Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-18


and gave il up as a bad job, ,edging himself
out of the crowd.
Realizing that he had outraged the rights
OF the Republicans, Weilep did not have
the courage to insist that his order of ar
rest be carried out.
He went ''on 10 the next order of busi-
ness" and ordered the clerk 70 proceed by
reading senate bill No. 20. This was the
third reading of-thef bilI.zaIld 1t wasNon
final Passage. The clerk began, bur his
voice was completely drowned 10y the
shouts of the Republicans for roll call"
The clerk began calling the roll on the
bill, and the Republicans thought it was on
their question, and began TO applaud They
soon discovered that ii was' on the final
passage of the bill. however. and again set
up their shouts for roll call,on the True
blood resolution. The clerk continued the
call of the roll on the bill, and ne had 10
guess how the members ~ere voting on it,
AS he could not hear them. When he had
finished marking up the roll. he reported
that sixty had voted for the bill and eight
against. WeIlep forgot that it took sixty
three TO pass the measure and started TO
declare the bill passed. He was interrupt.
ed by the chief clerk and, after being cor.
rected, declared that the bill had failed of
d, passage.
While the roll was heing called, the re-
port Of the trouble spread 10 the senate,
and several selia tors came to the house 10
lcok on. Whens tuid of the outrageous rul-
ing of the chair in refusing. to give the
= minority arrctt cafi, Senator Wa. Harris
started out TO try and undo the wrongful
acts. He held hurried. corsafta tichs Asyith
The leaders OF both sides. The Republicans
sald all they wanted were their censtltu-
nona rights. Harris spoke to' Street and
Brown, of Pratt. and wfiile they sbsIR ad-
mitted that Weiiep WAS wrong they did
not have the nerve 10 try and get the
tow -
working hard for several minutes. Harris
became angry He thought the majority
should accord fair play to the minority and
let the roll call be taken. lie could not ac-
in disgust. :
Every leader on the PopuIist side admit
led that the Republicans were right. but
they took no steps to right the wrong.
All this time the Republicans clamored
them. but sat in the speakers chair. with
MS back turned on them. The Populists
nnaiiy weakened and made no attempt to
their demands until an Adjournment was
. forced until . O'Clock. &
l'uring the noon recess the Republicans
held a caucus. and decided to- stand by
Their rights at all hazards ssf'hey agreed
70 nave q roll on that resolution ''or know
? for any emergency that might arise, even
1nciuding the possibility OF arrest. At the
same time the Populists had cooled down,
e and before the session was called to order
at O'Clock tacit agreement was reached
whereby the action of the PopuIists on the
resolution in the morning was to he recon-
sidered. and the Republicans allowed a roll
call the first thing tomorrow morning.
Ihe Republicans took the Populists at
mcnts.
Late this AFTERNOON the Populists carried
considering the vote by Which The resoiu-
3 tion 10 revise the calendar was adopted
thls morning. They say tonight that they
VIII permit "A roll call 10 be taken on the
resolution Tomorrow morning in order that
the record can be made. requested by
the Republicans. but thar they will proceed
10 change the rules upon n majority vote,
al! important bills on tis calendar.
1can member viii file - written protest
against the passage of the resolution.
1bn ,hre hre riI Of the them H. This VIII
less than two-thirds of the members. which
the rules themselves forbid. Then the Re
ypublicans will hold that amy. hills advanced
on the calendar and passed by reason of
this change will have passed illegally. This
other persons interested in a1y ieyislation
that may follow an opportunitys-to go into
the courts and tie UP things for three or
w Wellep Was hot only e-si.rsarei 1ss ,.a.e re-
ruhlicans Tor his arbitrafS rulings t6-Stay
g @t NJ TSe ssBH m san Which Rels hfa a sune te
wrangle was one prohibiting 4fre st7Ofkag ge
OF hogs at the stock yards; This bill was
and when its defeat was aHflouHced5 he
could not contain himself. As soon as 1he
house adjourned he maf1e a bee line for
Weilep. and. upon approaching him, he ex-
claimed: You are responsible for the de-
feat Of this bill. IL means more 10 me than
any that has been brought up here. 1t Is
an outrage. Why did you indulge in such
proceedings2' .
helD Il: ruled on the motion: and the
Republicans started the trouble"
1t makes no difference" shrfeked john
son. That's no excuse for you to force
vote on this bill of ours. say it's a
shame what YOU have done
Speaker Street rushed TO the scene and
urged Mr.. Johnson 40 be quiet. Don't
get excited about little thing like that;
let IL go: we can call II up again"
has been kiiled2. demanded Johnson ,ex-
citedly. shaking his fist first at Weilep.
then at Street.
ut will be fixed all right. ] assure you"
said Mr.. Weilep. with smile.
Yes. it'll be all right. Don't get excited.
Johnson" and Street led the gentleman,
who was beside himself away
Just tefore adjournment tonight fthe
house reconsidered the vote by which the
bill was killed. and the bill was placed on
= she calendar again.
This is what the leaders on the Populist
had TO say of Speaker Pro Tenn WeiIep's
revolutionary ruling. which he is seeking
now TO excuse on the silly plea that he did
not hear the Republican demand for a roll
call:
BarkIey. of EIk-"The Republicans had a
right under the rules TO demand roll call
they did
Weileps Is arbitrary: it's gag law, pure
and simple. IL Is outrageous"
Speaker Street, have no criticism upon
Mr. Weilep's ruling"
Edwin Taylor. of Wyaudotte-"The ruling
was manifestly wrong. Mr.. Weilep has
made mistake. The Republicans should
not have indulged I'm the riotous proceed
inSs. but there Is Justice in the demands
tl:cy. arc making which should be recog-
nized.
limited States Senator w. A. Harris was
visiting in the house when the trouble took
place. He said: The Republicans hay,
acted foolishly in melting this unnecessary
disturbance. but | believe from what /
witness,en ana what have been told that
the ruling was wrong
ll speaking about the matter tonight
Ike Il. Lambert, one of the Republican
leaders OF the house. said. II regard ile
ruling of Speaker WeileD made today rs
revolutionary in the extreme The ma ior-
ity find by their own rules that they csn-
not reach any Of their pet bills I'm the
regular order. but they know they cannot
amend their rules except by a tWo-i birds
vote. They knew to-day that If they per-
ceedincs would show that they did not
have two-thirds of the members upon n
resolution which. Gnder their rules re-
qulfed two-thirds vote. The gentleman
occupying the chair decided to ignore our
demand for roll call. so the journal ,Youid
not disclose the fact that the resoiutioo
was carried by less than two-thirds Our
iuleS REQUIRE a roll call upon derna nd of
tel members. Forty-seven members de-
nandcd a roll call and the presiding Of
fice- refused TO permit Il. | know of no
such ruling ever having been made before
except by 81 notorious colored politician
by the name OF COoncy. who ran Il RcDuh-
licaB convention unon the same plan In
Texas last year and the delegates were no.
seBted at the st. Louis convention. he
Ia "a tn ttFa.