Evening star., 1923-03-12

determined to try to secure an amend
ment to the rules of the Senate, at
the beginning of the next session, TO
prevent filibustering. This fs the re-
suit of the successful efforts OF Sena-
tor Hef1in Of Alabama, and rev
others on the minority. side or the
Senate. to prevent a vote on the snip
subsidy bill. The program. as now
outlined, contemplates an amend
ment to the rules which Will require
senator, in addressing the senate
to confine his remarks to the subject
Inder discussion. In other "oros'
should he attempt to insert the Zen
Commandments or section OF tne
Book of Buddha into a speech on inc
reoreanization of the Department OF
Agriculture, a point Of order "oulo
take that senator of the MOOT .e,,-
There have been some notaDle AIian
Of Nebraska once held the floor for
three days in his effort TO oeIeae
legislation inimical to the silxel
mining industry. On another ocsroi s''nl
Senator Tom Carter Of Montana suc
cessfully talked the river aio iANi
bor bill to death.
House Scene Forty Years Ago
Forty years ago this month a. the the
close of the second session VI ~
Forty-seventh Congress. j. warren
Keifer of Ohio Speaker. the commlI-
tee on elect ons brought In reso
luton which declared that Aichsl
son of South Carolina was not ouiS
trict Of that state and, therefore, was
not entitled to the seat Wnlch he W.
cupied
This resolution was adopted by
strict party vote. Then anotnef "as
offered from the same committee u
been legally elected a member OF tne
House from the first district OF Soutn
Ca rolina. Richardson was a WhiIe
man. Lee was a negro. the repuD.
lican majority in the House Wae
very small and II was Impossible 10
keep a quorum Of republicans pres
ent during the last days of the ses-
sion. None of the party leaders had
discovered the method of counting
a quorum. which was invented by
Lieut.. Gov. Hill in the New YORK
state senate a year or two later,
and as the democrats in the House
refused to vote on the resolution
which would have given the seat to
securing the decision of a majority
Of the House. although more than
four-fifths Of the membership was
present. The filibuster continued
several days, and as the question OF
the right Of a member to a seat was
of the highest privilege, no other
business could be transacted. The
House leaders gave way only to the
consideration of reports from con-
ference committees. Nothing else
could be brought up.
Blocks Whisky Measure.
Benjamin Butterworth of Ohio had
a bill for which consideration was
a do m
which would have extended the pc
riod during which distilled spirits
might remain in bond. without the
payment Of the tax of ninety cents
were millions of gallons of such spir-
its in the bonded warehouses upon
which the taxes must be paid by the
first of the following July. unless TINS
bill could be enacted into law. To
force the withdrawal of this vast
quantity Of spirits and to exact i'm
mediate payment of the tax would. 1t
was declared, mean financial ruin not
only to the distiller but to the banks
throughout the whisky districts"
which had advanced money on ware
house certificates.
But the Lee election case blocked
the way for consideration Of the
whisky bonded period" bill.
During the early hours of the
morning of March 3. 1883. the writer
respondent of several metropolitan
papers, was "interviewing" Sam Lee
in the main corridor of the House. A
gentleman approached and asked Lee
for a private interview. Lee replied
that anything which the stranger
had to say might be said right then
and there. whereupon the following
colloquy occurred: (Forty years nave
passed since then and the writer
is not prepared to swear that the
exact conversation is here repro
duced, but the substance Is exact.)
Distillers Facing Ruin.
'Mr. Lee" said the stronger. I'VE
are in desperate straits. We have
hundreds of thousands of barrels OF
whisky in bonded warehouses. The
period during which this liquor may
remain In bond is about to expire.
"Iynless we can secure legislation
TO extend that bonded period 1t will
be necessary to pay the tax OF 80
cents on each gallon of that whisky
and there is no market Tor II. 10
force the payment of this enormous
tilling interests, as we'll as to the
banks which hold the certificates of
deposit as collateral for loans to the
distillers Mr.. Butterworth of Gin
cinnati has a bill. favorably reported
from the committee on ways and
means. which will give US a respite.
But that bill cannot be considered un-
til YOUR case Is decided, unless you
will consent to allow that bill to dis
place your case. We realize that II
YOU give your consent you may be a.
heavy financial loser. Therefore, 1
am authorized to offer you $4,000, or
the salary for two years to which you
will be entitled IL seated, If you will
consent to the abandonment Of your
claim to the seat"
TO this Lee responded: II decline
the proposition, absolutely"
within ten minutes he returned and,
again addressing Lee. said: 'Mr. Lee,
we are desperate and that fact is
nv excuse for again addressing you.
Your salary for two years together
with your mileage, stationery allow
ance and so. forth will approximate
$16, ,o00-if this resolution Is adopted.
Here offer you $4,000 in currency.
All ask is that you ask your friends
on the. floor to permit Mr.. Butters
worth to call up his bill for a vote.
When that Is disposed Of your
resolution can again be called up and
If it is adopted and you, are seated
you may return this fund. otherwise
keep it."
O6er Again Rejected.
ct don't know your name. sir" re-
plied Lee, but in South Carolina,
where 1 was born, I am called a sad
NJ d.