The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-02-12
TO TAE COUNTRY.
TYF, 1I,9afcHH.TIC CASE STATED
BY fR. CARLISLE

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BY -5R. CARLISLE
4 a!c:tr :,n,; ..o=:cn! ;tI3"-gr'' %: re. Ike
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uo;,r.iy in ,ar :.,.-;. by asr:I;i:s- .'>
mccrats.
WAsHISGTnN, Feh.. :5.-Mr. Car
Isle has prepared tnr pob'icatioa :hc
following ta.e:nent 0! the present po-
sition ofthe Democratic members OF
the House, which is 10 be signed ~ al!
of them:
The Manifesto.
The prsseuJ situation in :ae House
of Representatives is 80 aaon' :louS,
an,! tbs p:scedente; deci-:"..5 Of
the Speaker are 50 full Of dsnger - ;aa
integrity of future legislation, that W.
consider il car duty 80 submit Il brief
statement of the facts in order that
the propriety Of the course we have
taken maybe fairly determined.
RECITAL OF WRONGS
lhe House met on tic 2d CT Decem
be-, 1889, aud Immediately organized
| bv the election OF a Speaker IL! other
( otlicer*. On the same day, " rcso;u-
| ton OF the Hou,e, the speaker VS.
authorized to appoint co,::niit!oe 81
| rules. and the rules Of the last precad-
| ing House were referred to t;laC com.
mittee. The committee, consisting
! ofthe speaker himself, and foor other
membe was appointed Oh December
5, and on the 9th it made s. report
authorizing the Speak er 30 appoint
all other committees and defining fnelf
jurisdiction. The committee on cleo
tions, to which was referred all cases
involving the rights Of members to
seats, was appointed on the 9tn 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 it, except
the partial one made on the 9th OF De-
! Der, and consequently the House
Z has been compelled to conduct liz
business without any rule or system
$ except general parliamentary law ai
construed by the Speaker There have
s been no Calendars, no order OF ousl
ness. no fixed time to receive reports
from committees or for the considers
+, ton of bills or resolutions, and n tac'
no regular methods whatever ln the
g proceedings Of the House.
. The American House Of !.eprssen-
! tatiyes has been during all his time
and still is, so far as rules foc its gov
ernment are concerned, in precisely
the same condition as a popular meet
ing or political convention IN whlct
the chairman aud his pact!sans have
d absolute control ofall proceedings. Nt
measure can get before the House To-
e consideration unless the SpeaSel
chooses to allow it to be presented
and members have nc means Of know
: ing in advance what they are to e
G called on to discuss or decide Ihl:
!, is the frs; time in our history that {
| legislative assembly or even a public
meeting has attempted to traosac
business for any considerable perloc
J without regular code OF rules pre-
;, scribing the ORDER of its proceedings
: and the inconvenience ard injustice
o resulting from SUCH an attempt have
e been forcib'y illustrated in the presen
| instance.
REEDS DICTATORSHIP.
The Speaker h,s repeatedly during
these raorGinary proceedings re,
a fused to entertain parliamentary mo
q ITEMS that have been recognized Us
| legitimate ever since the Governmel
q was established, and when ATTEMPT:
have been made to appeal from his
a decisions he has refused to submit the
y question to the House. BY his ar
i b1itrary rulings, sustained in some in,
, | stances by less than quorum, d. ha:
subverted ueerly every principle O
. constitutional and parliamentary here
! tofore recognized in the House.
: The address then recites that upon
, contested election case benz broughl
! up, the Democratic members raised
, I the question Of consideration, and, ol
= the call of the roll, refrained from vct
; ing; that the Speaker, contrary to law
and long'established usage, coucteo
the members not voting, declared 8
, quorum present and declal ed that the
House had decided to take up the
case; that from this decision an ap'
perl was tsken, and, on that question
tse Speaker repeated his pre-
vious unlawful procedure.
After recitirg the constitutional
provisions involved, and recalling TIE
uniform practice of the House in the
past, the address contains warning
against any federation of such revolu.
tionary proceedings, and closes with
these words. "a majority ruling with
out limitations or restraints upon its
power is pure depotism, and is incon
sistent with our system Of govern
ment-"