St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-15
ROASTING REED.

There can be no valid objection urged
against the appointment of CHARLES
EMERY SMITH to the vacant Russian
mission. Yet it is matter of surprise
to good many, inasmuch as the presi-
dent was in search of prominent news
paper man to fill this place, and went to
Philadelphia to find him. that he did
not light upon GEORGE WILLIAM
CHILDs, who has always been staunch
adherent of the Republican party, and
who enjoys a newspaper nOtoriety sec
Ond to none in this country. 1t is pos
sible, however, that some recent liberal
utterances in the Ledger, Mr.. CHILDs'
paper, may have had something to do
with the presidents action in ignoring
him. MIR. CHILDS is pretty independ-
ent old fellow, who will occasionally
talk right out in meetin': and he gave
very fair exhibition of his independ-
enee lately by taking Speaker REED
to task for his revolutionary con-
duct i'll the speakers chair. Mr..
CHILDs warns the Republican party of
the peril in which Mr.. REED has placed
it by his unWarranted assumption of
power, and this peril IS aggravated by
the action of the Republican members
of the lower house, who voted to SuS-
tain Mr.. REEDS revolutionary usurpa-
ton. Mr.. CHILDs bases his warning to.
his party associates on the premise
that the people of this country are suf.
ficiently intelligent to know that
Speaker REEDS rulings cannot be JUS
tilted upon any ground except that upon
which all revolutionary movements are
baSed-the imperative necessity of the
occasion. He furthermore insists that
it would be an insult to American intel
ligence to say that any imperative public
necessity existed for the exercise of
such eXtra-judicial powers as Mr.. REED
resorted TO. The best that can be said
of it is that it was an extreme party ne
ceSsity, and party needs are by no means
to be associated with or mistaken for
public necessities.
While admitting that majority rule is
fundamental to all American govern
ment, Mr.. CHIIDS suggests that Speak
er REED overlooked the more impor-
tant fact that it is majority rule accord
ing to law which is the underlying
principle of our institutions. In this
connection, Mr.. CHrLDs very appropri-
atelv remarks: "In its ruling the ma
iority is limited by law: is guided by
law; is restrained by law, and must act
in all matters and ways in conformity
to the law. Otherwise we would have
one or other of two forms OF govern
ment-either despotism such as Mr..
REED essays. or the wild sway of a
mob" Mr.. CHILDS then proceeds to
show the necessity for adhering
to precedent and custom, and then
points out how far Speaker REED de-
parted from both. He asserts that Mr..
REED, by the exercise of his sole will,
changed the parliamentary law govern
ing the house of representatives, crystal
lied by the custom and practice of the
house for hundred years. and then, by
the further exercise of his sole will, got
his usurping DEGREES ratified by vote
of the minority Of the house padded
into fictitious majority by the arbi-
trary exercise Of the very power in dis
pute. This Mr.. GHILDS characterizes
to be uSurpatiOn and lawless abuse of
power, for which the Republican party
will be held responsible, and will have
to answer when Speaker REEDS
rulings are reviewed in the assiZeS of
the people which will be held at the
polls next November.
1t is very sensible talk Mr.. CHTLDs
has INDUCED in, and his party friends
will better appreciate its value after
the next election than now. Yet it is
not the kind of talk TO suit the powers
that be-" aud it is very safe to say that
Mr.. CHILDs will not be named for the
Russian or any other mission during
this administration.