The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-02-13
TO THE COUNTRY.
THE DEMOCRATIC CASE STATED
BY MIR. CARLISLE.

| by alN. CAHL1SLE.
! Clear aud Logicni Exposure of the Re
| p"blicon Conspiracy to Increase tkciI
| Mnjority in the House bv UnaeatinR Dc
! mOcrntS.
WASHINGTON, Feb, 3.-Mr. Car.
liBlc has prepared for publication the
| following statement Of the present po-
sition ofthe Democratic members OF
| the House, which is to be signed by all
Of them:
Tho Manircsto.
Tho prescut situation in the House
of Representatives is 50 anon alous,
and the unprecedented decisions of
the Speaker are SO full of dunger to the
integrity Of future legislation, that we
consider it our duty to submit a brief
statement Of tho facts in order that
the prcpriety of the course we have
takon maybe fairly determined.
A RECITAL or WRONGS.
The House met on the 2d Of Decem
bcr, 1889, and immediately organized
by the election of IL Speaker and other
officers, On the same day, by resOlu-
ton Of the House, tho Speaker was
authorized to appoint committee on
rules, and the rulos Of the last preced-
! ing House were referred TO that com
mittce. The committee, consisting
| Of the speaker himself, and foar other
members, was appointed on December
| 5, and on the 9th it made q report
% I1fb bnr III, l,n Il fD
all other committees and dc lining their
jurisdiction. Tho committee on cleo
! tons, TO which WAS referred all cases
involving the rights Of members to
| seats, was appointed on the 9th of
December.
Although nearly two months have
elapsed since the committee on rules
! was appointed, it has made no report
on the matters referred to 1t, except
| tho partial ono made on the 9th ofDe-
ccmber, and consequently tho House
has been compelled to conduct its
business without any rule or system
except general parliamentary law as
construed by the Speaker There have
| been no Calendars, no order of busi-
ness, no fixed time to receive reports
| from committees or for the considera-
ton Of bills or resolutions, and in fact
no regular methods whatever in the
proceedings of the House.
The American House Of Represeu-
tatives has been during all this time
and still is, SO far as rules for its gov
crnment are concerned, in precisel,
the same condition as q popular meet
ing or political convention in whicl
the chairman and his partisans hav
absolute control of all proceedings. N
measure can get before the House fo
consideration unless the Speake
chooses to allow it to be presented
and members have no means of know
ing in advance what they are to b.
called on to discuss or decide. This
is the first time in our history that II
Legislative assembly or even q public
meeting has attempted to transact
business for any considerable period
without regular code OF rules pre-.
scrbing the order Of its proceedings
aud the Inconvenience and injustice
resulting from such an attempt have
been forcib!y illustrated in the present
| instance.
REEDS DICTATORsHIP.
The Speaker has repeatedly during
| these extraordinary proceedings re-
fused to entertain parliamentary mo-
items that have been recognized a3
| legitimate over sin0e tho GoVernmer
was established, and when attempts
have been made to appeal from his
decisions he has refused to submit the
question to the House. BY his ar.
bitrary rulings, sustained in some in
stances by less than Il quorum, h3 has
J subVerted nearly every principle o.
constitutional and parliamentary here
tofore recognized III the House.
| The address then recites that upon 8
contested election case being brought
up, the Democratic members raised
the question of consideration, and, on
the call of the roll, relrained from vot
| ing; that the Speaker, contrary to law
and long established usage, counted
the members not voting, declared 6
quorum present and declare ed that the
House had decided to take up The
case; that from this decision an ap
perl was taken, and, on that question
the Speaker repeated his pre-
| ViouS unlawful procedure.
After reciting the constitutions
provisions involved, and recalling thu
uniform practice Of the House in tn
past, the address contains warning
against any liberation Of such revolu
tionary proceedings, and closes wit
these words. "a majority ruling with
out limitations or restraints upon il
power Is pure dCpotiSm, and is incOr
sistent with our system Of govern
mcnt."