not voting the Republicans who de-
clined to respond to their names. Mr..
Reed himself has been constantly fighting
to force the speaker to adopt the quorum
counting device of which he was the
author, but there was on the Democratic
side a large and bitter opposition to this
expedient.
Some time ago a Democratic caucus was
held to consider the matter, but the ex-
igency, having passed when the caucus was
held nothing came of it. For the last few
days, however, the Republicans have
blocked business, and there was wide
| spread belief on the Democratic side that
this was in pursuance of preconcerted
arrangement with the Republicans of the
senate to delay all business with a view to
postponing action on the tariff bill. 1t was
intimated that a quorum would hereafter
be demanded not only on partisan meas
ures, but on the routine business of the
house Under such stress of circum-
stances Speaker Crisp, Mr.. Catchings and
Mr. Cultivate, comprising the Democra.
tic end of the committee on rules, decided
that the time had come to act. A resOlu
tion embodying a new rule, designed tc
fine members $40 for refusing to vote was
prepared and presented when the house
met.
The Democrats were by no means unan
imous in their approval of it. While the
general sentiment of the house favored
!. some modification of the rule to accom-
plish the purpose desired, "a wide difference
of opinion existed as to what that modif
cation should be. Some of them, like Mr.
Cochran a. Y,) preferred an out and out
quorum counting rule on the line of tn,
amendment to the rules offered some tint
ago by Mr. Springer Others preferred {
rule to enforce Section 40 of the revised
statutes, which provides for a deduction
from the salaries of absentees for sucl
r days AS they are absent, except on accoun
of sickness The Democrats yesterda,
q were unable 10 muster a quorum to act ol
. the new rule, and, finding themselves un
j able to proceed, a resolution was offere
to revoke leaves of absence, and compe
the attendance of absentees. BY a resor
to every means known TO parliamentary
8 law the Republicans succeeded in prevent
+ ing the adoption of this order for six hour
+ and half Today the struggle was re
e sumed.
IL may be that the Democratic oppos
r ton to the new rule as drawn will resul
in its modification, or possibly a complet
substitution of some other method to pre-
vent hlibusteriug, but there is no douh
that when the present struggle is over tn
y wings of the filibusterers will be clippe
y and a new order of things may be
3 vogue in the house Of representatives.