The news & observer., 1897-02-27
REVIEW OF FIGHT
I'm THE SENATE

self with the scornful abandon of the
hump of the rump OF the COW swimming
across a mill-pond, and said, mo, no,
Lucius, | cannot mix with the people, |
am Rome's delivererp'
And come he would not.
''Then go you mustv' said the people,
and they expelled Coriolanus from the
gates of his city at whose feet he had laid
his prowess.
And Col. Andrews, Cardinals Coriola-
nus, was met by the people and they said
To the Senate, Colonel, with your lease"
and no later than a week ago, it is re-
ported that when a Z per cent. 30-year
compromise was suggested to Col. An
drews by n Republican politician, he re-
Piled I'll be damned if | do.'
But all the same, he went to the Senate
chamber; he was there yesterday with all
four feet; he was there yesterday to reck-
ON with the people at the rate of Z per
cent. for 30 years.
And the MONDAY sun smiled upon his
request, and it was granted; for the
Lieutenamt-C Governor, with whom he
walked down Fayetteville street after the
morning session--4the Lieutenant-Goyern-
or had said it, when he had broken the tie
of % to 25.
Yes, Col. Andrews was with the peo-
pies Senators he loves SO well-and
among whom he appears so seldom-he
was there. hanked by Col. John III. Nc
Alden, and in touch with Senator Rollins,
who seems to be threatened with the In
| ternal revenue collectorship, and Jim
| Moody and Tommy Heart, two souls
with but a single chair, were protecting
the extreme left. Secretary Miller was
| igniting the air up and down the lines as
courier. the picket line had come in and
the battle had begun.
| The first gun on the other side was that
of Scales, but it was soon silenced. All
| recognized in the young man a heart of
| high aims as he introduced his amend
ment There is character On the man,
and the corporation dared not face him.
| Grant got up, saying: Your amendment
has been presented to the committee and
cordially accepted.
When, pray. had it been presented? !?
| Grant had not seen 1T, according to lnfor-
nation from Senator Scales, until a half
hour or so before its introduction. Did he
call n meeting of the committee on the
floor? Did they all see it? Did AleXan-
der and Butler see it? Did all the rest
see it? What was the name of every man
who saw it? Did Col. Andrews see it?
And the battle proceeded. Is
sue was joined in an attempt
| on each side, the one striving to have
the substitute considered first, the other
trying to get the original bill considered
first. Lieutenant-Governor Reynolds
first decided for McCaskey in behalf of
the latter; then for Grant in behalf Of the
precedence Of the substitute. just be-
Ifore, MeCaskey had gone 10 speak with
| the chair, bnt he was oyerhauled by
| Grant who hurried around and remon-
lstrated with McCaskey, who drew away.
The corporation was not now eager to
force a vote, though they need not to
have feared it. But they wanted to be
sure. So, in spite of the fact that it
had been agreed beforehand to call the
previous question at o'clock, the mo-
ton for adjournment was nevertheless
Iput and carried by vote of 2S to %, and
| Cardinals Coriolanus was happy. Hap
! py? Happy at what? Happy because
the people had consented to let him have
/ the road for 80 years instead Of being
happy over the concession by the direc-
tors of a demand for 90 years. This,
at this stage of the game, was considered
La victory.
But they adjourned: they had not
been certain of victory. They would
have more parley-and parley they had
| During the recess Senator Odom
entered the Office of Col. A. B.
| Andrews and was cIoseted there for
some time behind closed blinds 1t was
seen of men. And he, too, voted in
the afternoon to grant the request of
| Cardinals Coriolanus. They were GER
! tain now: the battle was won.
In the afternoon there was some skirm-
ishing at the outset: Butler introduced
three amendments respectively, 10, 8 and
s per cent. They voted that they We're
unwilling to receive as much as 10, or
8 per cent, but they were willing to vote
for what Col. Andrews was willing to
give, namely, per cent. And so the
forces clashed.
When the three amendments, notice
Of all which had been given by Mr..
Butler, were coming up one by one-the
= per cent amendment was reached
Then it was that the chair ruled it out
saying that the substitute was before
| the Senate-in spite of the notice-and
put the question. The ayes responded
SO family to the manifestly revolution
dry lhdI Tut CIu1E ny ayes
and noes" though no one had called for
the ayes and noes. Then sprang Abel
| into the thick and demanded justice
even for his foes; he demanded ruling,
and thus, and seemingly thus only did
the per cent amendment get considera-
ton. All, it was the danger line, that 8
per cent. The vote of % to 25 proved
| it, and when it came to Governor Rey-
nolds to vote he said from the chair jest
| ingly and laughingly to Abel, who was
at the clerks desk, How much is it
| worth ?" putting his hand in his pocket,
and cast his vote in the negative.
Now the guns of the people had been
silenced, and the vote was taken on the
substitute, the people retiring in good
order Was it a defeat? Was Lees
surrender a defeat? The numbers tri-
umphed, but the principle Of the people