Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-12
FilibusterinG.
The following note explains itself;
CHARLOTTESVILLE. Va. January 10. 1880.

The following note explains itself;
CHARLOTTESVILLE Va. January 10, 1890.
10 he Editor of the Dispatch;
The vote for which in your editorial
Yesterday Won soundly rate the Democrats
in the House of Representatives and
charge them with furnishing the Republi-
cans n quorum was on Mr.. Breckinrldges
appeal from an arbitrary and partisan de-
cision by Speaker Reed. Mr. NcComas,
of Maryland, had moved to go into Com
mittee of the Whole on the District Of Co
lumbia appropriation bill (Which, as Is
alleged. contains some violently partisan
provisions). and against that motion Mr.
Breckenridge. of Kentucky. raised the
question OF consideration. The Speaker
decided that this could not be done he
cause the motion Of Mr.. McComas was in
che nature of motion regulating the bust
ness of the House. From this decision
Mr.. Breckenridge appealed. Messrs. Car
Isle. Crisp, McMillin, and Others attacked
the ruling bitterly, but the Republican
majority of course sustained 1t. Now,
even if tho Democrats had refrained from
voting, Reeds ruling would have stood.
What object, therefore, could they have
attained by failing to vote to sustain the
appeal, thereby recording their detesta-
tion of the action of the offensive parti-
San /" in the chair? There are times when
20 break the quorum by refusal to vote IS
minority. but it was not necessary or
proper, / think, on this occasion. Yours
truly, JAMES h GORDON.
We receive the Congressional Record re-
gularly, and had full information in the
premises. We did not pretend to express
the opinion of anybody except ourselves
in the article upon which Mr.. GORDON
comments.
As We understand the matter, Mr.. Cor
DON is mistaken. If the Democrats had
refused to vote on Mr.. BREcKINRIDGE's APP
peal, and the point that there was no
quorum had been made, the next thing IN
order would have been q call of the House.
What else could the Republicans have
done. even if we assume that there were
no rules in force? At any rate, MIR. REEDS
decision would not and could not have
been sustained by less than quorum. If
q call of the House had been made, and a
quorum had been obtained, the question
would still have been, "Shall the decision
of the Speaker be sustained?" And the
Democrats could again have refused TO
vote. In a word, MIR. REEDS decision
could not have been sustained until quo
the Democrats could have flibustered on
this point we know not.
But even il the Speakers decision had
been sustained, the main question would
have remained ndecided-namely, MIR.
McCoNAs's motion to 60 into Committee Of
the Whole under certain of the rules of the
last House. The Corpmittee on Rules
might neglect for month to report any
rules for the government Of the House, and
the Speaker might day after day entertain
a motion TO go into Committee OF the
Whole under such Of the rules of the last
House as might give promise of aiding him
In his partisan purposes. We quote Mr..
CARLISLE:
II have no special objection to the con-
sideration of an appropriation bill NJ this
time; but if We are TO establish this prac-
tice, then, sir, we upon this side OF the
House have no assurance that the House IL
not to 60 on until the close Of this Con-
Cress without any rules Of which We can
have knowledge in advance 50 as to govern
ourselves accordingly"
So. IL we are not mistaken. the Demo-
Gratis ought to have filibustered first against
sustaining the Speakers ruling and after
wards against Mr.. McCoNAs's motion. The
fact that there was nothing more involved
than was involved in Mr.. McCoMAss mo-
ton was, as Mr.. CARLISLE intimated, q
good reason why the Democrats should not
have made up quorum for the Republic
cans, whose object was in this indirect
manner to get rid of a provision Of the bill
before the House which required tele-
phone wires to be put under ground.
The gods help those who help themselves:
and IL the Democrats in the House Of Re-
representatives. had in the case under consid-
Grafton drawn the first blood they would
have felt encouraged to proceed in the
good work upon oil proper occasions, and
their conduct would have taught the Re-
publicans Lesson which they need to have
taught them. Nothing but eternal vigi-
lance" viii inspire the hearts Of the peo-
pie at home with confidence in the Demo-
cratic minority in the House Of Represen-
tstiyes.
We did not mean in writing our first
article on this subject, nor do we mean in
writing this one. so much 70 censure our
Democratic leaders as to talk TO them as If
Ne had been or were in caucus with them.
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