The Washington herald., 1908-05-30
Continued from Page one.

ers and harboTs bill. speaking for severa
hours, when, 1t being a short session. the
arrival Of the hour of noon, on March (
put an end to s4sslon. bill, and fllbustel
all at once. Dir. Carter Is still a member
Of the Senate
The Democrats. in 1891. led by Senator
Gorman Of Maryland. conducted a Eli.
buster at a special session. in which they
defeated the so-called force bill. Only
the Allen filibuster however. present.
anything approaching a parallel to the
present one. Mr.. Allen was a giant of @
man. Weighing nearly 300 pounds. and
standing over six feet tall. Mr. La Fol.
lette is short, though stocky, and OF pow
erful physique.
Twice last night the Sergeant-at-arms
was instructed 10 compel the attendance
of absent Senator's At midnight a call
was sent out for absentees. but veterans
like Messrs. Allison, Teller, Cullom, and
Platt We're excused from attendance. Mr.
Bailey and Mr. Beveridge were also ex-
cused, at the request OF other Senator'S
AT that hour thirty-one roll calls had
been ordered 20 secure a quorum
At l2;4O. however. Senator Aldrich. after
the thirty-second roll call. objected "a
turther questions OF quorum. saying that
as thirty-twO roll calls had shown the
presence Of a quorum, 10 further indulge
the Senator's demands would put the con-
troll Of the Senate into the hands of the
Senator from Wisconsin. Mr. Gallinger
added that one Senator with such pow
/ err might destroy the government. Upon
an understanding IL was ruled that. un-
less other business should intervene.
there could be no further demand for a
quorum.
At 2:So a, m, the Republican leaders. by
their gag rule tactics. seemed to have
driven the Democrats into the filibuster.
| The Vice resident having sustained a
point made by Mr.. Aldrich 20 the effect
that no further roll calls were in order.
Mr.. La Toilette appealed from the deci-
sion and long debate ensued. in the
course Of which Mr. Culberson. the mi
nority leader, called Mr. Aldrich 20 order
for violation of a Senate rule.
There are no iliicatione at the time OF
/ going TO press that the flibuster Is weak
ening. On the contrary. the rough-shod
methods of the Republican leaders seem
TO be making adherents for Mr.. La Fol
lette and his fight
Gains Strength as He Goes.
Senator La Toilette seemed TO gain
strength as he proceeded. In the after
noon he started out cautiously. acknowl-
edging that he intended to reserve as
much of HIS strength as he could. deter
mined to obstruct the bill. he said. so
Ions as he should remain physically able
TO do so. He went slowly. taking advan-
tage Of every opportunity TO get a little
rest, until about o'clock, when he had
demanded and secured twenty-four roll
Calls each requiring about ten minutes
time, and allowing him just so much re-
spite from the grpeling task which he had
set himself.
AFTER O'Clock, however. lie seemed 70
nave received new supply OF force and
strength. and he launched into his speech
with vigor. His voice at 10 O'Clock. when
he had been talking nine hours and twen-
" minutes, minus the time required for
roI-cals, was stronger and clearer than
when he began at 1910 D. m.
At 10 o'clock Mr.. L. Toilette had. since
beginning his task. eaten two turkey
sandwiches and drunk four glasses OF a
mixture OF failk and eggs, each glass CON
tanning twu raw eggs. with spfFicjent
nuld 10 MI up the receptacle. To the
remarkable sustaining power Of the eggs
ne doubtless owed much of the strength
Whlch he exhibited. despite the fact that
ne mad come practically from a sick bed
to make his fight.
Eats at His Desk.
His remarkable display Of staving
power was frequently likened in the gal
leries to that Of a participant in six-day
bicycle race. He ate his sandwiches and
drank his mnk-and-egg mixture al his
desk in the brief lulls in his speech made
by the roll calls secured by raising the
question Of the presence Of a quorum.
In the afternoon Mr. La Toilette used
one Of his clerks 20 count the number OF
Senators ~ the chamber. The clerk
when he discovered that there were less
than fOrty-seven Senators present-the
number required 10 make a quorum
handed his chief a slip Of white paper,
whereupon Mr.. La Toilette demanded
that the Senate be polled to determine
the number Of Senator's present.
Senator Gallinger, however, got wise"
to this labor-saving device. and raised The
point of order that no Senator could use
Senate employees or his own employees on
the floor Of the Senate for this purpose.
The Vice President after Mr.. La Fol-
lette had freely confirmed Mr. Gallinger's
surmise as 10 the course he was pursu-
ing. sustained Mr. GaIlinger's point 90
order, and the clerk thereafter made no
further counts OF the Senate.
Mr. Gore, OF Oklahoma, however. who
early declared himself IN sympathy with
Mr. la Toilette. took up the quorum
counting. despite his blindness. Seated
in the Democratic clOakroom. he occa-
summoned a page. had the boy
count the number OF Senators present
and report, and when the number fell be-
low the required forty-seven. Mr.. Gore
Issued from the cloakroom and demanded
a roll call.
Bryan's Friend His Adherent.
Senator Stone, OF Missouri. another OF |
Mr.. La Follette's friends. and a close
personal friend Of William Jennings
Bryan, also twice or thrice noted the |
absence Of quorum. and demanded the |
desired roll call Mr.. La Toilette him
self kept his eyes on the empty.ng seats. |
and when he OWNED that they were too /
many. demanded a roll call Up TO II |
o'clock. one way or another, he had Sc
cured twenty-nine Of these ten-minute |
respites. Of which he made the best USE
Mr.. La Toilette discussed almost the |
entire list of legislative subjects which /
has occupied the attention of Congress
1T this session. There was a disposition
n the afternoon to COnfine him strictly
70 the currency question. but about
l'clOck the vigilance Of the ''old guard"
seemed to have relaxed, and Mr. La
Toilette plunged into the discussion of
l wide range Of subjects, including the
'reation Of investigating commissions by
the revision of the tariff. the
inland Waterways Commission BILL and
he conservation of the forests.
He decried the practice inaugurated at
his session of creating commissions Of
senator's and Representatives TO investi-
-ate all the great questions before Con-
'ress, his text for this discussion being
ho National Curronov Cor,,,t t..tc,. -. |