Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-13
i.ANOASTER, PA. February Is, lss'
About Forcing Q Quorum.

The logical result Of counting quo
rum when the quorum does not wish to
be counted, 10 found in tho attempt OF
the Montana Senate to hold itself to-
gether under this practice, with the
consequence that the Democratic sena-
tofs, who were just half Of the body,
have left the Senate chamber and the
state. There Is no known way Of get
ting them back unwillingly, and the
Senate IL, therefore, unable TO do busi-
ness. The new revelation Oh the subject
Of parliamentary rules has not gone 80
far as to enable half of legislative body
to 20 on with business; nor has II found
any way of supplying the places OF
the absentees, when the governor
is Of their way of thinking,
and refuses to unite with the
rump of the Senate in declaration
Of the vacancy Of the seats and call
for new election to fill them. Doubt
less II Montana had Republican gov
ernor, the Republican Senate would
unite with him In an effort Of this kind |;
but as matters stand Montana legisla-
ton Is done for. 1t is new illustrations
Of the old story that while you may
take horse to water you cannot make
him drink.
The Democratic members of the ma
tional House could do as the Montana
senators have done, and many people
wonder why they have not done 1t.
Probably they think 1t an undignified
procedure, and that II Is better to stay
in their seats and let the Republicans
make the only exhibition before the
country Of disposition TO disobey the
laws; and doubtless II is wise proceed
ure. 1t must be noted too that they
would need to get out of the country to
get away from the jurisdiction of the
House. Again such step as an aban-
donment of the House would leave 1t TO
the control of the Republican majority
whenever 1t could command the pres
ence of all its members, who comprise a
majority Of the body when they are all
present. And they would soon get a re-
liable majority by unseating the Demo-
Gratis whose seats are contested. Fur
thermore, while an ancient custom sane
tions the refusal of members of the
House to vote, though they are present,
there Ii no precedent for minority
abandoning its seats In a body. The
case is essentially different from the
Montana one.
Representative Buckalew, we see, Is
the only Democrat who refuses to respect
the custom which authorizes members
present not to vote; and though he
stands thus alone among his Democratic
colleagues, we are not disposed to GEN.
sure him for what Is clearly the exercise
of an honest and independent judg-
ment /; and one which Is doubtless based
on his opinion that it Is the duty of a
representative to vote upon all questions
brought before the body to which he Is
elected when he is physically able to be
present; and such would be his clear
duty II there was not custom since the
creation of the House, which permits a
member present to refuse To vote
when he does not wish to do So
1t declares that a representative is free
to use his own judgment as to whether
or no he shall vote; and 1t neither re
quires Mr.. Buclalew to be silent in
obedience to the judgment Of his party
associates nor to vote in obedience to the
wish Of bis party opponents.
We are rather gratified than other
wise to see Mr.. Buckalew voting, be-
cause it shows proper independence
in following the dictates Of his judg
ment which is always q good quality
In any man. His judgment may be bad
and that Is Of course fault but the in
dependence which leads him to follow
1t Is a virtue, which shines none
the less because Of its rarity anG
1t not SO seldom happens that the
judgment of the twelfth juror is worse
than that Of the eleven as to make him
. sure object Of reproach. In public life
there is quite too much yielding to the
majority and no better illustration o.
the fact has been lately offered than tn,
unity with which the Republican ma
jority In the House has followed the
speaker in this matter of the govern.
ment Of the House, when some of these
rulings are notoriously indefensible, and
some members of this majority which
sustained them have declared that they
themselves 80 think, and that the,
have supported them only for the SAX,
OF party unity.
A Dangerous Prince.