The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-02
WILL fight IT
IN The COURTS


ization men at sea as to how they
will be expected to line up.
That they are not yet ready to take
up the subject, was evidenced today,
when the most nagrant filibustering
tactics were resorted to. I'm order to
prevent the Keator bill from coming
before the house.
fixed rule calls for adjournment
on Friday morning at 2 o'clock. An
hour before that time, when the order
for resolutions was reached Mr.. Bed
ford insurgent. of Philadelphia, moved
to take the bill from the hands of the
elections committee, because OF the
committees delay In acting upon 1t.
Chairman Orr explained that the
committee had considered the bill but
did not want to come to a final agree
ment on it until the F'ocht bill came
over from the senate that the two bills
might be compared and a hearing had
on both at the same time.
Mr.. Rixon, insurgent, OF Elk, re-
marked that Quay was reported 10
have repudiated the Focht bill. and
that IL this was true 1t would never
get through the senate.
Mr.. Wayne. Democrat, of Lehigh
spoke in favor of the resolution. and
said IL was futile to walt for the
Focht bill. He characterized the
Keator bill as not only representing
the will of the people In the matter Of
ballot reform. but the concentrated
wisdom Of an organized body of prom.
lnent and influential men who had
made this subject a special study.
I'VE want to emphasize and serve no.
tice. now. that this bill is the measure
the Democrats will support. If the
esteemed leader of the party in major
ity here is reported correctly he wants
the Democrats to come forward with
ballot reform bill that the people
want. He says he will support such
measure. and Senator Quay Is a man
If his word. We have come forward
with bill that meets his require
ments and call upon the Quayites to
support it."
The ayes and nays were called on the
adoption of the resolution, notwith-
standing the warning from Mr.. Bliss,
Quayite, of Delaware, that the role
call would show mo quorum" and
cause adjournment, with the first read
ing bills not yet reached,
Seeking a Quorum.
Forty-seven votes in favor of taxi
ing the bill from the committee. and
only eighteen against. Immediately
Speaker Marshall ordered the doors
locked. as the rules require. and the
sergeant-at-arms proceeded to the
front of the desk to receive his in
structions to go out, arrest and bring
in enough members to make a quorum.
This would mean that everybody with
in the confines of the four walls of
the room at the time would have to
stay there until quorum was Sc
cured, and as most of the absent men,
bers had taken trains for home it
might be late at night before the
doors could be opened.
There was only one way TO escape
imprisonment. and that was by fore
stalling the call of the house." which
must be made to verify the apparent
absence OF a quorum. A call of the
house would reveal that while there
was no quorum. there were many mem-
bers present who did not vote, and
as these members did not want to
be exposed, 1t was agreed to adopt
dlatory tactics until II o'clock arrived.
Half an hour was yet to be consumed
aud the clerks proceeded to consume
it.
Mr.. Bliss moved to adjourn. Some
of the insurgents who wanted To show
UP the Quayites. who refrained from
voting on the reform bill resolution
aud who were willing to be imprisoned
for the remainder of the day to accom-
plish this purpose, raised the point
that the motion was out of order. but
Speaker Marshall promptly ruled that
motion to adjourn is always in Or
der.
The clerks proceeded with the roll
call, but although they allowed several
seconds to elapse between each name,
they got through at ten minutes to
eleven. Then some one called for a
verification of the roll. The reading
clerk, as slowly as he consistently
could, read not only the names of the