Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-03
REEDS PLAIN TALK.
The Speaker Goes in for a
Radical Change.
HIS OBJECT DISTINCTLY STATED.


sunerance the Purpose of the Repub-
Iicans-An Argument In Qualification
Secretary Blaine In Mourning Again
The Death of Mrs. Coppinger-Synopsis
OF the House Ingalls,
Heavy Maii-Offic nj Notes.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 3-Speaker Reed
last night made the following statement in
defense of his rulings on the question of
quorum:
''Mr. Carlisle was entirely right when he
said In substance that the decision of the
house that quorum was constituted to do
business when "A majority of the house was
present, would change from the foundation
the method of doing business. We certain
ly will do so, for it will enable the majority
elected by the people 10 rule by their own
votes, and not by the sufferance by the mi
nority. The rule of the majority is at the
very base of our government II &c be not
the rule our faith is vain aud ;ye are yet in
our sins
Review of the Old Method.
look at the practical working of the other
doctrine. The Republicans have a majority
OF seven, but they have only three over a
quorum-lGS is our number-l65 is quorum.
II we are to furnish a quorum the whole
Democratic party sitting idle in their seats,
but not present, dumb and silent when BUSH
ness is TO b. transacted, but vocal when il is
10 be INSTRUCTED, then there can be but three
Republicans absent on penalty of stoppage
of the public business.
The Way It Would Work
"Now let us see how that works. We are
allowed but three absentees. Mr. Rockwell
sick. II would endanger his life 10 come.
PR. WILDER is in the same case. Mr.. T. NJ
Browne is too sick TO be able TO be here all
the time. Mr.. CaSwells wife was diving and
common decency required his presence by
her bedside. Another member must be with
his wife for urgent reasons similar. Just
about this number of members will at all
times be sick in their turn. These NAV get
well, but Others fall sick in their turn.
There, then, is our quorum, according TO
MIR. Carlisle's idea, gone entirely to pieces,
though, even after all fraud be deducted,
the people had found for the Republicans by
seven majority
silent Members and Precedent.
"All this time, while we are keeping in
the house other men hardly less sick. l4O
lusty Democrats sit silent in their seats. do
ing no public duty, except to draw their
pay. Is it possible that the United States
Is paying these gentlemen S13 day without
even the poor privilege of counting their
silent formsi Mr.. Carlisle says there is no
precedent for the decision of the house. A
hundred times l have heard him declare that
the number for and against such bill was,
say eighty for and twenty against, mathe-
matically less than quorum and yet de-
clare the bill passed, and then sign the bill,
thereby certifying under the most solemn
sanction of his oath of office that the bill had
properly and constitutionaly passed the
house. How could he have done this if his
doctrine be true that quorum must voter
The Presence of a Quorum Sufficient.
understand me. Day after day Mr.. Car
Isle in my presence has declared that such
bill had votes for and against by his own
count as speaker less than quorum, and has
yet immediately declared it passed and has
signed t--thus furnishing the only proof the
president could have that il was passeI.
How could this be except on the plain
ground that if quorum did not vote, the
presence of quorum was enoughi But this
matter does not need argument In Mr..
Carlisle's own state, in Democratic Tennes-
see, in Democratic New York, in Democratic
Ohio, In Massachusetts, aud in the courts
everywhere as you may see by Mr. Butter
worth's speech, the doctrine just upheld by
the house is the law of the land And il
ought to be il good government is not to
perish from the face of the earth
Flibustering Not Parliamentary.
Not ruling has been made in the house
10 suppress filibustering which has not the
full sanction OF parliamentary law That
men should resist only shows how ingrained
the wrong course has become and how neces-
sary the remedy. What IS the house trying
to dos Why, to perform its highest function,
that of deciding the right of a member To his
seat Until lSS2 no man ever dared to fill
buster against such a case No man ought
20 BE- allowed To do IL to-day. Yet every day
three hours are wasted in approving the
journal when five minutes would be ample.
Those three hours belong TO the public bush
ness. The people do not understand that
evory wanton roll-call consumes three-duar-
tiers OF an hour
The Matter of Rules.
"Some of these men are talking about |
rules. They are now acting under a body of |
rules which the American people use in their |
assemblies "A body OF rules well known and |
understood by all those who are not wilfuIIy |
ignorant. When We first came here the OBJ |
'tructionists declared that they would die in
the last ditch against any rules they did not
approve Of and now thoy are waiting TO die
1t Thermopyle in defense of the liberties of
heir country because we don't force rules
IN them. II there could he fewer deaths at
and more business in the house
he country would he better of. Ii is true
hat the Democratic leaders, like Mr.. Car
isle, have long since ceased 10 participate in
he defiance Of good government, but they
hould now make themselves heard afflrma-
lively on the side Of order.
SENATOR INGALLS, MAIL.