The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-02-21

posed amendment 10 the rules. ] am
aware that men who have grown
gray In the service OF their country
In this distinguished body nave be-
come So familiar with the methods
Of procedure hero that they are sci
dom ut loss. But / know that lre-
quently matters are brought up
which have had no reasonable OPP.
portunity to carefully consider, but
on which / am called to cast my vote.
! do not propose to undertake to
carry In my mind the subject matter
Of each bill 80 that when mention Is
made OF 1t can Immediately deter.
mine just what ought to do In cast
Ing my vote FOR or against It. There
being already thousands of them In
troduced, want to save the little
ability have for the other work Of
this House which Is more neediul.
One OF the troubles, 1t seems to
me, which new members OF this
House continually meet with IL that
on the spur OF the moment matters
OF great importance are brought up
which they have had no reasonable
opportunity to consider carefully,
but on which they are called to cast
their anal votes.
I submit this proposition In the In
terest Of my constituency. They do.
MRnd that every vote l east on this
floor shall We cast advlsedly, shall be
cast after mature thought and do
liberation. They demand that Gust
no vote In reference to which am
compelled to present to them the cx-
cuse that under the rules Of this
House with its enormous pressure Of
business / was prevented from know
Ing what ! was doing.
l find, Mr.. Speaker, that there Is Q
Calendar having some bills on It's
pages indicating that they are to
come up for action, but this Calendar
folding up onel 10 the only one I
have received during this entire ses.
sion OF Congress. / know that many
measures have been passed here Of
which had no reasonable oppor-
tuni.y to determine by knowledge
thereof what ! should properly do by
vote or otherwise. For instance, u
case came up In regard to q national
bank in the State Of Texas. Now, Mr..
Speaker, I am opposed to that infer
nal, undemocratic bank system. I do
not want to be caught here casting a
vote for 1t In any particular and then
be called upon to plead to my con-
stituents that was'ignorant In the
premises OF nay action. Thus raised
the objection this morning to the
Speaker OF this body. Imade a par
liamentary inquiry but the Speaker
informed me that l had not struck
the right line.
There is another reason In favor VI
my proposition. I am not much
more familiar with the rules OF this
House than tho distinguished gentle
man from Pennsylvania, ex-Gover-
nor Curtin, who informed Us the
other day that he knew nothing about
them and hoped he never should !;
and am laboring under the same
difficulty as that gentleman. I be-
lieve that this House ought to ac-
cord US this amendment.
The SPEAKER. The time Of tho
gentleman from Iowa mr.. NELLEnl
has expired.
Mr.. RANDALL. Mr.. Speaker. in
my judgment there is no earthly
excuse for any membe OF this House
to plead ignorance Of what goes on
here.
Mr.. WELLER. I would like to
know from tho gentleman from
Pennsylvania whether many men,
bers OF the House In a former Con-
gress did not plead the excuse OF ig-
norance In reference to their votes
on the bill demonetizing silver.
Mr.. RANDALL. ! say that was a
matter between themselves and their
constituents; the rules OF the House
had nothing to do with 1t.
Mr. HORR. Will the gentleman
from Pennsylvania allow me mo-
ment?
Mr.. RANDALL. Directly. Now,
the rules OF this House provide that
every bill introduced here shall be
printed and placed upon Tile where
every member can see 1t. Nay,
more: the rules provide that every
bill, when reported back from COM
mittee, shall be accompanied with u
report which shall be printed and
Immediately transmitted by mail to
the individual members OF the House.
The gentleman from Iowa, as well as
every other member, has had 1t In
his power to read over such reports
upon every bill reported, Mt the ear
liest practicable moment, and before
any action on the bill could be
taken.
Mr.. WELLER. Iwould like to in
quire again OF the gentleman from
Pennsylvania whether 1t is not true
that members OF u former Congress
did plead the excuse OF ignorance for
their votes on the bill demonctizing
silver2
Mr.. RANDALL. have nothing
to do with the ignorance OF any man.
! say the rules OF the House gave no
Mr.. WELLER. Is 1t not beyond
the ability OF any member OF the
House to read all those reports and
TO ascertain which bill is to come
up
Mr.. RANDALL. I will yield min
ute and half to the gentleman,
so that he may put his inquiries
all together, and then l can answer
him.
Mr.. WELLER. Idesirs, then, again
to ask the gentleman whether it is
not beyond the ability OF any mem
Der on this floor to take the thous-
ands OF bills aud the accompanying
reports as they lthe bills) are filed
In the documsnt-room and reports
are mailed to him by the Printer.
read them over carefully, place them
(the reports) with the bills to which
they apply. bring them here, and then
ascertain which bills are to come up
and which not, and when any one
Of them may be brought up for final
act.on9
Mr.. RANDALL. / cannot tell tho
gentleman which bills are 10 come up
or which are to fail; the House can