Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-31

and 30 he ought to. IL 1877 members sat In
silence and refused to vote when their votes
would defeat the proposition, then the vote
OF single member ought to pass bill. And
this was done over and over again In every
week OF every session Of congress that had
been held in the last century.
Mr.. Carlisle suggested that tho constitu-
ton provided that when the President vetoed
measure 1t should not become law unless
passed by two-thirds vote. He understood
the gentleman to contend that II 1856 MEM
beers were present any part of that num-
Der voting, the others remaining silent,
might pass the bill. Did the gentleman hold
that one man could pass bill over the Pres
ident's vetoi
Mr.. Mckinley replied that he was not
discussing the question as to what the
house could do on . bill sent back by the
President. That was q constitutional pro-
vision.
Mr.. Carlisle said that no bigger quorum
was requifed then than whom any other
measure was before the house.
Mr.. 4cKinley-The gentleman will recall
that under the very provision Of the constt-
tuition yea and nay vote was required. Il Is
not required on the passage Of other bills.
Applause on the Republican side)
Mr.. Carltsle-But one-fourth of the menn-
bers have right TO require the yeas and nays
under the constitution, and one becomes just
e. imperative as the other. (Applause on
the Democratic side.)
Mr.. McKinley-When gentlemen sit in
their seats and refuse to proform public
duty they are repudiating great public
trust. Applause on Republican side)
Carlisle as Speaker had repeatedly signed
bills and resolutions which had never res
ceived the constitutional majority. He had
done it over and over again when less than
majority of the House voted. Tho action
of the Democrats yesterday had never been
dreamed Of by the fathers Of the constitu-
ton. They had never dreamed Of sullen
q quorum. He did not say the Democrats
wore doing differently than the Republican
party had done for years. He himself had
stood here and fibustsred day after day in
silence, refusing to vote. but he could not
now recall that he had ever done it from a
high OF noble Or . worthy purpose. (Ap-
plause.) And there had never been q time
that he could remember that he had not felt
ashamed of himself. (Applause.) Not only
had that been his feelings in the past, but
| If gentlemen would be honest with them
selves and with each other they would re-
member how common flibustering had
been carried on on account of per-
soual pique. But no minority had
| ever carried on flibustering that
whole proceeding. This mode of stopping
legislation had never been thought of by the
trainers of the constitution. If the GENTLE
men on the other side were going to have
revolution let them have 1t in the proper
way and get out of the House. (Applause on
the Republican side) They had no business
to turn upon the Republicans who were here
ready to do business and call them revolu-
tionists. Let them defeat a bill in consti-
/ fntiono1 vi nf 6ahato hv NV
yea and nay vote expressive Of their judy
ment. This controversy was to determine
| whether majority should Iule and govern
or be subject to the tyranny of minority.
Talk about the tyranny of . majority. The
/ tyranny of q minority Yves more odious. The
position Of the gentlemen on the other side
| meant that they would either ruin or rule;
they were in the minority. The Republicans
insisted that while In the majority the other
aide should do neither. (Applause on the
Republican sids.)
Mr.. Crisp-In the language of Mr.. Blaine,
deny utterly your right to say that I am
Mr.. McKinley-We are discussing whethe,
that is right or wrong.
Mr.. Crisp-I place Mr.. Blaine against thu
gentleman.
Mr.. McKinley-We settled one question a
great deal of COST that the minority couli
not rule in this country. (Applause.) And ",
intend to settle if We can, in the broad ligh
! of public opinion and in the presence of sixt,
millions of people, whether the constitutions
majority of this House shall do the business
! of the House. (Applause.)
. Mr.. Turner of Georgia, said that the pend
: ing question was the most important tina
had ever arisen as to the mode of procedur
in the House. He believed that the futur
. of the legislation of the country depended Of
the conservative view of the constitution. 81
l believed if the wild view presented here wa
Q once engrafted on the practice of the House
> 1t would inaugurate q reign of anarchy an
Q profigacy unprecedented in the annals of tn
1 country. 1t was, therefore, an importan
who sat down and reasoned with each othe,
r On this, the 80th of January, two month
t after the beginning Of the session, the Hous
+ was without single rule Of procedure. A
= the same time there were seventeen electio
contests pending on which the judgment {
/. the House was to be taken in the absence
y . single regulation which would enable men
e means by which absentees could be sent
. tho absence of any sort of rule except IL
r will of the Speaker, by which the Houl
g could proceed in the discuesio
Il of these matters. The Democra
10 had asked for the rules and been denied. l.
o. the majority pess resolution to censure hi
ID for his delinquency. On such resolution
" tuht u0 WOulu uAV0 Ilk0t " 10 AcoIOs Z
h could give his reasons, state his case to Il
y country and Ed the issue could be made. I
begged the majority not to give into Il
o. hands of any presiding officer the power
10 put that stigma on him, and at the sar
Tins deny him the right to be heard in pr
test against it. The flag which was so a
or propriately placed above the Speakers oh,
70 plsuse on Democratic sids.) And everywhe
to else on earth, on land and sea, 1t was
standard of popular freedom. (Applaas
It's Should 1t be said that here, of all plac
by there was only the despotic sway of SIM
man whom the majority In power had plac
on In the chair OF the House of Repressntativ
(Applause on Democratic side.)
cd Mr.. Butterworth of Ohio said that he {
lal not think that any member underestimai
mt the importance of having right determil
ge ton of the question which was submitted
n, their consideration. The decision was not
1t, the line of what gentlemen were pleased
of describe as almost unbr0ken precedent.
Dr. was q departure from the practice VIII
had been tolerated at least by the House
lie measure, sanctioned by antiquity, If antiqu
of could sanctify that In itself wrong. T
he question YVES as to the power of major
rule In this country. Members must def
,ut mine to-day whether the constitution G.
md tanned the element of suicide. This wa
GEE government OF the people. Expressed
another way, 1t was the government of
de- majority. The majority must exercise
hat authority in legislation and governm
ing which was In keeping with the furthera
aad of the provisions of the constitution the
jority must do that It has heen arg
the that IL was for q member to answer to b
ed. self and to his constituents alone whether
hat would vote and discharge his duty here
nal. not. He utterly denied the soundness
hio that proposition. That would have d
when 1t was held that members were anil
to sailors from the States; 1t would not dc
u january, 1899. (Applause on Republi
'hio side.) He was not here to legislate aim
foc himself and his constituents. He
or. here to leaislats for the whole country,
the whole country had right to exact
lhio him that he be IN his place and perform
duty, and for this reason the constitu
of provided that those who were present nj
tile bring the absentees into the chamber,
to serve their constituents, but to 81
nois all the people of the country wi
servants they were. (Applause ON Repu
ring can side) He insisted that by every rul
de- common sense the members were partic
ion ting. ''They also serve who only stand
the wait" NsuRhter) The effort of the gel
ents men on the other side was to proclaim to
country that not the majority, but the
iced nority should rule. They said that
by wore struggling for their rights. If
q. might say what else they would consi
wen The Republicans were notified that I
was purpose and plan was fraught with dar
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