The Portland daily press., 1890-09-05

try. l should do but scant justice to the body
to which l belong if l stopped there. To
FULLY enable you to comprehend the magni-
tude OF the work done and the courageous
persistency OF the majority: l must detail
even II put briefly, the difficulties under
Wuicn the work has been done. Every lncn
OF our progress has been contested by the
OPPOSITION. Highway robbery OF time mas
Deen abolished; petty larceny aas not. Oniy
astrong, vigorous, public sentiment prevail-
ing among all the constituencies Will ever 40
that Some of the wastes of time l shall de-
scribe to you. We spent two months and a
half in organization, in the preliminary
struggles to settle the right of the majority
to control, and in determining the rules of
the House proceedings we were forced to
any Democratic Congress because the fraud
ulent certificates came from the Southern
States, and we were obliged to consume the
time OF the House in giving those members
seats who would have had certificates in the
beginning had they been fairly treated. So
justly were the Democrats treated by the re-
turning officers that not single Republican
seat has been contested. Our loss of time
from contested elections will not be less than
twenty days.
:. One other cause of the loss of
time will be surprise, perhaps, to
the community at large. No man
would regret more than L to be thought
wanting In all proper respect for the dead
and all proper reverence for departed CON-
rades. and for the feelings of surviving
friends, yet the method by which the House
shows this respect and pays this reverence is
very costly to the nation. Sin GO the election
OF the present House ten members have died
and one Senator. Among them have been
the most famous men Of the House, William
D. Kelley. the great champion of protection
Samuel j. Randall, heart of oak and will of
iron, the strongest face in half
century. aud Samuel Sullivan Cox,
at once brilliant and laborious.
When we have paid due reverence and
spoken proper eulogy over these and their
companions not less than q working days
will have to be counted. This means almost
an entire month of time. When John Bright
died the English House thought it could best
honor his memory by going on with the bust
ness OF the country.
These losses which I have enumerated
could not perhaps be helped without greater
reforms than can be hoped for in many years.
But what is about to be described could be
avoided by either the comm0nest patriotism
or healthy public sentiment In the House.
It ought to be known all over the United
States that with $50 members 1t takes 20
minutes to make a roll call. Whenever the
yeas and nays are ordered 1t means loss of
tablshed in the constitution the provision
for the yeas and nays did not know how
fearfully they were wasting the time of un-
born generations. Now the session of the
House two years ago lasted one month and a
half longer than the present session thus
far. During that session of two years ago
there were 226 roll calls, of which sc were
recorded during the long flibusterlng
against the direct tax bill, leaving but one
hundred and forty, which were seemingly
legitimate. l say these one hundred and
forty were seemingly legitimate, for l have
no doubt that one hundred would have fully
complied with the demands of the constitu-
ton. One hundred roll calls would have
been more than ample. for all proper pur-
poses for the whole of this session. And
yet we have had four hundred. Three hun
dred of these have been utterly useless, mere
wanton waste. A legislative day, exclusive
OF the reading of the journal is scant five
hours. Three hundred roll calls then mean
twenty-five legislative days. Think of
twenty-five legislative days wasted in mere
useless calling over of names, and all done to
waste time. with the public. business un-
flushed.
But in closing what 1 have had to say 1t
would not be just to rest the claims of the
deeds. What the House has shown the
country that any House can do is worth
princes ransom. Henceforth promise can
not be excused except by performance.
Henceforth great measures cannot De lost
aud n0body know what has become of
them. Party responsibility has begun, and
with it also the responsibility of the people,
for they can no longer elect Democratic
House and hope that the minority will neu-
tralize their action, or Republican House
without being sure that it will keep It's
pledges. If we have broken the precedents
of an hundred years we have ct the prece-
dent Of another hundred years nobler than
the last, wherein responsibility will walt on
power, and wherein the people, with full
knowledge that their servants can act. will
choose those who will worthily carry out
their will.
Mr.. Reed spoke for about an hour and five
minutes. The band played patriotic selec-
tion while the large audience slowly dis
persed. many of the men endeavoring to
gather around to shake MIR. Reed by the
hand. A brief reception was held in the
ante-room adjoining the hall.