The Washington critic., 1890-02-04
CARLISLE'S CRITICISMS.
DEMOCRATS QUITE SATISFIED WITH
THEIR LEADERS, STATEMENT.
But the Majority believe That the Pso-
pie win stand by the Party which
Seeks to Facilitate Business and
Prevent FIlibusterIng.

But the Majority believe That the Ps0-
pie VIII stand by the Party which
Seeks to Facilitate Business and
Prevent FiiibusterIng.
Ex-Speaker Carlisle's address to th9
country, published in the morning
papers, was the chief theme of conver'
sation on the floor of the House before
the hour of assembling this morning.
The Republican leaders generally Ie-
garded it as rather below the level uf
Mr.. Carlisle's powers of statement. 1t
lacks discernment, they said, an
avoided the point at issue. 1t deals in
special pleading and glittering general
ities. II simply quotes the practice of
Congress heretofore, they say, and re-
cites the rules and decisions under
those rules, and fails to go to the root
of the differences between the two
parties.
WHAT REPUBLTCANs SAY.
He does not, they insist, recognize
the fact that the question is not one of
parliamentary practice and precedent,
as they have obtained In the House In
the past, but Is constitutional Ques-
ttOns wv Out ID ulSIllbluS, luC lttDuU-
lican leaders say, that a constitutional
quorum is necessary TO the transaction
of business and the enactment of laws.
The point at issue is, What constitutes
constitutional quorum? The Repub-
hold another. Their differences can
not be decided, the Republicans in
sist, by quoting the rulings of former
Staalcro nv ion ol az CO rop Il, tl,n
past.
Jtmust be settled. they claim, In ac-
cordanoe with the plain intentions of
the Constitution and the dictates of
common. sense, These, they say, sus-
tain the rulings of Speaker Reed and
the action of the majority of the House
The Republicans profess their readi-
ness to go before the country on the is
sue as made up in the past five legis-
latiye days. They point to the fact
that their course and the Speaker $
rulings are in direct line with the prac-
tice of the State Legislatures in recent
times. regardless Of which political
party was in power. The people, they
say, will stand by the party which
seeks to facilitate business and prevent
filibustering. AS instances of this they
point to the filibustering indulged in
during the last Congress by Represcn.
tatives Oates, Bland and Weaver, who,
by dilatory tactics, tied up legislation
and paralyzed the House for days and
weeks. Under the new code of rules
which, they say, will be adopted in due
course, these practices will be either
prevented altogether or rendered pow.
erless for prolonged delay.
30 &c
and Representative Dorsey of NebraskG
were quite emphatic in their expires
sion of opinion and very decided in
their Endorsement Of the Speaker Mr.
Burrows said, with reference to Mr.
Cariisle's staten ent, that he thought i
was below what we had to come to ex
peel from the ex-Speaker. He thought
1t lacked in lucidity and strength and wa
too uch confined to special pleadings.
Mr.. Dorsey said that he was perfectly
confident the people would sustain the
Speaker and the majority, as they were
tired of fllibustering and the uneon
scionable waste of time which it en-
tailed.
DEMOCRATS PERFECTLY SATISFIED.
The Democrats, on the contrary, ap
pear to be perfectly satisfied with thei
leaders address. They claim that /
presents the question at issue in re
markably clear and strong light, ant
will strengthen them with the people
who, they insist, will sustain them IL
the fight they have made against tn
dangerous power seized by the majority
and the arbitrary rulings of the Speaker
as they term them. They regret Mr.
Jackson was not unseated by "visibl
quorum" instead of voting one, a
they are thus stopped from appealin,
to the Supreme Court, as they had in
tended, for judicial determination o
what makes a constitutional quorum.