The age-herald., 1902-02-18
Richardson Springs Surprise and
 Shuts Off All Debate
MAKES SPEECH
During Storm of Debate Against Gag Rule DalzcII Recalls How Amend ments Were Forced Through
 When Wilson Bill Passed.

Washington. February 1.-The unex- pected happened in the HouBe today when the bill to repeal the war revenue
 taxes was passed unanimously without
 word of debate. This action was the
 outcome of a challenge thrown down by
 MT. Richardson of Tennessee, the minor
 ity leader, after the adoption by strict
 party vote of a special order for the consideration of the bill which permitted debate upon 1t until 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon but cut off all opportunity to offer an amendment except such as had been agreed upon by the ways and means committee. The adoption of the rule had been preceded by stormy debate in the 1 course of which the Democrats protested against the application of the gag which Mir. Hay of Virginia charged was meant to prevent a free expression not only by the Democrats but by some of the Republicans, attention being especial ly directed toward MT Babcock of Wis consin, the father of the bill to amend the steel schedule of the present tariff
 MT. Babcock said that he supported tho programme on the ground that the issue 1 presented for the repeal of the war rev. enue taxes should not be complicated with other matters. At the same time | he gave notice that he should press his 1 own bill at the first opportunity. DalzeI Recalls History.
 MT. Dalzell of Pennsylvania scored a point against the minority by recalling l the time under Democratic control Of the | House when 649 amendments to the Will son tariff bill had been forced through without being read. When the rule was | adopted by vote of 15S to 12O MT. Rich ardson to emphasize the fact that debate on the bill could accomplish nothing and the deliberation upon 1t would be fruit less asked unanimous consent that the bill be placed upon its passage. Not an objection was voiced and the vote was
 taken forwth. Every vote, PTS In num- 1 Der, was cast in the affirmative and thus 1 quietly and unanimously came the end | of at what at one time had promisel 10 | be one of the most exciting contests or
 the session.
 During the Debate.
 During the debate MT. DalZell yielded
 thirty minutes to MT. Underwood of Ala 9 | bama also on the Committee on Rules.
 The Alabama member protested against | the adoption of the rule, not, he said, l because 1t provided for the consideration } of a bill to reduce taxation, but because it prevented individual members from exercising their own judgment or carry 1 ing the wishes of their constituents as
 to what portion of the excessive taxes should be repealed.
 As an instance of a tax which it was not advisable to repeal he cited the
 inheritance tax tax that was not reach-
 ed by other taxation.
 Underwood Opposes Revision.
 MT. Underwood said he did not think
 a general tariff revision should be made
 because 1t would unsettle present condi- tions and might lead to disorder. He 1 referred to the stagnation in business which existed pending the announcement I of both the Wilson and Dingey bill to support his statement. He thought the proper method of reducing taxes at this time was through reciprocity agreements made in pursuance of Congressional en- actment and he sent to the clerks desk l and had read an amendment represent ing his ideas in this particular.
 The following is the text of the amend l ment offered by MT. Underworld
 That for the purpose of readjusting the | present duties importation into the | United States; as to raise sufficient reve- nues to support the government econom- | ically administered and at the same time | to encourage the export trade of this l country, the President of the United | States is authorized and empowered to | negotiate trade contracts with foreign nations wherein mutual concessions are made. looking to the expansion of our foreign trade. provided that said trade | contracts becoming operative shall be submitted to the Congress of the United
 States for ratification, amendment or re- 1 jection.
 MT. Bell declared that the reason for the presentation of the rule was because it was necessary to gag two Republican members of the ways and means commit 1 fpe mhprO Of RpDuhlfrana Op t1a floor and all the Democrats of the House.
 He referred to the report in the newspa- pers that even the President had become converted to the view that the iron hand was necessary to prevent wholesale re- vision of the tariff.
 Babcock States Ills Proposition. At this point MT. Babcock of Wincon- sin. one of the Republican members of | the ways and means committee to which l MT. Ball had referred. said he and his l colleagues did not consider it wise to 1 jeopardize the passage of the repeal bill l by complicatng matters. and he gave notice that at the first opportunity he would press for the reconsideration of his bill to amend the steel schedule. l MT. Hay of Virginia declared that the l pending rule would humiliate every mem Der of the floor because it prevented the offering of a single amendment to this bill. It was such a display of cowardfce as had never before been witnessed in l the House (applause).
 When the bill went to the Senate 1t | would be debated and amended by this | rule The House would be deprived of It's 1 rightful function It would but empha- | size the growing opinion of the country | that the House of Representatives simply | was a machine to register decrees to a l few men. When the popular branch of every legislative assembly fin Europe was being given more power he said. this 1 House being bound and gagged. The debate to be accorded under the rule, he declared. would be farce because it l can accomplish nothing.
 1 MT Cannon of Illinois argued earnestly l in favor of the adoption of the rule. l MT. Richardson closed the debate for | the minority. In doing he offered to 1 yield half his time to any one on the Re- l publican side who cared to oppose tho