Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-04
CARLISLE'S VIEWS.
The Ex-Speaker Writes an Ad-
dress to the People.
REEDS RULINGS PUT UNDER FIRE

clustering. and Condemnation of the
Speakers Decisions-The Battle Ends
in the House with the Seating of Smith
by Republican Quorum - Wilson's
Witty Remarkable Ballot-Box Case
Again-CampbelI's Disclaimer.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb Am address to
the country explaining the position of the
Democratic members of the house has been
prepared by ex-Speaker Carlisle, and will
be signed by all of the minority members.
The address is as follows:
"The present situation i'm the house of rep
resentatives is so anomalous, and the unpre-
cedented decisions of the speaker are so full
of danger to the integrity of future legisla-
lation, that We consider it our duty to sub
init brief statement of the facts in order
that the propriety of the course we have
taken may he fairly determined"
Delay in Reporting Rules.
1t then recites at length the history of this
session of the house, the appointment of a
rules committee, and an elections committee;
the fact that no rules have yet been report
ed, and the claim that this delay has de-
prived the house of regular methods of do
ing business, leaving the house i'm the
same condition as "A popular meeting
or political convention. In this state of af
fairs, the statement says nothing can come
before the house unless the speaker so wills,
and it is the first time in the history of the
nation when such thing has occurred, the
inconvenience and injustice thereof having
been "forcibly illustrated in the present in
stance"
Speaker Reeds Rulings.
Speaker Reed, the address says, has re-
peatedly during his incumbency refused to en-
terrain motions that have been recognized as
legitimate ever since the government was es
tablished, and has refused also to entertain
appeals from his decisions, by which he has
subverted every principle of constitutional
or parliamentary law heretofore recognized
This was submitted 10 until tho cases of con
tested elections came up, when the Demo
Gratis determined to resist their consideration
TO the bitter end. The course of the speaker
since the Smith-Jackson case has been up /.
then recited, as printed for several days in
these dispatches
An Appeal to the Constitution.
The address then proceeds: THE constitu
ton of the United States provides that
majority of each house shall constitute a
quorum to do business; but smaller mum
Der may adjourn from day 10 day, and may
be authorized to compel the attendance OF
absent members III such manner and under
such penalties as each house may provide
Another clause of the constitution requires
each house to keep journal of its proceed
lngs, and provides that when one-tifth of the
members present desire it, the yeas and
nays shall be taken ON any question and en-
tered on the journal Since the beginning
of the government under the constitution
more than a hundred years ago, the house
of representatives and the senate have uni
formly construed the first clause of the con-
stitution quoted above to mean that q ma
lority of all the members-elect must be pres
ent and actually participate in the transac-
ton of business and that whenever, upon
a call of the yeas and nays, it appeared from
the Journal which is the only official record
that less than the constitutional quorum has
voted on any proposition the vote was a
nullity, and no further business could be
done until the requisite number appeared
and voted.
Rulings of Former Speakers.
tne senate ana
every speaker of the house. except the pres
cut one has held that when less than a
quorum voted on a call of the yeas and NAYS
no matter how many might actually be pres
ent, ii was his duty to take notice of the fact
and declare that the pending bill or motion
had not been passed. When the vote is not
taken 10y yeas and nays, 1t is not entered
upon the journal, but if any member makes
the point that no quorum has voted the pro-
ceeding is a nullity, and the vote must be
taken over. The presumption of the law is
that when nothing appears to the contrary
the proceedings of legislative body are
regular and valid; and therefore when the
official record does not show that less than a
quorum voted, or attention is not called to
the fact in such way as to furnish J. gal evil
ience of 1t, the question cannot be made aft
Ell wards. Many bills have been passed when
there was no quorum voting, and it is equally
true that many have passed when there was
no quorum actually present; but this does
not prove that the proceeding would have
been valid in either case if the official record
had shown the fact.
The Force OF Precedent.
in order to secure certainty and stability
in the administration of the law, it is a rule
in our Jurisprudence that when a particular
construction of constitution or a
statute has been for long time acqui
esced in, not only by those whose duty
it is to execute it, but also by those whose
personal and property rights are affected 10y
IT, the courts Will recognize it as the true
construction, and enforce 1t accordingly 4"
The address then refers to the views of
Speaker Reed when on the floor, in which
he upheld the view given above; also to
those of Blaine, Garfield and other Repub-
licans also sustaining the Democratic con-
tention.
Not Contendjng for Minority Rule.
Mr.. Carlisle then says: I'VE are not con
tending for the right of the minority to gov.
ern as the supporters of the speaker have en-
deavored TO make the country believe. On
the contrary, we are denying the right of a
minority to eject members from their seats,
or to pass laws for the government of the PEG
pie. Under the constitution a ma jority OF
the members of the house constitute a quo.
rum to do business. And we are simply in
sisting that less than m.jority shall not do
business. We are contending that the ma
jority shall take the responsibility which
properly belongs to them, and shall come
into the house of representatives and vote if
they desire to control its proceedings And
we are protesting against their right to
carry their measures by counting us when
we do not vote. The claim of the ma iority
that they have q right to govern the house
without attending its sessions and taking part
In the conduct of its business, is too prepos-
ferrous to require refutation.
No Injury or Injustice.
ut must be evident to any one who under
stands the position taken by the Democratic
minority in the house, that it cannot posi-
bly, result in any injury to the country or in
any inJustics to the majority. Its only eff
feet will be to compel the Republican ma
1orlty, elected by the people, to assume the