The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-03-10

Upon the death of Mr.. Beck, of Ken
lucky, in 1889, Mr.. German was
promptly and unanimously chosen for
the position by his Democratic col
leagues.
The accession of Mr.. German to the
post of active minority leadership was
the more gladly hailed by Democratic
Senators, for the reason that, at the
very time of his election, the odious
Force BILL which was a source of SO
much anxiety and fearful apprehen-
sion on the part of the Southern Dem
ocratS, had passed the House under
Speaker Reeds dictatorship, and was
hanging like a cloud over the DELHI
erations of the Senate, in which the
Republicans had a clear majority of
eleven votes. In this great emergency
the Democratic minority placed es-
pecial reliance upon their resourceful
leader. whose mettle had already been
tried and whose skill as a parliament
tartan was recognized on both sides
of the Chamber.
DEFEAT OF The FORCE BILL.
The Republicans introduced two dis
tinctive party measures into the
Fifty-first Congress-the Mckinley
Tariff Bill and the Lodge Election
Law, commonly known as the Force
Bill. Both had, at the start, the solid
support of their party organization
and both were put through the House
under the Reed Rules" at the first
session, without the formality of de-
bate or deliberate consideration. The
Mckinley Bill also passed the Senate
near the end of the first session, on
September 10, 1890, after protracted
debate, in which Mr.. German took an
active and strongly antagonistic posi-
ton. 1t passed by a strict party vote,
having eleven majority. Its compan-
ion measure, the Force Bill, was al
lowed to go over to the second ses-
sion, because the Democrats threat
ened to fight it to the bitter end, and
the Republicans were compelled to
take a recess for the fall campaign.
When the second session came to-
gether, in December, 1890, the Repub-
Leans of the Senate received a re-
newed partisan impulse to stand to-
gether and drive it through as party
measure from two sources; first, from
the unfavorable trend shown by the
Gus advocacy of its early passage in
the message of President Harrison.
Accordingly. the measure was taken
up on the first day of the session, all
other things being put aside, and
pressed with all the energy and par
liamentary skill known to the skillful
parliamentarians of the majority of
the Senate. The Mckinley Bill had
received eleven majority few months
earlier. and the advocates of the
Force Bill calculated that it's compan-
ion measure would have the same
backing. if it could be brought to a
vote. This was probably true.
Senator Hoar, one of the most ac-
complished parliamentarians of the
Senate. was in charge of the bill, and
he had for his active aids and con-
slant coadjutors, Mr.. Aldrich. Mr.. Ed
munds, and all the most skillful law
yers and managers of the majority.
Against this compact, aggressive and
determined force stood the solid Dem
ocratic strength of the Senate, re-
solved to fight to the bitter end. They
were helpless in their weakness. if the
question came to an early vote, and it
looked to the whole country, and to
many of the minority Senators them
selves, that they We're leading an ut
terly forlorn hope. Their only hope
lay in their staving off vote by a
skillful use of the liberal rules of the
Senate. and of the general principles
of parliamentary law, until change
in the sentiment of the country might
break the solidity of the Republican
column.
Thus was the alignment drawn for
one of the greatest parliamentary
battles ever known. The contest was
an unequal one. otherwise than in
numbers. for. although the Democratic
minority possessed fine array of ora
torical and debating talent. the Re-
publicans had the decided advantage
in parliamentary experience and skill.
The Democrats relied largely. in fact,
almost exclusively. in the matter of
tactical skill. upon their strong, vigil
liant and well-balanced leader. or,
as Senator Bayard had expressed
it, 1.-The quiet, self-sustaining and self
sustained man whom Maryland has
given to the Union Mr.. German was
the equal in parliamentary and tao
teal skill of any man on the Repub-
lican side, and, as the result showed,
the superior of them all.
The greatest inspiration of the mi
nority. during the seven long weeks
of the bitter and exhausting struggle,
was the serene and perfect confidence
of their leader. who never for mo-
ment entertained the idea of defeat.
This splendid spirit of confident ag-
gressiveness was remarked upon by
all, and. communicating itself to the
whole minority, added much to their
esprit de corps. 1t also seemed to
perpleN and confound the ma iority,
and had its effect upon the observant
country Democratic Senators. inter-
preting the Force Bill as a measure
designed for the reinstatement and
perpetuation of negro domination
in the South, put their whole souls
into the contest, and. realizing the ne
cessity of perfect discipline to accom-
plish their ends. conceded much to the
discretion and Judgment of their ap-
pointed leader.
Rarely has parliamentary leader
been invested with such complete
command as was Senator Gorman
during the memorable battle. Old EN-
ployees of the Senate relate incidents
of leading and distinguished Southern
Senators applying to the chairman of
the Minority Conference to know if it
was advisable for them to go down to
the restaurant on the floor below for
lunch, and reporting whenever they
temporarily withdrew from the Cham
Der. where they might be found in an
emergency.
The first test of strength came on
the first day of the session. December
8. 1890. on Mr.. Hoar's motion to take
up the bill for consideration, which
was adopted by vote of Al to 30
showing the Republican party
strength. Had the final vote been
taken on that day. the bill would I'M
doubtedly have been passed by the same
ma ioritv. The final test came on jan
uary &c. 1891. when Mr.. Wolcott. OF
Colorado. asked Mr.. Morgan to yield
the floor in order that he might move
to take up the bill making an appor-
tionment of representation in Con
gress under the Eleventh Census
which motion was adopted by a vote
Of 10 81 tb,IS 1iSn1aoiDr and finally