New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-23
Not Enough Members in
Either Branch Left to
Pass Resolution.
PRESIDENT SIGNS
WAR REVENUE BILL
Hoke Smith, Head of Rebellion,
Responsible for Anomalous
Situation.
nrrom The Tribune Bureau.l


determined efforts of the majority lead
ers to bring the labors of Congress to
an end were blocked tonight By open
rebellion in the ranks of the Democrats
from the cotton states.
The stage was set for ringing down
the curtain on the long session. The
President, who had rushed to the Cap
itol post haste to sign the war revenue
bill, was awaiting the end in his room
off tie Senate lobby.
A resolution providing for adjourn
ment at 6 o'clock was agreed upon by
the majority leaders and passed By the
House. But the Senate, where the re-
bellion of the cotton Senators under
the leadership of Hoke Smith, of Geor-
gia, was at its height, found its hands
tied, and when the hour set for ad-
iournment arrived with the resolution
unpassed the leaders capitulated. The
President returned to the White House,
but not until after signing the war
revenue bill, and the session was con-
tinued for another day at least, by the
usual motion to adjourn until to-mor-
row.
Congress tonight finds itself in the
anomalous position of having pysotical-
ly ceased it's lsbors without tsk,a5 for
nal action. Long before the crisis was
reached in the parliamentary fight of
the day members Of the House and SEN
ate, waiting in vain until the last mo-
ment for the end, dashed for the sta
tic1 to board the trains which will
carry them to their campaigns. There
is not a quorum of either house in
Washington, and there is doubt,
amounting almost TO certainty, that
a quorum will be obtained until the
elections are over. possibly until next
December.
The House, finally involved in a par
lamentsry snarl, found itself this even
ing without a quorum with which to
pass an amended adjournment resolu-
tion even if the Senate were able to
pacify the cotton recalcitrants. But
the Senate found itself equally help
less. Here the bare quorum which had
participated in the parliamentary fight
Of the day had also dwindled away.
Gone to Their Homes.
The situation is now such that at
both ends of the Capitol the objection
OF single member will block an ad-
journment sine die. Congress itself not
having been able to bring its labors for
mally to an end individual Senator'S
and Representatives have taken the ini
tiative and gone home, and the leaders
frankly admit that il will be almost
an impossible task to bring them back.
Senator Smith, of Georgia, who led
the revolt which defeated the plans of
the majority leaders, said tonight,
when the fight was over, that he would
decide on future plans as necessity re-
ouired. He intimated that the best
Congress would be able to do would be
take a recess over election.
His demands for the relief of the
cotton states, which have brought about
the legislative deadlock, are:
The passage of bill providing for
the licensing by the federal govern
ment of warehouses for the storage of
cotton and other products;
The amendment of the Federal Re-
serve act to enable member banks to
keen all their reserves in reserve
banks;
An amendment TO enable state banks
TO ioin currency associations and issue
currency on cotton warehouse receipts
without paying the 10 per cent tax
An amendment to the Aldrich-Vree-
land act. incorporated in the federal re-
serve law, TO permit the issuance of
emergency currency up to 20 per cent
Of CAPITAL and surplus of participating
banks.
II is possible that an agreement OF
some kind will be reached tomorrow,
hut if any member Of either house
chooses ne may bring the legislative
machine to a full stop By raising the
point OF no quorum.
In the Senate to-day the fight was
little short Of dramatic. Senator Smith
began with flibustering against the
conference report on the war revenue
bill. but, after time, permitted it to
So through, and it was adopted by
vote of 80 TO IL, several Senator'S pres
ent and paired being counted to make
up the quorum.
Fight Resumed in Senate.
When Senator Martin sought 10 bring
,,n the resolution to adjourn Congress
al o'clock the fight was resumed.
senator Smith objected, ana 10 pour
Continued on page 3. column