Omaha daily bee., 1890-02-03
THE PARLIAMENTARY BATTLE.

IiE EN AM Il u.
1t is believed that the democratic
minority in the house of representatives
will not renew this week the illibuster-
ing tactics which they employed during
most of last week. 1t is not to be sup
posed that they will wholly abandon
obstructive methods, but it is said that
some OF the leaders have become con-
WINGED that the tactics thus far pursued
will not be approved by the intelligent
and impartial Judgment Of the country.
and that it will be necessary to resort to
some more defensible way of attempt
ing to defeat the will of the majority.
The great majority of the people desire
that congress shall proceed with as lit
tie delay as possible to the considera-
ton of the very important business
that demands attention. This the re-
publicans, who, being in the majority in
congress are responsible for legislation,
are anxious to do. The democratic
policy, speciously claimed to be justified
as a defense Of the rights of the minor
ity, though what these are, other
thar the right of obstruction, no one
of the minority has defined, aims
at retarding legislation and multiplying
the rights of the majority. It is es-
sentially revolutionary in spirit and
purpose, and however strongly it may
commend itself to the approval of parti-
sans, it must be condemned by all who
believe in the sound American princi-
Pile, absolutely necessary TO the preser-
walton Of our political system, that the
majority shall rule. If the democratic
leaders in congress do not now see the
mistake they are making in their at
tempt to c%ontravene this principle they
will not fail to discover it when the peo-
Pile shall again nave an opportunity to
pass Judgment upon their conduct.
The truth is that Tor the last ten
years the majority in the house of rep
resentatives has been unable to control
its deliberations, and much of the
record OF the lower branch of congress
during that period has been a reproacii
to the intelligence Of that body and to
the country. Under the rules of the
last four or five congresses not only was
the minority enabled to obstruct an d
defeat legislation, but a mere faction
was enabled often to nullify the will
of the majority. OF course when
the rules are such as to en-
courage this state OF affairs
it is natural that advantage should be
taken of them, whether the minority he
republicans or democrats. 1t is there
fore no argument against the deterni-
nation OF the majority OF the present
house to remedy these abuses by re-
forming the rules to say that republi-
cans, when in the minority, have taken
advantage of the opportunities offered
them by bad rules. Because for ten
years the vita! principle of majority
rule has been set at defiance il by no
means follows that such n revolutionary
and dangerous condition is to be
maintained forever. The republi-
cans believe that the time has come to
assert the principle which is the very
corner stone of our political system, and
they propose to do it. They will accord
every just ana reasonable right TO the
minority, but the minority cannot con-
troll. If the democrats in congress have
discovered this, and have wisely con-
cluded to accept the inevitable and sub
NIT with such grace as they may to the
only safe principle in a republican gov
eminent, they will avoid a popular con-
demnation which otherwise they are
certain to incur.