Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-04
WILLIAMS KEEPS UP
FIL|bUSTER TACTICS.
Succeeds In Blocking Real Business
Of the House. CIotuIe at Last
Applied to General Debate.

the Senate amendments. Inc amend
| ments were Concurred in.
With view OF eXpediting public bust
ness, ralzell, Pa, of the committee on
rules, reported a rule to dispense with
the first reading of the District of Co
| lumbia appropriation bill to limit gen
eral debate to two hours and there
after to consider the bill for amend-
rnent.
| DeArmond, Mo, vainly cuntended for
eight hours general debate, whereupon
Dalzell said:
Il do not believe l need say any
thing in justification of this rule. TIL
| antics of the gentleman from the other
side yesterday and today demon
strate that, absolutely powerless TO
enact any legislation themselves, they
are intending to obstruct and prevent
legislation upon the part of the ma
jority'
Republican applause was evoked by
this utterance. Dalzell then said:
We will be able to demonstrat,
from this time on not only that thu
minority shall not indulge in any leg
islaticn. but that the legislation {,
the majority will be such as the major
ity desires to pass in its own way an
at its own time by the exercise of tn,
rules of the House
He moved the previous question on
the resolution which met with vocifer
Gus protest from the Democrats who
contended for eight hours general de-
bate.
Dalzell Informed them that the time
thpN wanted had hnpn aXh1nStpl in
useless roll calls.
wasted three months doing nothing"
shouted Gaines of Tenn.
CRIES OF Irregular order from the Re
publican side sent the House into con-
fusion. but Dalzell was heard to re-
peat his motion
Speaker Cannon heard the request
and put the question which on divi-
sion was carried
"Tellers.' shouted Williams.
"Point of order. point of order, Mr..
Speaker" yelled Payne. THAT mo-
ton is dilatory," said he.
The Speaker said he would let Will
liams say whether his motion was dill
atory.
DOCS the gentlen,an," he suavely in
quirod, "Considcr his demand as a dill
atory iroceeding?'
Williams set the Democrats in
frenzy If delight by deliberately tell
ing the Speaker:
u shall not attempt to usurp the
place to which you have been elected.
I will merely reply that it seems Gu
rious to Inc that the gentleman from
New York should consider dilatory
an effort TO postpone for a short while
another effort to gag. If there is any
self-defencc under Gods law it is
that" Then he repeated his demand
for u vote by telers.
The Speaker ruled that in view of
the preponderating vote last taken and
the fact that Williams declined to an
swer his question he would hold that
the motion was dilatory. The previous
question was then adopted, 1879 to 109.
BY vote of 1879 to 102, the rule was
adopted and the District of Columbia
appropriation bill was taken up for
consideration. Under the terms of the
rule but two hours were allowed for
general debate.
Later in the day Williams as minor
ity loader, re-stated his policy for the
remainder Oh Ine session. lie charged
! Messrs. Payne and Dalzell with hav-
ing used some rather strong Ian
guage."
The Democrats. he said had been
held UP before the country as filibus-
ters. but this was not so. The Dem
ocrats had broken no quorum either in
the House or in the committee on
| rules, and nobody is better aware of
! that fact than those gentlemen who
have used that language" he added.
| Amid Democratic applause and Re-
| publican laughter he said: We have
| been engaged in the business OF trying
| to force legislation
| Williams said he did not want to
be understood as complaining, but the
minority would exhaust every power
it had under the rules. The Republic
can leaders he charged, dared not per-
Continued on Page Five.)