St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-31
nIR REEn;S SCHEME.

Under the title. Construction ia the
National House." Congressman Ton
REED, of Maine, contributes an article
to the North American Review ill
which he favorS such changes in the
rules of the house of representatives as
would render the minority entirely
helpless and the majority entirely des-
potic. This is fairly well understood to
be bid by Mr.. REED for the support Of
his Republican associates for the speak
ership. and the very fact that he would
descend to such low trick is the best
evidence of his disqualification. Mr.
REED has been the leader of his party
in the lower house of congress all the
years that it mas been in the min
Ority, and if he was impressed
with the necessity for such change as
he now proposes in the rules of the
house, the proposition would have come
from him with a great deal better grace
then than now. Coming, as it does now,
when the Republicans are nervous about
their slender majority in the lower
house, and are in dread of the compact
organization of the Democratic minority
with its skillful leadership. is apparent
that Mr. REED imagines that his Repub-
lican associates are willing to go any
length, no matter how disreputable and
infamous their course may be, TO bind
and gag this strong minority; and he
gratuitOusly offers himself as the instru-
ment with which to perpetrate the in
fanny. That is the way his article will
be read between the lines.
But Mr. REED doesn't SJoD there. He
expresses his Willingness to go still fur
Their in this revolutionary movement
by ignoring the existence Of any rules
at all. and virtually asks his Republican
associates to make him dictator until
such time as the house, by the aid of
his manipulation, can adopt such rules
as will render the minority entirely
helpless. He says 1.-THE house will meet
without rules and will have none until
it adopts them itself" This PROPOSE
ton demonstrates the reckless spirit in
which MI. REED would have the Re
publicans approach the subject, and
is an assurance that they can rely
upon him as their willing tool
to accomplish all the dirty work
that they want done. Mr.. REED is I'M
mindful of the fact that the house will
assemble and organize under rules as
clearly ascertained, as strictly defined,
and as sacred in their character as the
principles of the common law. There
is no government on earth where the
ordinary parliamentary rules, az they
81 a. 60 lOF
piled in the legislative assemblies in the
absence of any written code, and Mr..
REED mistakes the temper Of the Amer
lean people if he Supposes that they will
submit to such 4 system of despotiSIn-
Ia, anarchism-as that which he pro-
poses TO establish. The reckless spirits
who gather under the led flag of an
archism never gave expression to a
more un-AmeFican sentiment than
Tom REED has INDUCED in this bid for
the speakership. If the Republicans
are wise they will want some other man
than Mr.. REED in the speakers chair
Those who are SO eager to exercise IN
restrained power do not represent the
patriotism of the country. The Repub-
licanS have too slim q majority in con-
greSs to humor such caperS as Tom
REED would be likely to cut in the
speakers chair. 4 change of a very
few votes would change the position of
the parties in the house, and W hep the
next congress assemblies the Republic
cans may need the protection Of the
rules which Mr. REED is now 81 eager
to abolish.