The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-17

|IHh MOST desperate enter
prise vet heard of in con-
IL nection with the Finn
Martin insurrection against
regular Repubicanism is the plot Of
the insurgents to prevent Colonel
0uay's electioQ as senator by block
ing the organization of the leGisla-
ture. This was done once in a fac
tional fight in Oregon. and it cost
that state many thousands OF dollars.
Its conslmmation in Pennsylvania,
which we do not regard as possible,
would cost many millions of dollars,
for it would starve the state govern.
ment and the interests depending upon
ii.
How 4 minority might do this is
explained by Hon. Thomas V. Cooper
in the Media Ledger. In order to do
business each house must have IL
quorum or majority of It's total men,
bership present. 1t takes 26 members
to constitute Il quorum in the senate
and 103 in the house. y pair in the
parliamentary sense is an agreement
between members of opposite posi-
tons that when one is absent the
other will not vote. Ordinarily this
equalizes matters by balancing one
vote for party measure against one
vote against it. and is often a source
of convenience to legislator COM
PEELED to leave his post of duty tenn
porarily.
But as intended to be worked by the
insurgents, it would enable a few anti
Quayites to pair With an equal number
of regulars, and then when the other
antis, including Democrats, absented
themselves. there would apparently be
no quorum left. because the regulars.
although present in the flesh could
not vote, AMI therefore might be pre-
sumed to be absent. Overtures fo,
pairs, some reputedly corrupt, are be-
ing made, but there is scant prospect
that the plot will succeed for as Mr..
Cooper says:
Less than quorum can insist upon call II
the body; abscntees can bc sent Tor, and ii they
refuse 10 attend, can be arrested and II they
tlcn refuse to vote, can be compelled to. or
can be counted to n IKE up quorum nlon amy
and all questions where tie yeas and rays are
called. Some who w.rs rlrscnt and refused 10
vote in the extra session oI 1883 We're counted
as voting no; a quorum was reached in this
way, and business transacted. True, this was
after organization, but the power is as potent
before, for ho trick can defeat the crgani2a-
ton oi legislative body. II has been done,
hut not since the decisions OF our state senate
in 1888 and OF Speaker Reed il, the house at
Washington, both since sustained by 'hc Re-
publican party and the people. In 's3 the
writer raised the point OF order, in the failure of
u voting quorum, that those who called the yeas
and nays were present and must he counted rs
voting no. The decision sustained the point.
The Democrats, silent before, showed their pres
ence by howls ana threatened riot, Later in
tho day, the better 10 show thu i,i-tom pf the
decision, Senator Kennedy Democrat, was
called to the chair and Il similar question WIS
raised, the veto being - ayes, noes o. less
than quorum apparently present. The point
WAS then raised that the chair was pluscnt, and
the chair, to he consistent, had to decide lis
own absence, Thi, reduced the opposing con,cn-
tion TO such AN absrdity that Democrat Scra-
tors rs able n, Wallace and Hall declared that
their party had been so mislcd that they would
no longer manifest any interest in the proceed
ings. Speaker Reed quoted these facts in JUS
tiicatioI of his later ruling at Washington.
W. >'ooPNi' tllUot bltNt-
dents to the contemplated insurgent
plot adds:
The proposed plan cannot possibly succeed II
those fayoring the organization OF both houses
refuse TO pain at least until both houses are
organized. II becomes the duty OF all to do
this; neglect to do II may mean betrayal OF
duty, of party, and OF the state government
The fusion plan has been abandoned bcca,se oi
iNninn th., ,,nir, ala = a,,nt
icsort, unless the barrel filled by ambitious nil.
lionaires who acquired their millions through
monopoles and municipal contracts, can he
made to revive lost and substitute new
scheme, Their cause was lost before the people
at the recent election, and the result then
reached should be final. There can he nothius
lower in politics than 10 try 10 change a welt
earned result by subsequent trick or purchase.
Either method is wholly inexcusablc, and in the
end will but iniure those who give aid and conf
fort. We have abiding faith that all conspira-
cies will fail and that the incident OF electing
a senator will be promptly and happily closed.
The faith of the hopeful ex-state
chairman from Delaware county is
founded upon substantial fact, to Wit,
Colonel Quay's unpurchasable major
ity, and January l5 proXimo will see it's
fulfilment.
With official footings from every
state but Michigan and that states