Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-23
F|L|BUSTER BALKS
PLAN TO ADJOURN
Senator Hoke Smith ThWarts
Program of Democratic
Leaders.
POINTS OF NO QUORUM
OCCUPY THE TINE LIMIT
House Waits Patiently for Senate
Action TO End Session Of Con-
gTess at 6 O'Clock.

n determined flibuster of senator's
from the cotton states, led by Senator
Hoke smith, to proven: adjournment
OF Congress before relief measures
were put through for the cotton farm
ers IN the crisis they are facing, due
70 the war in Europe, prevented an
adjournment OF Congress at O'Clock
last night, as planned by the demo-
cratic leaders
Senator Hoke Smith early in the att
ernoon announced that he would DO all
IN MS power to prevent an adjourn
ment Oh Congress unless the bill pro-
vldins Tor The government license of
COTTON warehouses and the bill amend
ing the emergency cU~rnoy act, so as
10 permit the issue of emergency cur
rency on commercial paper l.p TO 15
per cent of the capital anu stock of the
banks, We're first put through. These
Diiis Were pending in the House, hav-
ing already been passed by the SEN
ate- Senator Smith pleaded with the
senate to remain in session until the
Mouse had time TO pass on these meas
ures.
Senator Smith Starts Fi1ibuster.
When it became evident that the ma
adjourn at O'Clock, no matter what
happened to the cotton relief bills
Senator Hoke Smith set himself delib-
erately to prevent the passage of the
concurrent resolution, which had pass
cd the House, and been sent to the
senate, calling for final adjournment
or the session at o'clock.
when Senator Martin of Virginia at
tempted to get the resolution before
the Senate, Senator Smith made a mo-
tion to table it. urging that it could
be taken from the table later if the
House disposed of the cotton bills This
was adopted. Then Senator Martin
moved recess until $3.50 o'clock,
thinking that it would be possible to
Jam the adjournment resolution through
the Senate during the last half hour
before 8 o'clock, and also to give the
House time to get quorum so that
the war tax bill might be signed in the
presence of a quorum by the Speaker,
in accordance with rules.
War Tax Bill Is Signed.
When the recess was over, the tax
bill, bearing the Speakers signature.
was hurried to the Vice Presidents
desk. Senator Clarke of Arkansas.
president of the Senate pro tempore,
was in the chair. He refused to recog-
nige Senator Hoke Smith, who desired
to make a point of no quorum. until
he had signed the tax bill as president
of the Senate. Senator Smith demand
ed that he be recognized repeatedly,
but Senator Clarke paid no attention
to his demands until he had affixed his
name to the tax measure. Senator
Overman of North Carolina shouted
out:
'It won't be much of law if the
rules of the Senate are violated lie
referred to the fact that the rules de-
mand that the bill be signed in the
presence of quorum.
AS soon as the bill had been signed
Senator Smith was recognized to make
a point of no quorum In rapid sue
cession, after quorum had been
called, Senator Smith moved to ad-
journ until today, to recess until to-
day and to go into executive session.
All of these motions We're defeated ny
35 to H. A roll call was demanded on
each motion and the time passed
republican, offered and had adopted
resolution thanking Vice President
Marshall for his courtesy to the SEN
sion. This gave Senator Smith
chance to renew the motions he had
already made, business having inter
vened since their first defeat SIX
O'clock had gone and the leaders gave
M Senator Stone OF Missouri moved
an executive session, and after passing
upon number OF nominat.99iis any
until today
Talk of Appeal to President.
So incensed were members of the
Senate at the tactics of Senator
Smith that after adjournment there
was some talk of asking the PRESIDENT
to come TO their assistance and adjourn
Congress sine die, as he is privileged
to do by the Constitution under eN-
traordinary circumstances ana Wheh
the two houses cannot agree on the
time of adjournment
The provision OF the Constitution 10
which they had reference IS as 1oilo"s.
He Cthe Presidency shall from time
To time give TO the Congress nformd-
tim as to the state of the Union and
recommend to their consideration such
measures as he shall Judge necessary
and expedient; he may, on extraordl-
nary occasions convene both houses
or either of them and IN case OF DIS
agreement between them with respect
to the time of adjournment, he may adj
journ them to such time as he shau
think proper.
"Cotton Chorus" Perks Up.
After the war tax conference report
had been adopted yesterday in the
House. the cotton chorus" as the
southern democrats have been nick
named, began to sing We Won't Go
Home Until Morning; aad, in fact, it
looked last night if they wouldn't go
home until the dawn of a new legislative
year-and perhaps not then. The mem
hers of the cotton chorus, small in num-
Der and beaten to a FRAGILE at one stage
of the game, began to perk up when
they saw how easy it was to make