The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-15
FRIVOLOUS AND OBSTRUCTIVE Il.

A limited number of the American people
read the Congressional Record. Now ana
then an ambitious but misinformed young
man turns to it with a view of constant
reading for education, but the perusal of a
few issues discourages him. 1t is too much
Chaff and too few grains of wheat This
session the Record is more than usually
barren There is a deal of talk, even in the
Hcuse, in spite of the much denounced
rules and tyranny of the speaker. Much
time is devoted to talk, but very little to
debate The pages of the Record show that
many men can talk while few can debate.
This is because talk may be words without
information, while the man who debates
even the items of an appropriation bill
must have information.
A few days since the appropriation bin
for Notifications under consideration
in committee of the whole. 1t is a very
important measure. particularly as the
amount of money in the bill reported was
but one-third of the estimate of the engi-
neers. But it received no attention from
the men who have pushed to the front as
the talking men of the opposition. During
one day u Mr.. Lewis, of the State of Wash
ington, injected, in three parts, into the
consideration CT the measure n free-slver
speech, the substance of which he has re-
peatedly delivered He would move to
proceed with his harangue until time was
called. Then some other man would move
to amend and give his time to Lewis. So,
pending consideration of bill appropria-
ting millions, this declaimer was permit
ted to break into the proceedings two
three times, preventing the finishing of the
bill.
The next day, by close vote, the appro-
priation bill was ma@asto give way to pri-
waite bills which had been considered in
committee of the whole. When the private
pension bills were reached a Populist from
Kansas interrupted the regular order by
harangue regarding the proposed sale of
the Kansas Pacific Railway in which he
undertook to show that the property is
worth twice the government claim, ignor-
ing the fact that if what he said
were true rival bidders would run the price
UP to the amount upon which the earnings
would pay dividends. Replies were pro-
voked, and nearly half of the day was di-
verted from its purpose.
One day last week the member from
Delaware desired to reply to an interview
of ex-senator Bayard, in which free-siver
coinage was criticised The matter before
the House was as foreign from the silver
question as it could be. Some member
raised the point that the Delaware man
was not talking to the subject under con-
sideration and should not be allowed to
proceed. The speaker quoted the rule, and
decided against the Delaware man. Then
the self-complacent Mr.. Bailey remarked
that the speaker could not tell until the
Delaware man had proceeded with his
speech whether he was or was not talking
to the question. AS he had announced his
purpose the speaker could tell, and he was
not permitted to proceed Thereupon, the
opposition got even by wasting the day in
filibustering. Thus in the midst of such in-
terruptions the majority is passing the APP
preparation bills and getting into position
to consider the bankruptcy, postal and 9TH
er bills.