Page:In defense of Harriet Shelley, and other essays.djvu/233

 STIRRING TIMES IN AUSTRIA

It was the Majority s scheme as charged by the Opposition to drown debate upon the bill by pure noise drown it out and stop it. The debate being thus ended, the vote upon the reference would follow with victory for the government. But into the government s calculations had not entered the possibility of a single-barreled speech which should occupy the entire time-limit of the sitting, and also get itself delivered in spite of all the noise. Goliah was not expecting David. But David was there; and during twelve hours he tranquilly pulled statis tical, historical, and argumentative pebbles out of his scrip and slung them at the giant; and when he was done he was victor, and the day was saved.

In the English House an obstructionist has held the floor with Bible-readings and other outside matters; but Dr. Lecher could not have that restful and recuperative privilege he must confine himself strictly to the subject before the House. More than once, when the President could not hear him because of the general tumult, he sent persons to listen and report as to whether the orator was speaking to the subject or not.

The subject was a peculiarly difficult one, and it would have troubled any other deputy to stick to it three hours without exhausting his ammunition, because it required a vast and intimate knowledge- detailed and particularized knowledge of the com mercial, railroading, financial, and international banking relations existing between two great sover eignties, Hungary and the Empire. But Dr. Lecher is President of the Board of Trade of his city of

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