Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-30
SEN. IAFOLLETTE
TRIES TO KILL
BILL WITH TALK
VIGOROUSLY OPPOSES NEW
CURRENCY MEASURE
HOLD NIGHT SESSION IN HOPE
OF ADJOURNMENT
Fllibuster Methods Compel Senate to
Hold All Night session-senators
Routed from Beds In the
Early Morning
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, May 30.--At $3.50 a. m
senator La Toilette insisted on n roll call ON
his point of no quorum. The chair sus-
tanned his previous ruling that the call un-
der the rule could not be ordered. and from
that decision La Toilette appealed. MIR. Aid
rich was prompt to move to lay the appeal
ON the table. number of, Democrats re-
fused to vote and Mr.. Aldrich insisted that
they should be required to do
The vote disclosed several short of
quorum and absentees were notified.
At o'clock this morning no quorum had
heen obtained.
During the skrmish for a quorum the
senate leaders under order previously
adopted directing the sergeant-at-arms TO
bring In the absentees, decided to. compel
the attendance Of Mr.. Stone. who Is slated
to relieve La Toilette under the latter's pro-
gram. A policeman was started for the
Raleigh hotel at 3:15 this morning to ar
rest him.
The first senator to appear in response TO
the summons was Mr.. Owen Of Oklahoma.
He bore every evidence of having been
routed out of bed, being without necltie or
collar, and his shoes were uniaced.
At $3.50 a. m. the senate still waiting
for quorum ON the vote ii lay MIR. La
Follette's appeal the table,
At $40 u. m. a quorum appeared. The
appeal was laid ON the table and senator
In Toilette resumed his remarks, after hav-
Ing secured an hours rest by his move.
WASHINGTON, May 29.--It has been
a long time since the senate has been
tied up by a filibuster with such slen-
der support as was in evidence TO-DAY
when Senator La Toilette undertook to
defeat the conference report on the
Aldrieh-Vreeland currency bill by talk
ing 1t 10 death.
The report was brought up and Mr..
La Toilette took the floor. He insisted
that quorum should be maintained at
all times, and up to 6 o'clock he had
demanded twenty roll calls. The sem
ate was able to obtain more or less re-
laxation, and at the same time keep
the supporters of the bill In their seats.
The heat was excessive and many were
restless under this restraint. 1t soon
became evident that the Republicans
would have difficulty in maintaining the
presence of a majority. and 1t was just
as apparent that proceedings would be
suspended whenever the necessary for
ty-seven senators were not present.
Mr.. La toilette complained of his re-
cent illness, and during much of the
chair, half sitting as he talked. He
engaged Mr.. Aldrich In a colioquy con-
cerning the provisions of the currency
bill, and later declaring that the chair
man of the finance committee had not
been "frank' in his replies, he was
called to order. and only after vote of
the senate had restored him to his
right to the floor did he continue his
Shortly before o'clock Mr. La Fol-
lette inquired whether a proposition
would be agreed to to strike out rail-
road bonds and stocks from the list
of securities contemplated in the con-
ference agreement, but Mr.. Aldrich /
promptly declined the cffer, saying the
adoption of the ftport was the only
question before the senats ana adicd
that, so far as he was concerned, ne
make the concession suggested.
Mr.. Aldrich declared the report
would remain before the senate until
March, 1909, if necessary.
The Wisconsin senator replied that
he would continue his opposition, since
that was the only course presented to
hiin.
The twenty call to ascertain
whether there was a quorum present |
wns made by Mr.. Gore at c:45 J. m.
He consulted with Mr.. Stone just pre- |
vious to raising the point of no quor-
UNI, which suggested that these SEN
ators were actually in sympathy with |
the Wisconsin senator. Messrs. Gore |
and Stone left the chamber during the
roll call and did not respond to their
names.
Mr.. La Toilette threatened during |
the day to keep the senate In session |
three weeks, but the support he will |
get in order to continue his tactics at |
the end Of his physical endurance is
yet to be seen.
1t is understood that Senator Stone, |
who Is opposed to the bill, will give ac-
tive support to the filibuster. and Sem
ator Gore manifested some sympathy |
at times today by noting the abseSce
of a quorum. As body, however. |
the Democrats are positively opposed |
to obstruction to the Republicans.