Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-18
The Next Congress.

One Of our exchanges represents the
President as being in doubt as to whether
or not 10 call an extra session Of Congress
next fall. his intention being TO call one II
tho proposed new States elect majority
of Republicans TO the national House OF
Representatives. and TO decline to call one
IL the new States elect majority of Demo
Gratis 10 that body. This story Is wrong
end foremost. The members who are before
long 70 be elected TO Congress from the
proposed new States Of Washington. Mon
faua. and the two Dakotas cannot take their
seats until after both houses of Congress
shall have formally admitted those states
into the Union. Whether, therefore the
President shall call an extra session OF Con-
Crcss or not, the delegates from the Tern
tories named land as TO that matter those
from all the Territories viii have nothing
70 do with the organization of the House
of Representatives. The members elected
from the States already in the Union VIII
choose the Speaker and the Clerk-ln
word. will organize the House of Rep
resentatives-and afterwards possibly
months afterwards. the members from the
proposed new States may be seated.
Unless and until the Republicans aban-
don their reckless and ruinous scheme OF
DESTROYING the rules Of the House of Re
prcscntstives in order 10 enable them TO
provide by law for the election Of Repub-
lican congressman at all future elections
the Democratic members cannot consistent
" agree to allow the House to elect "a
Speaker pledged TO decide for himself that
a quorum is present. In refusing 10 be
party 10 the election Of such partisan rs
Speaker the Democrats will plant them
selves on right guaranteed to them by the
Federal Constitution. That instrument
provides that one fifth Of the members
present shall always have the right 10
cause the yeas and nays upon any question
70 be entered upon the journal of the
House. OF course if q call Of the roll
shows that no quorum is present, there IS
in contemplation of the Constitution no
quorum present. But Mr.. MCKINLEY, Mr..
READ, AIR. BURROUGHS, and Mr.. CANNON, tho
most prominent candidates for Speaker,
are. il is feared. ready and willing to hold,
if elected, that they Cor the one elected
NAV by the glance of the eye determine
that a quorum is present, and consequently
decide that q bill has been passed even
when, counting both the yeas and nays, no
quorum has voted.
There can be no justification for proceed
ings which involve violation Of the Con-
stitution. u j. a matter that goes to the
life of the republic II IS matter so i'm
portant that the time consumed in defend
ing the Constitution must be regarded not
as wasted, but as spent III saving the free
institutions which have come down to us
from the fathers Of our national Common
wealth. The Republicans attempt to be-
little the matter, and seek TO show that II
is a question Of flibusterng. 1t Is much
more. II is contest for the pre-
seryation of the charter OF our hber-
ties. The Speaker of the House of
Representatives is already the most
powerful official Of the nation. He can
condemn TO non-recognition and per-
petual silence any member whom he dis
likes. He can defeat any measure which
h dislikes by packing the committee to
which il is to be referred, OF he can as long
a. be chooses refuse to give the floor TO the
patron of a bill to which he is hostile. To
add TO the powers of such an official the
right to make and unmake Quorums at Will
would be to commit national suicide.