The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-01
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AN HONEST REPUBLICAN.

For week back there has been legis
lative dead lock in the house of represent
atives at Washington over the considera-
ton of a contested election case arising in
South Carolina. The present republican
majority in the house is so small, and
there have been so many absentees, that
until now the democrats, by refraining
from voting, have been able to prevent a
quorum. But this difficulty being obvi-
ated by the return of the absentees, their
next resort to stop further action on the
case in question is the common one of
filibusters. Tired Disguised and pro-
voked at. the determined and unreasonable
stubborness of the minority, the republic
cans are thinking of amending the existing
rules of the house by adding thereto the
following:
whenever a motion is made to proceed
to the consideration of question of priv
ilege, the speaker may entertain one mo-
ton to adjourn, after which no dilatory
motions shall be in order"
1t may be well, however, for the major
ity to go little slow in this matter In
case of reversal of positions in the next
congress, (Which perhaps may not be reck-
oned an impossibility) they might find
themselves intentionally choked by
rope of their own fixing. Under the opera
ton of such a rule, the minority could
make but one spasmodic jerk of resistance,
and then their hands would be completely
tied If the question before the house
should not be debated, they could neither
talk nor act. Practically the minority
would be abolished for the time being, $50
far as offering any opposition is concerned,
and such gun would be found to kick
harder and kill more game at@t the breech
than at the muzzle.
1t will be remembered that the existing
rules at the house were modified and re-
arranged during the last congress, and a
member of the revising committee was the
lamented General Garfield. With that
broad sense of honor and justice which al
ways characterizes the workings of his
noble and generous mind. he drew up in
his own handwriting and secured the
adoption of the identical changes by virtue
of which the minority are now able to sue
cessfully oppose the will of the ruling par
ty General Garfield was in the minority
then, and naturally looked out sharply for
the rights of the weaker division, to which
he belonged; but now the political positions
of the two sides are reversed, it is found
that the generous provision which he in
sisted upon plays too strongly into the
hand of an obstructing faction. In like
if the proposed new rule should
be pushed through, it would in all proba
bility return some time to torment and
plague its authors and supporters.
While, therefore, it is both annoying
and wrong to have the will of majority
rendered imperative through the t'pure
of partisan hate or fear, yet
on general principles it is an unsafe and
unwise plan to be always tinkering the
rules of a legislative body for the sake of
getting over a temporary difficulty. Better
wait little and let the country take note
of the situation than to resort to any inn
pulsive or questionable measures, which
might establish an uncomfortable if not
dangerous precedent. IL Chicago Journal