The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-07-03
Honest Majorities Must Rule.

Honest Majorities Must Rule.
Asserting that the Republican lead
ers in the Lower House of Congress
are intent on such change in the
rules as will give them complete and
arbitrary control of that body" the
New York Worid says:
This purpose is particularly impudent IN
! view oil the Tact that they have "A majority
! OF barely three members, and that they
! repres mt n minority OF nearly 100000 in the
| total voto OF the coHntry. 1t would natural
! ly seem that these considerations might
make the Republican leaders "A little mod
est even IL they have no appreciation OF tho
| generous recognition OF the rights OF the
minority shown by the Democrats during
| the last three Congresses.
The JVOrld is not a stupid. thor
oughly bigoted Bourbon journal, and,
as probably half its readers are Re-
| publicans, 1T cannot, in Justice TO it's
constituency any more than to its own
! Sense OF right, afford to make such
claims rs the above. IL certainly
knows that the pretended minority of
the Republicans in the popular vote of
the country Is the result OF outrageous
election fraud In the South and the
criminal notification of the laws and
the Constitution. The apparent Dem
ocratic popular majority represents
| successful villainy in intimidatine le-
gal voters, stuffing ballot-boxes, and
forging returns. With a free ballot
and honest count the Republican party
would have a majority of hundreds of
! thousands, and it Is unworthy a re-
| putable journal TO allude to the fraud
ulently won popular majority of the
! Democracy as though it were honest
and entitled to the respect of honest
men.
Nor is it fair to say the Republicans
have proposed any change in the rules
of the House that will give them ar
bitrary control. No alteration has been
suggested In respect TO any rule guard
ing the just rights of the minority.
The minority Is TO remain secure in it's
right to debate, TO protest, to propose
amendments and have them voted on,
and cause the record TO show. the exact
action taken. The minority is to be Sc
curely protected In these just rights,
but 1t Is not TO be permitted TO usurp
control and assume the functions right
fully belonging to the majority. 1t is
TO have the right to debate, vote, pro-
pose amendments, etc, but not TO par
alyze the House and shackle the ma
jority. Legislation is to depend on the
will of the responsible majority, and
not on the consent of filibusters and
obstructionists. At the last session one
obstinate demagogue defied the entire
House and kept the body for days in
deadlock, and finally coerced it into
granting his personal demands before
legislation could proceed. Rules that
permit such usurpation and abuse of
privilege cannot be tolerated. Minority
members have their rights, but power
to browbeat and dominate the entire
House should never be allowed them.
The principle of majority rule must be
re-estabiished in Congress.
The Republican majority of three to
which che World alludes NAV become
a majority of ten by the time the House
meets, and certainly would be one of
six or eight but for false and fraudulent
Southern certificates of election. But
it makes no difference so far as the
right to control the House is concerned
whether the Republicans have ma
jority OF three or thirty or one hundred.
Except in cases where larger prepon-
derance is expressly required by the
Constitution a majority of one is as
good "A any greater number, and car
ries with it the right TO organize the
House, adopt rules, and enact legisla-
ton. The New York JJord cannot
afford to misstate the purpose of the
Republicans in changing the rules, or
the necessity of such action, any more
than it can uphold filibustering and
minority rule or indorse election frauds
and vote suppression in the cotton
States. It's sense of justice and of the
right of the majority to rule must give
it pause. Chicago Tribune