The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-31

the people, or expressed in another way, a
government of the majority, and the majOri-
ty must exercise that authority In legislation
and government which was In keeping with
the furtherance Of the provisions OF the Con-
stitution. rhe majority OF the House must
do that, and do what it would so long as II
confined its action to the letter and spirit OF
the constitution. 1t had been argued that II
was for a member 20 answer to himself and
his constituents alone whether he would
vote and discharge his duty here or not. lie
utterly denied the soundness OF that propo-
sition. He was not here to leglslate simply
for himself and his constituents lie was
here to legislate for the whole country, ana
the whole country had the right 10 exact Oh
him that he be in his place and perform MS
duty. For this reason, the constitution pro-
vided that those present might bring alb
sentees into the chamber, not 70 serve tnelr
constituents, but to serve all the people OF
the country whose servants they were.
Applause on the Republican side.l The
Republicans were not proposing 70 remove
the ancient landmarks Of the fathers, but TO
show that the fathers had never established
those landmarks. The Speaker had never
said, intimated or held, that the House was
competent to pass bill except by eonstltu-
tional majority. He said that bills had
often passed by receiving one or TWO Votes'
but rcder well known parliamentary us
age. where the assent Of all was assumed.
The question was not as to the constitution
al majority required to do business, but as
TO now the presence OF quorum should De
determined. Suppose the minority should
decide 1t would not participate and refuse to
vote for general Appropriation bill. What
would be the effect OF their action? Under
the constitution, the government could not
usa penny though the wheels OF govern
ment stood still in the presence oil an unex-
ampled and unequalled surplus and an over
taxed people, The gentlemen on the other
side sat here
IN THE FLESH BODILY PRESENT.
The country saw them, yet the country
might starve to death by their inaction. II
that was not revolutionary, would the gen
tlemen point him to method, or instrumen-
tality, that would put its fingers more def
nitely, with a death gIip, on the throat OF
the country? The ,dea of members not par
ticipating when sitting in their chairs, and
drawing $40 or S12 day. ILaughterl. He
insisted, by every rule of common sense, that
members were participating. The efforts Of
the gentlemen on the 0thor side were TO pro-
claim to the country that not majority, but
a minority should rule. They said they
were struggling for their rights. III they
might say what measure they would not con-
slider, they might also say what measure
they would consider. The Republicans
were notified that their purpose and plan
were fraught with danger. He insisted that
the suggestion that the Speaker could reyo-
lutioniZe the country by saying tnat his
friend Allen Of Mississippi was in his seat
when he was not there, was hardly worthy
of serious consideration. The Speaker h I'd
discharged the duty devolved upon him. IL
was one he could not avoid under his oath Of
office, II he would.
A member on the Democratic side suggest
ed that there was no rule for what the Re
puelcans were attempting to do.
1--WE have a rule" MIR Butterworth retort-
ed. "and you have discovered IL" lSh0uts
of applause on the Republican side and in
the galleries..
The Speaker interposed, saying: ZAP
plause on the floor is not entirely suitable
Applause in the galleries Is entirely insult
able and must be stopped"
MriButterworth conceded thatit was what
might be called radical change in the pro-
cedure Of the Honse. and might well be re-
6arded with some anxiety. Why should the
minority, he asked, be permitted to stop, ar
bitrarily, the wheels OF Legislation Tor an IN
definite time? [Applause.I He quoted
Wharton on American law to the effect that
improper or inconsiderate legislation could
always be controlled by the Presidents veto
and by the decision OF the supreme court,
and went on to saw: am not AFRAID
of this ruling. We have acqulesced
in this petty tyranny too long.
WlaL are Ln6 TIS0LS Ol Tic luiuOAlbJ IL
be heard on every question, TO approve or
oppose what is proposed, 10 enter a protest
against it, by voice and vote. In addition to
that, this minority insists 1t has constltu-
tional right to stand in the way OF legisla-
tion it disapproyes: Such Is neither the let,
ter nor the spiri OF the constitution. such
was not the Idea of the fathers touching leg
islation in this c)untry. They
PROVIDED, NOT AGAINST SILENCE,
but against absence Of members. The right
of the minority, which the fathers provided
for, was the right to amend or dc whatever
they wished to perfect legislation. But the
sovereign will of the people was represented
in the majority and until that right was over
thrown by revolution or otherwise, the de-
eision of the Speaker must be upheld as vim
dlcating the rights OF all the people of this
country. [Applause.l
Mr.. Mckinley moved to lay on the table
the appeal from the Speakers decision.
Shouts of disapproval we're heard on the
Dem9cratI9>ss9se;; Y; ssle;., ou. WI Al1ni"Ss Per
Mr.. Springer moved, at five
o'clock that the House adjourn. and
on a rising vote the result was-ayes, 124;
nays. lao. Mr.. Springer demanded the yeas
and nays. The result was-yeas, 14S; nays,
l61 The question then, recurred on the
motion to lay the appeal on the table. on
which question the yeas aud nays were de-
manded from the Democratic side. The
clerk proceeded with the calls, no Democrats
responding and most OF them leaving their
seats, and retiring to the cloak rooms. The
Speaker followed the roll call and noted
down the names Of Democrats present and
not voting. The non-vo.iDg members We're
again called, as is the custom, and still no
Democrat responded. When the vote was
completed, the Speaker took the roll from
the clerk and said: THE clerk will record
the following names of members present. de-
clining to vote: Bland. Briekner. Carlisle,
Clarke Of Alabama, Culbertson 0fTsxas, En-
lOe, Flower, Geissenhainer, Goodnight, Her
bert Holman, Lane, Lanham, ManSnr, Me
Adoo, McMillin, McRae, Paynter, Splnola,
Springer, Stewart of Georgia, Stone of Ken
lucky, Tillman. Turner of Georgia, and
Wheeler of Alabama. He announced the
vote to be 162 yeas and none in the negative,
aud declared the motion to lay the appeal on
the table was carried There were shouts
of mo quorum" and exclamations of in
dignation on the Democratic side. In the
midst of the tumult and uproar, the Speaker
| recognized Mr.. Mckinley for motion to ad
| iourn, put it and declared 1t carried. Before
| he left the chair, amid shouts of shame
| from the excited Democrats, he paused long
| enough to give Mr.. Springer chance to say
| he had demanded the yeas and nays. ThC
| Speaker said he had heard no request fol
| the yeas and nays. If the gentleman frop
| Illinois said he rose in his place and called
| demand. Mr.. Springer had the yeas ant
/ NAYS called. The result was-yeas, 1874; nays
/ 81. The House at 80 adjourned till tOmOr
| row. The Republicans are jubilant at thei
success. aud the Democrats corresponding
depressed.