The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-18
THE GAG RULE ADOPTED
This Gives the Minority Leader His
Opportunity.
He KNOWS THAT DEBATE is USELESS
And Asks Unanimous Consent to The Bill Being
Put on Its Passage Amid Applause
From Both Sides. The Meas.
ure is Passed.
tBy the Associated Press.>


Washington, D. c., Feb. 1T.--The unex-
pected happened in the House today
when the bin TO repeal the War Revenue
taxes was passed unanimously without
a word of debate. This action was the
outcome OF a challenge thrown down by
Mr.. Richardson, of Tennessee, the mi
nority leader after the adoption by a
strict party vote of a special order for
the consideration of the bin which per-
mitted debate upon it until o'clock to-
morrow afternoon. but cut off all oppor-
tinity to offer amendments except suel,
as had been agreed upon by the Ways
and Means Committee.
The adoption OF the rule had been pre-
ceded by stormy debate, in the course
of which the Democrats protested
against the application of the gag
which Mr. Hay, of Virginia, charged was
meant to prevent free expression, not
only by the Democrats. but by some Of
the Republicans, attention being
especially directed toward Mr.. Babcock,
of Wisconsin, the father Of the
BILL to amend the steel schedule of the
present tariff law. When the
rule was adopted by vote of 15S to 100.
Mr. Richardson. to emphasize
the fact that debate on the bill could tac~-
oonpllsh nothing, and that deIib-
GRAFTON upon it would be fruitless ask
Ell unanimous consent that the bill be
placed upon it's passage. Not All objec-
tion was voiced and the vote was forth
with taken. Every vote, 81 in numbcr
ives cast in the affirmative.
MIR. Dalzell, Pennsylvania, from the
Committee on Rules, presented the spe-
cial order agreed upon by that commit
tee. Mr.. Dalzell explained the effect OF
the rule This measure, he said was
presented to redeem a pledge made when
the war revenue taxes were imposed
that when the necessity for them ceased
they would be repealed.
At the conclusion of his brief state
ment, Mr.. Dalzell yielded thirty minutes
TO Mr. Underwood. (Ala} also of the
Committee on Rules.
The Alabama member protested
against the adoption of the rule not. be
said, because 1t provided for the consid-
Grafton of a bill to reduce taxation, but
because 1t prevented individual members
from exercising their own Judgment, or
carrying out the wishes of their consti-
tuents as 10 what portion of the exces-
sive taxes should be repealed.
Mr.. Underwood said he did not think
general tariff revision should be made
because such a revision, whether good or
bad, would unsettle present conditions,
and might lead to disorder. He thought
that the proper method Of reducing
duties at this time should be through re-
ciprocity agreements made in pursuance
of Congressional enactment and sent to
the clerks desk, and had read an amend
men representing his ideas in this par
tieular.
Mr.. Ball (Texl. denounced the rule
as but another step in the parliamentary
evolution by which individuaIism in the
House was being crushed and few
men were enthroned as autocrats to
dominate its viii
The reason for the presentation of the
rule, he declared. was because IL was
necessary to gag two Republicans on the
floor and all the Democrats Of the
House. He referred to the report in the
newspapers that the President even had
become converted to the view that the
Iron hand" was necessary to prevent
wholesome revision of the tariff. At
this point Mr.. Babcock, OF Wiscontin. one
OF the Republican members of the Ways
and Means Committee TO whom Mr. Ball
had referred. read a statement of his rea-
son for favoring the adoption of the rule
It was to the effect that after consulta-
tion nc and his colleagues did not consid-
er it wise to jeopardize the passage of
the repeal bill by complieating matters
but he gave notice that at the first op-
portunity he would press for the consid-
GRAFTON Of his bill to amend the steel
schedule
Mr. Hay, of Virginia. declared that the
pending rule would humiliate every mem
Der on the floor because it prevented the
offering OF a single amendment to this
bill. II was such a display OF cowardice
as had never before been witnessed in
the House. Democratic applauSo.)
When the bill went 10 the senate it
would be debated and amended but by
this rule the House would be deprived
of its rightful function. It would but
emphasize the growing opinion Of the
country that the Houge of Representa-
tives simply was machine to register
the DEGREES OF a few men When the
popular branch of every legislative as
sembly in Europe was being given more
power. he said, this House was being