Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-24
THE NEW RULES.

The recent action of the House of Rep
resentatives in remodelling the rules
of that great legislative body, should re-
ceive the hearty endorsement of all fair
minded citizens. without regard to
party. Foryears aperniciouss system of
legislation has prevailed at Washing
| ton, because of rules which gave arbi-
trary powers to a few men, who many
times have used them to the detriment
of the business and industrial inter
ests of the nation. Under the system
alluded to the Committee on Appro-
priations was able to defeat almost
any measure, no matter of what pub
lie Importance. Under the lead of Mr..
Samuel j. Randall, of Pennsylvania,
who aspires to be Monarch of the
House, many important bills have been
defeated, in what he has been pleased
to term 1.-The interests of economy"
His economy has proved the worst pos
sible. because in the end one Congress
is compelled to vote large sums of
money for the purpose of squaring up
deficiencies which its predecessor has
made One of the favorite methods of
such men as Randall, is to point to the
great reductions which have have ap-
parently been made in the numerous
| bills presented to the Appropriations
Committee, and use the capital thus
obtainedforcampaign purposes When
the elections are over, and Democratic
victory won under misrepresentation
of this character thenit is ssuddenly dis
covered that the several great depart
ments of the Government are short of
funds, and that the respective amounts
voted by Congress have been far short
of the actual needs of the service.
Mr.. Randall has been an impediment
in the way of important legislative
! business, and it is we'll that the
House has taken from him the power
with which he was too long entrusted.
1t is sheer folly to assert that the rep
resentatives of the American people in
! Congress are incapable of legislating in
the matter of appropriations with
out a veto power or muzzle placed
upon their actions There is altogether
too much sham reform at Washington,
and not enough of the real article, and
the voters are fast coming to the con-
clusion that it is time to dispense with
the services of the men who have so
so long posed as the particular exeIn
plitiers and Representatives of reform
There has been altogether too much
credit given men of the Randall-Hol-
man stamp. Both of these gentlemen
have served many years in Congress.
but We defy any man to show where
or when either of them has originated
or had enacted into law a single meas
ure of national benefit. During the
war they devoted their time to putting
every possible obstruction in the way
of legislation calculated to aid the sol
diers in the field, and sustain the Union
of the States. Since the war they have
continued their obstructionary policy,
as we have stated for political capital
ana personal advancement. OuU upon
such two-cent statesmen.
BY the change in the rules the bad
parliamentary method of attaching
special legislation to the appropria-
ton bills as riders is also exterminated.
Hereafter War Department matters
will be referred to the Military Com
mittee; the Naval bill to the Naval
Committee; the River and Harbor bill
to the River and Harbor Committee,
and all other measures to their appro-
pirate committees just as they should
be. There is always enough honesty
and wisdom in Congress to legislate
properly, and for the best interests of
the tax payers. And it will be found
that in the future there will be no
greater extravaganza than in the past.
Beside this each and every member of
Congress will have more direct hand
in the shaping of legislation, and be
able to hold his head up as man and
representative, free and untramelled,
just as the people intended he should
when they sent him to represent them.
Then if he aids and abets undue ex-
travagance, the voters will hold him
personally responsible, and administer
the proper punishment at the polls.
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