The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-06
RUSH TACTICS
FAILED TO WIN
Attempt Made to Pass the Gen.
eral Staff Bill.
HOUSE WANTS TO CONSIDER
LACK OF A QUORUM ENDED THE
CONTROVERSY.

ITYASHINGTON. Jar. 5.-The house
w resumed work today after q re-
cess Of two. weeks. but within TWO
hours the machinery broke down for
lack Of @ quorum. The bill 10 create
n general staff in the army was the
{ Issue IN attempt was made - pass It
under Suspension Of the rules, which
requires a twu-thirdS majority. Al
Though ali the members Of che minor
ity of The military committee endorsed
It. opposition developed because of the
hurried manner iu which il vas pro-
posed 20 pass the bin, and the division,
100 to 81. developed that II did not
! commend the support Of two-thirds OF
those present. a call Of the house fol-
: lowed. but az the roIlcaIl showed about
| thirty less than Il quorum. the house
adjourned.
At noon today the house reconVened
after holiday recess Of fifteen days
i Many members had not yet returned
! from their homes, and there were not
| over 100 members on the floor when
Speaker Henderson called the house TO
order. Dewitt g. Flanagan. who was
elected to succeed the late Representa-
tive Salmon. appeared at the bar and
I ttJA the 'odlu-
Richardson Objected.
Mr.. Hull, chairman Of the committee
on military affairs. then asked unanl-
nous consent for the consideration Of
TIE bill reported from his committee
to create a. general staff for the army
Mr. Richardson Of Tennessee the
minority leader. said he did not believe
such IN important measure should be
considered by unanimous consent and
he objected.
Mr.. Hull then moved the passage Of
I the bill under Suspension OF the rules
Mr.. Hull said the measure had the
unanimous endorsement Of the military
committee. IN reply to a question by
/ Mr. Bartlett Of Georgia he said that
the general OF the army at present was
a myth.
Mr. Hay of Virginia. a member of the
military committee. in support of the
bin detailed the chaotic condition which
existed during the Spanish war owing
to the conflict Of authority. This con-
| ditiOn, he said. could not exist under
the pending bill.
No Quorum.
81 would like to ask said Mr.. Steele
of Indiana, IF this bill does not prac-
/ tically eliminate the lieutenant gen
cral from the army? In other words.
would it be possible. under this bin for
! the commanding general in time of war
4 to reside out of Washington? The
/ lieutenant general is not chief of staff
under this BILL
Mr. Hay-He could be detailed as
commander of the army in time of war
! if the president chose to detail him.
Mr.. Steele-The president can assign
[ any officer to the command of the army
now subject to this little coterie, this
pettieoat army here in Washington.
Mr. Hay-Do you mean the president
I is subject to that2
MIR. Steele-That is what I mean.
/ Mr.. Richardson of Tennessee APP
/ peaIed to the members to vote the
! measure down now, so that it could
/ come up and be considered in the reg
/ ular way.
Mr.. Hull declared that if the bin was
! defeated now he did not believe il could
! be passed in any other way. The vote
/ resulted los to SO. not a quorum.
! A call of the house developed the
/ presence Of only $50 members. not a
| quorum. and. at 3 O'Clock. the house ad-
! journed.