National Republican., 1885-12-22
81 Am Holier Than Thou,

"Those Republicans who voted against
tie adoption of the Morrison rules have
the satisfaction of knowing that they rep
resented the best Republican sentiment of
the country" writes one of "those Republi-
cansn in q note to the NATIONAL REpUBLI-
CAN.
The action of the House in the case re-
ferred to-the 'shearing" of the appropria-
tions committee-being matter Of great
natioral importance, and undoubtedly des-
tined to exert much influence on the future
of the country and the status of political
parties, 1t is best to have clear under
standing of the whole subject while all the
incidents and details of the struggle arc
fresh in public memory.
The modest claim of our correspondent
that he, and the 81 Republican repre-
sentatives who voted with him in favor
of continuing the old plan of preparing
appropriation bills, represented the best
Republican sentiment of the country" must
not pass unchalenged. The NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN has not questioned the right
OF any man to vote as he saw fit on that oc-
casion. II was question for each repre-
sentative to decide for himself, and no man
had or has a right to question the motives
which prompted the vote Of any member
on either side.
But when one of these 2S Republ
cans who voted with Randall and Hol.
man claims that they represented higher,
purer, better sentiment than the 80 Re.
publican members who voted the other
way, it is time to call halt for in
spection of the claim. 1t Is such an as
sumption of superiority us, to say the least,
scarcely consists with genuine politcness
1t smacks of the pharisaical 81 am holier
than thou"
Aud yet there is entire consistency In this
that the man who thinks the % were alto
gethtr right and the 80 clearly wrong should
have been afraid to trust the integrity and
intelligence of the House, unless the mem
bers generally were handcutfo1 AMI the
key Of the manaclcs consigned to Mr.. Ran
dali We know Of no practical test OF
right and wrong, in our political affairs, but
the strength Of members. For all practical
purposes we assume that the majority
must be right. To accept any other theory,
10 claim that minority is safer than ma
jority, Is TO take Il step that leads directly
toward the monarchical idea, We are not
speaking theologically, but politically, Our
government rests securely on the principle
Of majority rule.
II was because this great fundamental
idea was set at naught In the national
House of Representatives where, Of all
places, it should have been held sacred,
that this newspaper advocated the adop-
tion Of tho set Of rules recommended by
Messrs. Morrison, Carlisle, Reed, and His
cock, and oppo,el the old plan advocated
ly Mr. Randall,
If We believed the 2s Republicans who
voted with Mr.. Randall and his II Demo
cratic brethren were eXponents Of Il better
sentiment than the 90 Republicans who,
with 127 Democrats, voted tho other way,
we should begin TO work for the establish
ment of a better plan of government than
that which the fathers founded. If, on
aquestion Of this kind, it were safer to trust
20 than 226 representatives, we should say
that 1t were far better to trust one man than
20 men.
Tie NATIONAL REpUBLICAN has never
advocated cause more clearly right than