Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-24


at is the first step which costs" 1fthe
man without n head can take one step he
can walk mile. Withstand the begin
nings." These sayings we commend to
the consideration of the Democrats in the
national House Of Representatives. lfthcy
allow the new Republican Speaker CIR.
REID. Of Maine TO take an inch no will
take an ell. He is as vigilant as hawk.
His mind is in a receptive mood whenever
proposition is made TOME House which
allows him to render a decision to-day that
will enable him tomorrow to deny 10 the
Democrats the protection Of the rules OF
the last House Of Representatives, though
we are not going to charge him with having
done that in the instance we are about TO
record. We have heretofore conceded
that the House Of Representatives, Of this
wear cannot bind future House OF
Representatives in the matter Of rules any
more than one congress can bind the hands
of another in the matter OF laws. But
this conceded, there is no room for the
Democrats to concede anything more. Mr..
HoIMAN, Of Indiana, last week made a
point of order which seemed to imply, so
the speaker intimatod, that there were GER
tain rules now in force in the House Of
Representatives. Mr. HOLMAN STYLED them
common-law rules" Mr. llOIMAS's point
OF order was that the subject matter OF a
resolution appropriating money must be
first considered in the Committee of tho
Whole House on the state Of the Union,
because it involved an expenditure of pub
Ic money. He said he took it for granted
that the rules Of the last House arc evil
dence of the c0mmon-law rules of the
House of Representatives., and that those
rules therefore govern the House to that
extent in the absence Of any others.
Mr.. REED. the new Speaker. said he
would he " very sorry 20 decide indirectly
that tho rules of the Lest House were in
force in the present House, which, he
added, would be the result if he should
sustain Mr. HoIMAN's point Of order.
We refer 10 this colloquy in the House
Of Representatives not 10 charge the
Speaker with being wrong IN his refusal 20
sustain the point Of order, hut TO say that
il Mr. HoIWAN and thercst Of the Democrats
in the House Of Representatives intend TO
recognize as being in force al the com
mon-law rucsn that Mr.. REED can evolve
from hia inner consciousness there VIII bc
no successful fllbustoring against the
unseating Of Democratic members, nor
against q national clectiou-bill. nor against
oven a now forcc-bill if the Republicans
should decide 10 press one 90 its passage.
The new Speaker said truly that he
would be very sorry" TO decide that the
rules Of tho last House were in force in
this House. Re has never had any iuten-
ton Of rendering such a decision rs that.
Under the rules of the last House the
Democrats would he protected from all
harm They might defy the utmost efforts
Of the Republicans to manufacture large
Republican majority, and so prevent them
from committing any Of the crimes which
it is feared they wish and intend o. commit
under the protection of the new set Of
rules which they hope 90 force through
the present House Of Representatives by
the aid Of the Speakers rulings n The alb
sence of rules. Let il never bee forgotten
that he would be very sorry TO decide
that any such protection is 70 lie accorded
10 tho Democratic members.