The Washington times., 1908-05-31
CONGRESS QUITS IN JOY AND SONG;
GORE TRICKED- FILBUSTER ENDS
Blind Senator Stops Speech,
Stone Not Present to
Relieve Him.
CURRENCY MEASURE
PASSES 40 TO p
La Toilette Enters Chamber as
Roll Call Begins, Prepared for
All Night Talk.

All Night lax.
One of the most spectacular nlibusters
In the history OF the United States
Senate, during which its insugator,
Senator la Toilette. broke al records
/ by speaking continuously for more Than
eighteen hours. came 10 an abrupt and
dramatic end at As o'clock yesterday
afternoon, with several Senators walt
ing 10 utter their protest against the
adoption of the conference report Gil
the AldTicE-Vreeiand currency bill
Coming 10 the rescue OF the impeTiied
bin at an oppcrtune moment, Vice
President Fairbanks pat the motion Oh
the adoption OF the conference report.
At O'Clock yesterday morning Senator
Aidrich had paved The way for just
such a situation, by moving that tho
Senate proceed 10 the adoption Of the
conference: report and that the ayes and
nays he taken. The roll call started.
and ike a shot, Senator Aldrich, who
Is first IN the roll. answered 70 his
name. Senator Hepburn insisted again
and again that he was entitled 10 recog-
milton and was on his feet before the
roll call started. but the chair ruled
that the roll call had begun and he waz
too late.
Hepburn Wants Floor.
AngriIy dissenting from the dlsposi-
ton OF the chair and the Republican
leaders to prevent him from getting the
floor, Senator Hepburn was informed by
the Vice President that he could pro,
coed IL unanimous consent were given.
Whereupou, Senator Ga,inEer Of New
Hampshire objected. The Idaho Sena-
tor was furious, but IL was useless. The
roll caU went remorselessly on.
The conference report was adopted
BY g TO p The vote was almost a
straight party one. ALI the Democrats
voted against the bin. The Republi-
cans who voted against II. by opposing
the adoption n the conference report,
were Senator's Browne. Bourne. B0rah.
and Hepburn Senator La Toilette op-
posed the adoption of the report al
FIRST, but changed his vote TO aye for
the purpose Of moving q reeonsidera-
ton.
Cores Error.
II was through tactical error OF
Seantor Gore. the blind member from
Oklahoma. that the hlibuster was abb
ruptly terminated. He quit his speech
suddenly, thinking Senator Stone Of
Missouri was In readiness 20 so ahead.
Seantor Stone CHANGED 10 be out of the
chamber. It was q moment before
Senator Hepburn saw his chance 20
speak and IN that moment the roll
call had been set going.
Had Il not been for this unexpected
development the flibUster would no
doubt have lasted indefinitely, Senator
La Toilette was prepared TO begin an
other all-night speech, He entered the
chamber just after the roll call had
been started,
It was the plan OF the Senate Repub-
lican leaders TO try 10 prevent Senator
La Toilette from getting the floor again.
he was intending 20 start his speech
about 6 O'Clock, following Senator stone
of Missouri, who expected to take the
place of Senator Gore for an hour or
so. When he arose to SPEAK, it was the
intention Of Senator Aldr.ch to invoke
Rule -, which says that without leave
OF the Senate a Senator shall not speak
more than twice on the same subject
on the same day.
AIdrieh's Plan.
Senator AIdrich's tactics, as he had
carefully planned them. would havs
been 10 insist that Senator IA Toilette
had already spoken twice. once when
he was taken from the floor Friday on
a point Of order by Senator Foraker
and the second time when he resumed
after the Senate had decided he was in
order.
While it is cot unlikely this would
have prevente, Senator La Toilette
from getting the floor again, inasmueh
as the Senate was In session yesterday
on the legislative day Of Friday, Il Is
probable there would have been pro-
longed debate over this question involv-
ing INTERPRETATION of the rules, and in
any event other Senators were prepared
to speak on the Aldrich-Vreeland bill.
Senator Bacon, for one. desired 10 pro-
test strongly against it.
Besides. IL was the understanding last
night that stone and La Toilette had
an agreement between them whereby
stone was TO take the floor for another
speech and La Toilette was 10 divide
the time with him by asking questions,
so as 10 get around the rule which
prohibits a member making more than
two speeches on the same subject on
the same legislative day.
In addition to this. word was received
that JEFF Davis. the torrid-tongued ora
tor from Arkansas, was on his way here
expecting to begin a two days speech 1
Monday
Republican leaders Of the Senate were
greatly pleased last night over the re
suit. The adoption Of the conference
report means that the bin parsed the
Senate as it was agreed 70 N con-
ference. and as the House had already
accepted it, THAI the President will
sign the bin promptly goes without say
ing. Ever since last Decem Der, the
currency question has been the fore
most before Congress. A week ago.
the indications were that the plan to
put through currency legislation had
fallen to the ground, But the Re-
publican leaders were afraid TO adjourn
without doing something with the cur
rency question. So the 4Aldrich bill aud
Continued on Tenth Page)