Wolf (banging on his desk with his desk-board).  ’I demand the floor for my motion!  I won’t stand this trampling of the Rules under foot—­no, not if I die for it!  I will never yield.  You have got to stop me by force.  Have I the floor?’

P.  ’Representative Wolf, what kind of behaviour is this?  I call you to order again.  You should have some regard for your dignity.’

Dr. Lecher speaks on.  Wolf turns upon him with an offensive innuendo.

Dr. Lecher.  ’Mr. Wolf, I beg you to refrain from that sort of suggestions.’ [Storm of hand-clapping from the Right.]

This was applause from the enemy, for Lecher himself, like Wolf, was an Obstructionist.

Wolf growls to Lecher, ‘You can scribble that applause in your album!’

P.  ’Once more I call Representative Wolf to order!  Do not forget that you are a Representative, sir!’

Wolf (slam-banging with his desk-board).  ’I will force this matter!  Are you going to grant me the floor, or not?’

And still the sergeant-at-arms did not appear.  It was because there wasn’t any.  It is a curious thing, but the Chair has no effectual means of compelling order.

After some more interruptions: 

Wolf (banging with his board).  ‘I demand the floor.  I will not yield!’

P.  ’I have no recourse against Representative Wolf.  In the presence of behaviour like this it is to be regretted that such is the case.’ [A shout from the Right, ‘Throw him out!’]

It is true he had no effective recourse.  He had an official called an ‘Ordner,’ whose help he could invoke in desperate cases, but apparently the Ordner is only a persuader, not a compeller.  Apparently he is a sergeant-at-arms who is not loaded; a good enough gun to look at, but not valuable for business.

For another twenty or thirty minutes Wolf went on banging with his board and demanding his rights; then at last the weary President threatened to summon the dread order-maker.  But both his manner and his words were reluctant.  Evidently it grieved him to have to resort to this dire extremity.  He said to Wolf, ’If this goes on, I shall feel obliged to summon the Ordner, and beg him to restore order in the House.’

Wolf.  ’I’d like to see you do it!  Suppose you fetch in a few policemen too! [Great tumult.] Are you going to put my motion to adjourn, or not?’

Dr. Lecher continues his speech.  Wolf accompanies him with his board-clatter.

The President despatches the Ordner, Dr. Lang (himself a deputy), on his order-restoring mission.  Wolf, with his board uplifted for defence, confronts the Ordner with a remark which Boss Tweed might have translated into ‘Now let’s see what you are going to do about it!’ [Noise and tumult all over the House.]

Wolf stands upon his rights, and says he will maintain them until he is killed in his tracks.  Then he resumes his banging, the President jangles his bell and begs for order, and the rest of the House augments the racket the best it can.