, 1890-02-06
n 4 leo end, proved successful TO address.


aud supported tho speakers decision
The speaker he'd the right, he con,endcd
to proceed TO note that thirty or thirty
five members who had refused to vote OF
the roll call were present In their seats
All that was involved In tn
appeal was amply tho question o
fact. Did any gentleman whose nam,
was disclosed by the count rise In hi
place and declare that lac WIS not pres
cnt? Not one. Under the genera
parliamentary laws tho speaker had 4
right To count the members, and II ther,
was no quorum, TO stop all business
The principle was distinctly established
that the presiding officer might count,
and II was his duty To count the number
of members who might DO present 10
from Kentucky tCarlislc) had declared
that under the speakers decision
one representative could pass n
bill, with 167 members sitting In
their seats In silence. So he
could. and SO ho ought to. II the 1877
members sat In silonco and refused to
vote when their votes would defeat the
proposition then tho vote OF single
member ought TO pass the bill. When
gentlemen sit In their seats and refuse
to perform their public duty they arc re-
pudiating great public trust. Mr. Car.
Isle. as speaker, had repeatedly signed
bills and resolutions which pre-.
ceiyed q constitutional majority. lie
had done IL over and over again, and
had done II, too, when the public record
of the house. as announced by himself
showed that less thun majority of the
house had voted. Tho action OF tho dem.
ocrats yesterday had never tceu dreamed
Of by the trainers of the constitution,
They never dreamed ofsullcn silence MS
n stntesmnn-likc wny OF destroying a
quorum. Ho was not saying that the
democrats were doing differently from
what the republican party had done for
years, but no majority had ever carried
on hlibustcring that II was not after
ward ashamed of the whole proceeding
This mode of stoppiyg legislation had
never been thought of by the trainers of
the constitution. II tho gentlemen on
the other side were going 10 have n revo-
luton, let them have II In a proper way,
and get out OF the house. Applause on
the republican side. They had no buSi-
| ness to turn upon the republicans, who
! were ready to do business, aud call them
rcvolutionists. The gentlemen ON the
other sido wanted TO perpotuatc tho iio-
tion which they had declared. Although
the members wero present In their aeats,
thcy should be held TO be constitutional.
" absent.
Mr.. Buttcrworth, OF Ohio, said that
tho question was as to the power Of the
majority TO rule in the country. This
question Of the ayes andnocs was de-
was a government OF the people. II was
a government of tho majority, and the
majority must exercise that authority in
legislation which was in keeping with
the furtherance OF the provisions OF the
constitution. II had been argued that
II was for each member to answer to
himself and his constituents alone
whether he would vote and discharge
his duty.
He utterly denied the soundncss of
the proposition that the members were
solely responsible to themselves and
their constituents. That would have
done when Ii was held that the members
were ambassadors from the states. II
would not do In January. 1890 lie was
not here to legislate simply for himself
and his constituents. Ho was here to
lcgislate for the whole country, and the
whole country had the right to expect
Of him that hc be IN his place and per.
form his duty. The speaker had not
only discharged the duty which devolvcd
upon him in this matter. but one which
he could not avoid under his oath of
office, IL lao would.
A member on the democratic side sug.
gcsted that there was no rule for what
the republicans were attempting to do.
"Ycs, we have rule" Mr.. Butterworth
fctorted, ''and you have discovered Ii. -
Mr. Butterworih concluded; "The
right of the minority, which our fathers
provided for, was the right 10 amend, or
to do whatsoever they wished to perfect
legislation, but the sovereign will of the
people Is represented in the majority,
and until that riHht bo overthrown by
revolution, or otherwise, the decision OF
ing the rights of all the people of this
country"
THE APPEAL LAID on THE TABLE.
Mr.. Mckinley moved to lay on the
table the appeal from the speakers de.
cision. Shouts Of disapproval were heard
on the democratic side, but Mr.. Mckin.
ley persisted, and Mr. Springer moved
to adjourn. On rising vote the result
was announced: Ayes i2i, noes las.
Mr. Springer demanded the ayes and
noes with the result Of ayes 10, noes
l6l.
So tho house refused TO adjourn, and
the question recurrcd on the motion to
lay the appeal on the table, on which the
mandcd from the democratic side. The
clerk proceeded with the call no
democrat responding, and most
of them leaving thoir seats and
retiring TO the cloak rooms.
The speaker, however, followed the
roll call and noted down the names of
the democrats present and not voting.
Tho nnn-yoiing members were again
called, but still no democrats responded.
When the vote WIS completed tho
am h ArIaraI .slsrls 10 n..I a..
names OF the twenty-six democrats
present and declining TO vote. lie then
announced the vote Us iG2 ayes and none
in the negative, and declared the motion
tn lay the appeal ON the table carried.
Shouts of mo quorum and eXclama-
tions Of indignation arose from the
democratic side. but in the midst of the
tumult and uproar the speaker recog-
nized Mr.. Mckinley for u motion 10 ad-
journ, put IL and declared Il carried.
Before he left the chair, amid shouts of
Shame" from the excited democrats,
he paused long enough to give Mr..
Springer chance To say that he had de-
the ayes and noes. The speaker
said that lac had heard no request Tor the
ayes aud noes. but would recognize the
demand, and so sir. Springer had the
good satisfaction of having the ayes nnu
noes called, with the result of ayes, 1913;
noes, 81.
The house then adjourned until to-
THE RrPrBLicASs JUBiLASr
; The republicans are iubilant at their
success and the democrats correspond
Ingly depressed.
REED a sTAYER.
The Republicans Win the Great
Fight In tho House.