Evening star., 1915-02-16
Gag" Rule Limiting Debate
to Six Hours damned
Through, 1856 to 139.
SIXTEEN DEMOCRATS BOLT,
BUT MAJORITY IS FIRM
President Confers With Senators
Kern and Stone and Asks
Measure Be Pressed.

President Wilson's fight for his ship
bin was launched in the House today
with a special rule limiting debate to
six hours. Democratic leaders were
sure that holding their large majority
firm they would have u new measure
bearing the approval Of the administra-
tion and probably attractive to some
republicans ready for the Senate be-
fore the end of today's session.
The House adopted the gag" rule.
limiting debate to six hours, by vote
of 1856 to 13s.
Meanwhile the Senate marked time. dis
cussing cloture rule, committees showed
great activities on the long-delayed ap-
preparation bills and the special commit
tees appointed to investigate any Lobby
in connection with the ship bill held
preliminary organization meeting.
Confers With Senators.
President Wilson, after conferences with
leaders, came to no determination on the
question of an extra session, and only
sent out word to press the fight in the
fourteen days which remain in the Sixty
third Congress.
The President conferred with Sen
atorS Kern and Stone. and afterWaro
Mr. Kern intimated the democrats had
definite plans for getting the bill
through the Senate, but he refused to
reveal details.
The President was told it will be pos
sible to rush the appropriation bills
through the Senate in three or four
days.
Gag Rule BroughtIn.
The rules committee of the House met
early today with everything set in mo-
ton to rush the special gag rule to a
successful vote, and, following that, to
take up the ship purchase measure and
jam it through the House. Old-time re-
publicans held up their hands in horror
at the speed with which the administra-
ton leaders on the floor intended, they
complained, to bind and gag the House,
and the opposition votes of the republicans
in the rules committee where the gag"
was fashioned and strengthened were but
formalities. 4t +.
Chairman Henry of the rules COM
mittee brought in the rule as soon az
the House met 1t was not changed
from the rule as originally written
and as 1t was approved by the caucus
last night.
In addition to Slipping the gag"
into the mouth of the minority,
brand-new majority method came to
light when Representative Underwood
asked permission to set aside calendar
Wednesday. which falls on tomorrow.
Isn't the pension appropriation bill
in order here today?" asked Repre-
sentative Mann. knowing full we'll that
the majority leader wanted to shove
over today's regular business for to-
program.
TT is" said Mr.. Underwood. but the
majority is going to take up another
matter here today"
IF the majorityJ intends to set aside
SO important a measure as the pension
bill today, I do not think 1 can agree
at this time to set aside calendar
and the plans of the democrats were
upset by one day at least.
Democrats Hold Majority.
Democrats and republicans thereupon
fell to talking about the time to be
permitted in the debate. Chairman
Henry wanted to give the republicans
just twenty minutes to talk about the
gag rule, which was regarded SO
small that none of them would agree
to it. Chairman Henry, with the whip
in hand, then jumped to his feet and
moved "the previous question"
Then followed a roll call. the first real
skirmish on the ship bill in the House.
and displayed party alignment, the
administration winning out by vote
of 1S1 to 126. The effect of this was
to cut down debate on the pros and
cons relating to the adoption of the
gag" rule to forty minutes which is
twenty minutes to each side-exactly
what Chairman Henry proposed in the
first place. Following that forty min
utes came the vote for the adoption
0 fthe rule, which was carried by the
vote of 1856 to 139.
The rule itself allows six hours de-
bate OH the measure. and a vote is ex-
pected about o'clock this evening
The preliminary votes on the various
stages of the rule were in reality tests
of the strength of the majority, show
ing a comfortable margin.
Sixteen Democrats Bolt.
Sixteen democrats voted against the
gag" rule. following their declaration
to bolt the caucus last night. These
were Borchers. Illinois: Donohoe, Penn
sylyania; Gallivan, Massachusetts;
Moss. Indiana: Morrison. Indiana;
sbackleford, Missouri: Witherspoon and
Sisson, Mississippi: Bathrick and Cord,
ohio: Brockson. Delaware: Broussard,
Lou siana: Callaway. Texas; Gerry.
gerald, New York. Democrats who
Soted present were Bartlett, Georgia:
Dies, Texas: Beall, Texas. and Logue,
Pennsylvania.
Cloture Amendments Discussed.
The opponents of the administration
ship purchase bill in the Senate con-
tinued their filibuster all yesterday
afternoon against the Reed resolution
proposing cloture and vote on the
bill next Friday About s o'clock a re-
cess was taken until noon today.
Pending before the Senate was SEN
ator Reeds resolution, with a general
cloture substitute offered by Senator
Norris to limit the debate of each SEN
ator on any bill to three hours. end an
amendment by Senator Cummins which
would make the rule imperative
AGAINST a bill on which senators of any
marty had attempted Is bind senators
in caucus
The amendments to the Reed resolu-
tion have caused considerable embar-
rassment to the democratic supporters
of the bill. They realize that both the
Cummins amendment and the Norris
substitute would receive the support
of Senators Norris and Kenyon. and