Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-10
SOME BREEZY TALK
Interesting Debates in Both Senate
and House.
Mr. WHITE ON TEE SENATE RULES
Changes in the House Rules Dis
cussed at Length.
THE TRANSVAAL REPUBLIC

During the morning hour in the Senate.
| on motion of Mr.. voorhees, Qnd.), a reso-
luton was adopted appropriating $3.50 for
| the purchase of portrait Of the late Allan
G. Thurman.
| Mr.. Pritchard On. c. called up the
amendments he had offered to the revenue
bill to increase the duties OH certain kinds
Of clays, marble, iron ore, timber, live
stock, cereals, fruits wool and coal. for
the purpose of addressing the Senate there
on. He favored the re-enactment of the
Mckinley law and the free coinage Of sill
yer.
He denounced the southern democrats
for their recreancy to their own section.
Their tariff law had brought unexampled
facturers and bankruptcy and ruin to the
farmers and producers of the south
ME-. Hill ON Inconsistency.
When Mr.. Pritehard had finished Mr..
Hill On. " chided the former for the in
consistency of his state. North Carolina,
he said. occupied a peculiar situation In
Congress, and he did not see how her peo-
pie could be gratifled. Some time ago the
same legislature in North Carolina had
elected two Senators by the same COM
bination. A few days ago one OF them
L.
party for being false to its pledges of tariff
reform. Today the other end of the COM
bination told the Senate that he favored
the re-enactment of the Nc kinley law.
The Senate, on Mr.. Hale's motion. then
agreed to adjourn until Monday when
the adjournment was taken today.
Changes I'm the Rules Needed.
Mr.. White (Cal) consumed the remain
der of the time before the expiration Of the
morning hour with a speech in favor OF
some practical notifications Of the Senate
rules He did not mince words in bis
characterization of the rules and the IAN
cient fictions'' they perpetuated The
great evil which he especially inveighed
against was that which permitted inter-
minable debate on any question and placed
It in the power Of a single Senator to hold
the Senate at his mercy SO long as ne
could talk or have read anything, TO mat
ter whether it was relevant or not. He
favored Senator Hills proposition put for-
ward in the last Congress for cloture
whenever the majority of the Senate was
rum counting device to do away with an
other parliamentary fiction. The antiquity
Of the Senate rules, in his opinion, did not
make them sacred, and they should not
be allowed to stand In the way Of parlia-
mentary progress.
He carefully reviewed the abuses that had
grown more ana more intolerable. and cited
many instances where the plain will Of the
majority had been thwarted for days, weeks
and months by the determined stand Of the
minority. The dignity of the Senate would
not be maintiined by cling -ng to rules which
permitted interminable filibusters and must
eventually bring the Senate into discredit
with the people.
Not Conceived I'm Partisanship
IT understand" he continued. 1.-The solicit
tude Of my associates who fear a change Of
rules now will emphasize republican in
fuence in this body: but my remarks have
been OF no avail If have not shown that
the objections to the procedure Of the Sen
ate which have urged are not conceived in
partisansflip but arises from a deliberate
ly formed judgment that the public welfare
is involved and that 1t Is imperative that
attention should be paid to the well-ground-
ed and universal demand for the adoption Of
an improved plan. The party advocate = ay
ard should be patriotic, but he does not rise
above the level of selfshness IL he insists
upon saddhng a parliamentary incubus
upon an already heavily burdened body.
solely because he thinks that the majority
whose power is born OF the people may, I'M
der prevailing conditions. be unable to ex-
ercise the authority thus solemnly intrusted
to their keeping without the interval of
technical distractions Our, rules should be
reasonable; in harmony with the period for
which We legislate and the civilization of
which We partake. Let US have ample ar
gument, but not argument lasting long after
all have ceased to listen. Let us protect
the minority, but permit the majority to
assert their manifest privilege"
To Congratulate the Transvaal Re-
public.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Whites speech
Mr.. Morgan (Ala.). formerly chairman of
the committee on foreign relations, intro
duced joint resolution congratulating the
republic Of Transvaal, in Africa for the
stand for liberty which It had taken, and
directing the President Of the United States
to transmit the action to the republic of
Transvaal
Mr.. Jones (Ark) then took the floor and
made speech on the free coinage SUBJ
stitute for the House bond bill. The Nor
gan resolution was referred to the foreign
relations committee.