The daily critic., 1890-07-21

/ interesting relic. TO appears tNat some
three of four years ago, when Reed was iu
tie minority. Doe wrote and published Iu the
"lhatHuguan Magazine" % powerful paper
uu legislation. Brother Stcaley has rot hold
af This remarkable eTuson and sends
80 90 his paptr LET u- look st few
special extracts iu which Reed Is part'cu-
iWIy eloquent. Iu one place be says.
who ever thinks that The function OF o
legislative body in @ FREQ country Is fully
performed hy the mere passage of bills.
. good or bad. has little comprehension OF
] the real scope and usefulness Of such q
/ body. 4 nan, fse au5 flali d-psaoa IS
I ".01H iJe OF Intelligent nf0. Nobody
/ knows everything. most people know
! moihiug Men pre- ejreumsrr1ed
| u their knowledge uy rhci- vari-
/ ous experiences. 10 ml those who
/ know something on the subject as-
/ semhle their knowledge. O sensible ilg-
ment can DE formed by those who listen.
I But there has been iu the country fr the
I past BALI century So many subiscts 1f br-
I ter feeling involving bitter words. that the
| tendency to suppress discussion in Con
gress by those who have the power has
reached point where there ought to be a
reaction in favor of freer discussion. H
H0Whe country iH tie WorId is Uie powsI 81
shutting of debate lo3gei n The atq ioritv.
The previous question has been employed
without mercy"
And again, contrasting our "previous
question" with the "cloture" OF the British
Parliament, he writes vt is in the memory
OF all that until the last few years the
House Of Commons never had such thing
ss The previous question IN our sense Of
the term. There was no power in the whole
House to close debate.
'Ihe Irish members simply by talking,
were able to prevent the passage of bills
which had the approval Of the vast ma
iority Of the House. Even since this strong
provOcation has caused the introduction OF
the cloture, debate cannot be closed ex-
cept by the presiding officer under some
circumstances under such requirements of
support from the House as In that body se-
cures a right Of debate which Is much
greater than in the House Of Repre-
scntatives, The hesitancy with which so
slight measure Of suppression was
adopted in England strikes rtb a shade of
svfpriss The american legislator, accustomed
hi Congress 10 see discussion drotrned Nth
as iiHs rentorse as u 10 irae @gbucss
Kitten. BIT the Engiist are rigAL Uarea-
s0uable and cap1icious suppression or di,.
cHssioH is tyranny, vhetbcr donc bg % tiag or
~ a mgiority"
Mr. Stealey has made a very timely lis
covery, which viii prove exceedingly use
ful as a side-light on Reeds conspiracy
against representative government. But |
VIII any one who has carefully watched !
Ie astonisheI by the mans In.
sincerity sud dishonesty In the !
n after? We think not lie has
at no time impressed intelligent observers
as the exponent Of a genuine conviction, but |
rather az au uuscrupulous aud trlculent /
schcmer Tor bic own personal promotion, |
impudcut, sardonic reckless. The resurrtc- /
tion Of this outburst Ia the "Chltauu iaun /
shows that he is disiugeuous and that his
professions have no anchorage IN principe.
The question Is whether the discovery win
weaken him among his followers.
VIZ uNp ~ the New York Str Of TO-
day very entertaining special dispatch
from Indianapolis, treating Of the relations
between Mr.. Harrison and Mr.. Blaine, and
In one part Of Il there appears a little item
Of history which is fun Of burning con
temporaneous interest Here IL is. "It Is
safe 10 say that Mr. Blaine would have been
left out Of General Tlarlisou's Cabinet had
# not been for the opinions Of leading Re
publican statesmen who visited him at In-
dianapolis after bis election. lie sounded
them on the subject discreetly, not intend
ing TO let them know that be had any feel
ing against Mr.. Blaine, and was surprised
at the almost unanimous agreement that
Mr.. Blaine must be Secretary Of State.
Among those whom be sounded personally
were Senator Allison, Senator Plumb
Senator Teller, Senator Sawyer, sena-
tor spooner, Senator Quay, Levi
=. Morton, Joseph Medill, the
editor Of the Chicago Tribune: Senator
Blair, John Wanamaker and James 5.
ClaTkson. They an told him that Mr..
Blaine must 90 IN, ana they we're not an
deceived By General Hauison's diplomacy.
Guarded as he was most Of them, somehow
Or other, got the idea that he did not ike
Ar. Blaine and wanted them 10 advise
against him. But they would not do il.
IN addition 70 bis own personal souudlngs,
General Harrison employed Senator
spooner and bis son, Russell b. Harrison,
10 sound Republicans in Washington aud
New York about Mr. Blaine. senator
spooner came 70 Indianapolis three times
With bis reports, aud they were an in favor
Il Mr. Blaine
Tue AEw foRK Tribune asks. Who are
uun..I Ii III. L o.l--. LlII.ll - A.. =. .