Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1888 — WHY THEY FILIBUSTERED. [ARTICLE]

WHY THEY FILIBUSTERED.

Mr. Heed Explain* the Situation—Th* Bill Finally Postponed. In reply to questions in regard to the present situation in the House, Hon. Thomas B. Reed said: “Thestate of affairs at Washington in the House seems without parallel. No political bill is involved and no political passions have been aroused on the part of a small minority +o control the House. No government by the people is possible without i*-. In order' to make you understand Ihe situation I will state the facts. Eight days ago the committee on rules unanimously agreed upon a distribution of days among the different kind of business pending before the Honse. Among other assignments two days were given for the bill to repay the direct tax. When the direct tax was paid some States paid and some did not. Obviously all ought to be treated alike. Either those which didn’t pay shouldpay, or those which did pay should have their money returned. For the Southern States to pay would be a hardship which nobody wants to inflict. The treasury is now so full that it threatens to cause a contraction of the currency and a money panic. Obviously, to pay a just debt, there could be no better time. So plain was the case that the Senate has three times passed this' bill, and the last time with only ten opposing votes. Beck, Reagan, Voorhees, Cfcke and Harm, among others, voted for it. When the proposal to give two days to the discussion of this bill reach ed the House it met the approval of all except a few persons from States whioh had hot paid. They began even then to filibuster,but, being sustained, Mr. Randall passed the resolution by a vote of 155 to 44, more than tnree to one. When the days casae for consideration of the bill filibustering was resumed. Every facility was offered repeatedly, again and again, for both debate and amendment; no limit was nut on either. Nothing, however, would content the small minority cf eighty except the defeat of the ;Z| majority, and so the matter hangs. While declaring against taking $17,000,000 from the Treasury, it is an open secret that if $68,000,000 cotton tax could be added very men would stop their opposition., So hard has Mr. Oates been pushed lor a defensible ex-

cpsb which he can give to the public for bis indefensible conduct, and that of bis associates, that he has famished the newspapers with a story about lobbyists, State agents and other wicked persons who are to get some of this money. The bill itself provides against this.” The House took a recess at 6 o’clock on the lltb, aftera continuous session of thirtysix hours. A.t nigbt the Democrats held a cab Sub and decided to postpone consideration of the bill until December. The dead-lock is therefore broken, but in this the filibusters gained their point, or a material part of it.