The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-06-16
CONGRESSMAN REED.
His Debate with MessFs. Holman and
Reagan.

were changed so as to send all the names on
the eligible list to the appointing power, the
| following colloquy occurred between Mr
Reed and Messrs. Holman and Reagan:
Mr. Reed. I dislike to seem to interfere in
| this affair among brethren, who, however
| they may differ as to ways and means, L am
| sure are united in their hearts in the cause
| of real economy and reform. / know they
| are so united, because they say so. Laugh
| ter
Now, l want to suggest to the gentleman
| from Texas Mr.. Reagan] and the gentleman
| from Indiana Mr. Holman that it pains me
| to see that they had to arrive at this age in
| their lives and at this period in their careers
| in order to ascertain the fact that the House
ought not to be limited in its power Ever
| since | have been in Congress both these
gentlemen have been united in refusing to
| the House the power to increase expendi-
lures, because these gentlemen were opposed
to any increase. That was perfectly consti
tutional, perfectly legitimate, and perfectly
within the power of the House. But the mo-
ment the thing goes across their grain it be-
comes unconstitutional and an unsuitable
limitation
rise in defense of these rules for the pur-
pose of pointing out to the gentleman from
Indiana great field of endeayor which he
seems to have forgotten. These rules took
away from the committee on appropriations
five great appropriation bills against their
wish, for they were greedy OF WORK NOW
the time which they might have employed on
these five great appropriation bills ought to
have been devoted by the gentleman frsm In
diana to the bringing in of a bill which would
go over every one of the expenditures Of the
government and make them what they ought
to be. Nevertheless, what kind OF use has
he made of his time?
Mr.. Holman. viii the gentleman from
Maine allow me?
Mr. Reed Yes, if l can have my time ex-
tended.
Mr.. Holman Just word. Under the
rules of the House the gentleman from Maine
is aware that general bills containing inde-
pendent legislation do not go to the committee
on appropriations; that except so far as con-
oected with appropriation bills no reference
is made to that committee, except the estl-
mate and matters of public expenditure; so
that all the bills the gentleman has referred
to under the rules of the House would have
to go to other committees, and the commit
tee on appropriations would not have con-
troll of single one of them.
Mr.. Reed. Why has not the gentleman
from Indiana, with his large experience and
his great power in the House, presented a
bill to go to the appropriate committee to COW
er these matters? Why has not this leisure
which this House gave him by the change of
rules been devoted to the service of his coun-
try? .,,
me to answer that question? For the reason
that did not favor the change of the rules
which brought about the present state of
things. You gentlemen who did favor the
change of rules should have introduced that
legislation.
Mr.. Reed. The gentleman from Indiana is
too large-minded man to Sulk over change
Of rules. His mind ought to have been ac-
tive on this subject. His mind is active on
other subjects Look at the immense matter
he brought in yesterday to abolish the pro-
vision for paying the Vice-President. There
is the measure and the kind of measure
upon which his thoughts are bent.
Mr.. Holman. Why, sir, the gentleman
proper thing. The proposition simply was
that that was matter which belonged to the
Senate rather than to the House.
Mr.. Reed. Let me say that in every APP
preparation bill during the periods we have
not had Vice President the appropri-
alton has been made. But the eagle
eye of the gentlemen from Indiana rested
upon the possibility of making the sum total
Of an appropriation bill less by $1,000, al
though there was no change in the Treasury
accounts, and he rose to the occasion.
Mr.. Holman.-The gentleman ought to be
fair and just at least The subject came up
on the spur of the moment. The object was
to ascertain in what particular form the com
pensation should be provided for, and the
gentleman from Maine himself acquleSced IN
what was done.
Mr. Morrison-Let me say to the gentle
man from Maine, in justice to the gentleman
from Indiana, that suggested to the gentle
man from Indiana that the acting Vice-Presi-
FORE we should not appropriate $4,000.
Mr.. Reed.-I am glad to learn the Demo-
cratic party was even temporarily united.
Mr.. Morrison. have always united with
and will unite with the Republican party
to do justice to the gentleman from Maine.
Mr.. Reed.-And l desire to do Justice to
both sides of the Democratic party. But
when they are divided as they are it is i'm
possible for both of them to be wrong; it
gives chance for justice and righteousness
to be done in this world. Uaughter.l And
the country is to be congratulated that the
Democratic party never shows its patriotism
so thoroughly as it does when it splits up. 1t
reminds me that when you come to the lower
organizations they always multiply and
fructify by splitting up. Naughter) 1t
could not work that way with 1t. The
country would never benefit by it.
Now, wish to give piece of advice to the
gentleman from Indiana l know it is pre-
sumptuous in me-he knows so much more
than do, and is so much more verSed in
details-but that advice is that he should
devote his time to careful examination OF
the expenditures and bring in a systematic
bill giving us those charming constitutional
benefits which are so dear to the heart of the
gentleman from Texas when they do not go
across his grain. / hope that hereafter we
shall see his mind rising above these mere
partisan 6uOTJS 10 MAKE III appear budb lut
House of Representatives is making a
smaller appropriation bill for the purpose Of
causing to reverberate through the world
that kind of economy" which alone distin-
guishes the Democratic party. The truth is
and if the Republicans should have the
power M to do it they will do 1.-THE truth is,
there can be changes made, to the reduction
of taxation and to the reduction of eXpendi-
lures, which will be of great advantage to
this country.
Now, want to say another thing. and
| this is my advice to the other side of the
Democratic party. l deem it very unfortu-
nate that point of order should have been
made on this provision, because it seems to me
that as point of order it must be sustained.
Why not withdraw that point of order and
Gratis who applauded to the echo the assault
that was made here yesterday upon their
brother Democrat from the city of Baltimore
will venture to put their names upon the
list Let us see how many of the Demo-
cratic party desire to stand up here and
record themselves in favor of economy and
reform as presented by the committee ON
appropriations. If we can do that, then we
| can measure the size of the different kinds
of ''reform" which the Democratic party are
prosecuting pdrl pdssu.
There is the Executive, an earnest and de-
voted friend of civil service reform, who not
only will not have the civil service law inter-
fered with but desires to extend it even to
Cne neDulOuS verge OIL tHdt HllHeTIO uuulS-
covered region called obnoxious partisan
Ship" is it not?
A Member-Offensive partisanship.
Mr.. Reed-Yes; offensive partisanship." I"
| had almost forgotten it. Laughter). Then
there is brother Higgins, in the Treasury,
who, under the very nose of the President,
| is guillotining every Republican he can
reach.
Mr.. Morrison Brother Higgins is not in
this point Of order.
Mr.. Reed-Oh this is point of order on
civil service reform, in which the whole
| Democratic party is interested, especially
| the reform part of it, though perhaps not
| in the 'civil'' part. Naughter).
Mr. Reagan rise to point of order. The
gentleman is not discussing the point of or
| der before the House, but is interjecting a
general political speech.
Mr.. Reed-I am stating my constitutional
| difficulties. Naughter).
Mr.. Reagan-Mr. Chairman, l know that
| it is the habit of the gentleman to sneer at
| the idea of the Constitution, but he will not
| make anything by sneering at it.
Mr.. Reed-No, 1 never sneer at the COnsti-
| tuition.
Mr. Reagan-The gentleman always sneers
| at it.
Mr. Reed-No, l do not | never sneer at
| the Constitution; but do frequently sneer
| at the kind of talk which is brought in here,
| and which eternally drags the Constitution
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