New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-10
THE TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY.

II was by this term that Mr.. Reed Of Maine
the other day described the present control OF
the House of Representatives, and the per-
plexities and dangers of the situation are only
increased by the action Just taken. The House
has voted by a bare majority of 3 votes to
recommit proposition reported from the Com
mittee on Rules, that, during the remainder
Of the present session, there shall be no call oil
the States and Territories on the first and third
Mondays of each month. The preteat upon
which this was opposed was that it would be a
hardship rot to permit the introduction OF bills
every Monday as at present when members
who are fighting of certain important meas
ures send I'D long bills and have them read in
full to kill time. The facts are that nearly
70, 600 bills are already In, that no bill pre-
sented now has the least chance Of passage,
and that ell the other Mondays would still be
open to offer bills. The real reason was the
desire of the Democrats not to diminish the
enormous power now possessed by minority
in checking legislation. They do not care 30
perfect any important legislation at the present
Session, and they want TO reserve the power to
cripple the Republican majority in the next
House.
Every one who has followed with any care
the proceedings Of Congress must have OBJ
served the increase of filibusering in late years,
and the frequent recurrence Of deadlocks. MIR.
Reed describes the situation fairly, as reported
in "The SUM:
When / came here flibustenng was an extreme
measure. rcsorted 10 only at critical moments ana
persisted In only long enough to attract the attention
Of the House 10 what tho majority were doing. NO
- % l.usf erlp eo n
Now fllbusiering IS resOrtcd 20 almost every day.
Two or three men. moved by a mere whim. resort
10 10 20 defeat b whose passage ID desired by al
the other members Of the House. The last three days
tho House did absolutely nothing. because Mr. An
dcrson thinks no knows moro about The Pacific halI
road Funding bill than thirds OF the members OF
the House possibly know, and to-day the entire
session wa wasted because Mr.. Weaver has decided
that II a BIN he wants considered cannot DO taken
I'D, no bill that two-thlrds Of tho members OF tho
House want consider shall DO taken up. The
House must govern itself by the whtms Of individuals,
or mere struggle OF physical endurance must ensue
The course Of legislation in the House long
ago became difficult To an extraordinary de-
gree being fettered and obsructed al every
turn But the growth Of the practice Of fill
clustering threatens 90 break down the machine
entirely. A few years ago conscientious
scruples restrained members from flibusterng
except under serious necessity. There may be
circumstances, Of course. under which il be-
comes a patriotic duty. But the Southern
members set the example of tyrannical OBJ
struction by a minority, and the House has
gone on from bad to worse. Some mot, - OF
reform must be devised, or legisla D. a.
ways be at the mercy Of minon
knot Of unscruDulous and dc
shall unite TO block the wheels
this decision Of the House undouUlo, yre-
vents the passage Of many important measures
at this session is only small part Of the evil
involved. A gravcr aspect is it's meaning as
regards the course of the Democrats in the
next House where the Republicans have so
slender n majority.
The influence of the caucus in this matter
illustrates the moral QUALIFY Of the Democratic
party. Speaker Carlisle, Mr.. S. S. Cox, MIR.
Springer, and a number of prominent Demo
Gratis favored this proposition on public
grounds. A caucus was called, in which less
than one-third Of the Democrats OF the House
voted. Twenty-one voted not TO recommit and
"a, or just one-ffth Of the Democratic strength
in the House, voted to recommit; and in obedi-
ence TO the mandate of one-fifth, the whole ma
jority, with the exception Of only, voted
for recommittal. Mr.. s. s. Cox achieved the
remarkable feat Of speaking most eloquenty
for the resolution, and then afterward, under
this pressure, of voting against it. Thus the
singular spectacle is presented of minority
anxious to proceed with important legislation
while the majority defeats attempts to further
it. AS minority in the next Congress, the
Democratic party will be hardly less harmful
to the country than it is now as majority.