Evening star., 1897-05-03
Speaker Challenges Those Who Op-
pose His Policy.
Mr.. SIMPSON CAUSES A SCENE
Arose to Question of Privilege,
Which He Abused.
c Z B A IN TIL L Sc y ATE

| In the House today Joseph Il. Showalter
| who was recently elected to represent the
! twenty-fifth Pennsylvania district. at a
special election to ill the place OF James J.
Davidson. deceased, took the oath OF office.
Mr.. Bailey of Texas presented a resolu-
ticn that the Nelson bankruptcy bill,
| Gently passed by the Senate. be taken up
| by. the House on Monday. May 10. and con-
| sidered until disposed of. He asked unani-
| nous consent for immediate consideration
of the resolution, but Mr.. Brewster IN. YD
| objected
Then Mr.. Simpson of Kansas rose to a
| question of personal privilege and sent TO
| the clerks desk to be read extract from
| the New York Mail and Express. accusing
him of being an obstructionist. and predict
i ing that he would be pulverized under the
| Speakers trip-hammer
This article was followed by another
| from the New York Times, charging that
| Mr.. Simpson was obstructing legislation
and applying such epithets 'skeeter'' 10
| Llm There was stack of newspaper
| clippings on Mr.. Simpsons desk which IL
| appeared, he was determined to have read
| but Mr. Dingley protested that Mr.. Simp-
| son had not raised any question OF privi-
| lege.
Speaker Reed said that IL would be an
| unsatisfactory doctrine that a member
| could consume the time of the House with
| lEnumerable newspaper clippings. and in
/ evident
| newspaper attacks do not impair the gem
tiemanS usefulness %
| This comment seemed TO anger the Kan
| san, who began TO declare loudly that ne
| was lot obstructing legislation, and that
| he proposed TO show who was obstructing
| Il.
Again Mr.. Dingley sought to cut him off.
and Mr.. Simpson characterized the Maine
| leader as ''one OF the dependents of plu-
| tocracy who was Fastening to defend the
| interests of his friends
Mr Reed warned the Kansan that he
| could not defend himself by attacking an
other, 10 which Mr.. Slmpsol replied that
| he must defend himself however he could
he was proceeding to assert that the
Speaker obstrucied legislation by refusing
10 appoint the committees, when Mr.. Reed
I threw down the gauntlet to him.
II any gentleman will present to the
house proposition that the Speaker has
committees, said the Speaker, seeming
for the first time this session to be anger
ed by Mr.. Simpsons attack, ''or IL he will
even put it in the shape of a request that
the chair appoint the committees and the
House sustains his contention, the chair
| will appoint the committees"
For moment challenge and rotor, flew
| thick and fast between the Speaker and
| his opponent
The chair well knows that a single OBJ
lection will stop the resolution" yel.el
Mr. Simpson.
"Will the gentleman present the resoIu
tion?' demanded Mr.. Reed.
The rule declares that the Speaker must
appoint committees at the beginning of
eacn Congress-, retorted Mr.. Simpson.
The chair decides to have this matter
brought to head" replied Mr.. Reed. 1T
| is evident that If neither the gentleman
from Kansas nor any other gentleman
will present such a resolution the unan-
lmous opinion of the House sus;ains the
Speaker
This passage continued the irate populist
| charging hotly uoon the Speaker and Mr.
Reed punctuating his attack with the de-
resolution
on their feet, and Mr.. Payne (N.Y.) finally
made himself heard protesting that Mr.
Reed should not hesitate to cut Off the
member merely because he was making an
attack on the House.
is the Speaker beyond our reach?" ask
ed Mr.. Simpson, shrilly. is the Speaker
beyond attack if he is derelict in duty"
Mr.. Reed then said that since the mat
ter had taken such form he would put
1t to the House whether Mr.. Simpson hal
raised any question of personal privilege.
The House decided by a vote of "a to ~
that Mr.. Simpson had not, whereupon Mr..
Simpson subsided, after having furnished
an interesting half hour. but as he sank
into his seat he protested against the in
voking of brutal majority"
The democrats who follow Mr.. Bailey
voted with the republicans Oh this ques-
tion.
In the calm which followed Mr. Dlngley
until Thursday.
Mr.. Bailey inquired whether the majority
did not intend TO secure an expression from
the House as to whether 1t desired to con-
slider the bankruptcy bill.
Mr.. Dalzell PaD replied that the commit
tee on rules had the matter under con-
sideration, and that If a majority OF the
House desired to consider the bankruptcy
bill 1t would probably be considered.
Mr.. Lewis Resolution.
While Mr. Dingleys motion was pending
Mr.. Lewis. a new democratic member from
Washington, rose to announce that "in re-
sponse to the kindly suggestion of the
Speaker" he would present a resolution
for the appointment of the committees.
The resolution was cut OF. however by
the vote on Mr.. Dingleys motion. several
republicans calling for the regular order.
whereat the democrats jeered.
The motion was carried. IL to 46-pres-
ent, Is. The House was then about to ad-
journ. when Mr.. Dingley and other repub-
licans began to inquire for the resolution,
and Mr.. McMillin and some OF his demo-
cratic colleagues protested that debate was
not in order, which gave the republicans
an opportunity to laugh.
Speaker Reed again invited consideration
OF the resolution saying. THE chair thinks
II desirable, In Justice to himself and to
the House, that the country should know
that opportunity has been gwen for the
consideration of the subject"
Opportunity being thus given Mr.. Lewis
presented his resolution. 1t follows:
That 1t is the sense Of the House that
the committees authorized by rule 10
should be appointed at this session of Con-
gress. and as soon hereafter as may be
convenient that bills. resolutions, me-
MORALS which have been presented to the
House CT may be hereafter presented, un-
der rule IL. may be considered as con-
tcmplated by the Constitution"
Mr.. Bailey opposed Mr.. Lewis resolution,
saying 1t was just what the republicans
wanted, and he wondered that the Speaker
had not before shifted the responsibility
from himself 10 the House. He scored the
democrats for presenting a pitiful spectacle
to the country by their dissensions.
Mr. Dingiey's Substitute.
Mr.. DINGHY declared that the House
should be brought TO a direct issue. and In
troduced a substitute for that purpose, d.
recting the Speaker to appoint the commit
tees at once.
THE SENATE.
After q recess covering practically ten
days. the Senate met today with q large
sccumuiation OF routine business and sew