Arizona republican., 1899-02-07
High Handed Proceedings of
 House Democrats.
hSHURST LACKS BACKBONE
Falls 10 Stand Firm for What lie kneW to Be Parliamentary Law. Bills introduced in Both Houses Providing for Woman Suffrage. Some Parfizan WOrk-RaiIrOad Fare Bill in Committee.

When United States Senators Clark,
 of Montana, and Stewart, of Neveda receive the congratulations of the Ari- zona legislature upon their election, they should at the same time be ap-
 prized of the fact that the resolution
 authorizing the reorganization is
 illegal and unconstitutional under the
 rules covering the action of the Ari- zona legislature. They should know
 that the resolution, as it stands today was adopted by a democratic body in violation of it's own rules. They should
 know that it is impossible for the Twentieth Arizona Assembly,, under it's rules, to congratulate them upon
 their election, and if they respect the
 law under which all parliamentary
 bodies work, they will refuse to ac- cept the congratulations which do not represent the sentiments of a consti-
 tutiona1 majority of the body express ing them.
 The rule of the Arizona legislature,
 and a fundamental principle of all parliamentary bodies is that two
 thirds vote is required to order the
 previous question put. Another rule of the Arizona legislature, which is also unalterably established in parlia- mentary practice, is that two-thirds vote is required to overrule the de- cision Of the chair on question which requires a two-thirds vote to carry By ordering the previous question by a majority vote, and by the same vote overruling the decision of the chair that a two-thirds vote was necessary to order the previous question, the Is democrats in the house allege to. have adopted a concurrent resolution di- recting the president and speaker to send the following telegram to Sena- tors-elect Clark and Stewart:
 t'We, the representatives of the peo- pie Of Arizona, in legislature assem- bled, believing in the money of the constitution and realizing that your election to the the United States senate will be of great assistance in correcting the crime of '73 and re- turning to circulation gold and silver at a ratio to 16 to 1. do most heartily congratulate you upon your election"
 This resolution was the substitute offered by MT. Adams for the amended resolution adopted by the council Sat urday and is in itself violation of what the republican members of the house understood to be an agreement with them to keep partisanship out of the question.
 During the three weeks life of the legislature, a minority of the demo- crats, led by MT. Adams, have been trying to commit the body to a 16-to-1 resolution of congratulat;on to Stewart or Clark The efforts in this direction have been de- feated by democratic votes. Finally, MT Adams drafted resolution of con graduation to Senator Clark, which addressed him only as a friend of who holds large property in terests in the territory. In this form, being shorn of partisan politics, MT. Scott, the leader of the house republi- cans, favored it, and voted for it, on the understanding that the telegram to be sent to the senator should pre- serve it's non-political character. The resolution came before the council Sat urday, where MT. Murphy, who de clared he was against such action on principle, but saw no harm in the pro- posed neighborly telegram, moved to amend by including the name of Stew art.
 This was on the score that Stew art, like Clark, was interested in Ari zona's general welfare. The council, with Mr. Hunt in the chair, went through a process which it called adopting the amended resolution, all though in fact it was laid on the table and still lies there. Like MT. in the recent prize fight, the democrats in the council won by main strength and awkwardness, and yesterday the resolution, which lay on the table, was sent back to the house for concurrence in the Murphy The amended resolution being before the house, MT. Adams offered the substitute which was adopted. To prevent a vote on the main question the republican majority the usual tactics of motions to amend, to adjourn, etc. Arthur, re- publican, being absent, the vote Of the house was 13 democrats to 10 re- publicans. at point in the fight where the absence of the one republican vote played vital part in the result. The democratic majority had dis pensed with the call of the house. and forced proceedings, with Gray, dene- 5z,st and Arthur, republican, absent. During this condition Mir. Adams moved the previous question and the