The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-06

The Democrats whom he has thwarted
in their accustomed reactionary and OBJ
structive tactics have been prolific of cpl.
thets in denunciation of Speaker Reed. If
they are to be credited he is an Infamous
usurper. tyrant and despot. Having played
the changes upon all of these pet names.
they have pretty generally settled down
upon the title Of Gear" as most typical of
his alleged exercise of autocratic powers.
On many points there has been variable.
ness in Democratic utterances through
their newspaper organs, their party con.
ventions and the fulminations of their
orators Some lay heavy hand upon the
protective policy and some handle 1t in
gingerly manner. Some are liberal and
some are the reverse in their treatment of
the pension question. There are many
shadings of opinion in regard to silver and
the currency question. But from Maine to
Texas and from the Atlantic to the Pacific
there is an unvarying oneness of Demo-
cratic sentiment bitterly hostile to the
Speaker of the House.
They have repeated until they perhaps
will he has suppressed freedom Of debate
and OF individual opinion in one branch of
the federal congress. and that legislation
therein reflects nothing but his tyrannous
disposition. They have not ventured to
hint that he has sent any bourbons into
the exile which they perhaps deserve. nor
that he has subjected them to physical
torture. But all the same, "Czar" is the
only title that will at the same time fit his
practices and properly voice the kissing
quality of their Indignation.
Well. this despotic monster went up and
delivered an address to his old neighbors
and constituents the other night 1t must
be admitted that he did not talk much like
a Nero or Caligula. His remarSs were
mild and straightforward, and singularly
unlike what might have been expected
from the stern and relentless dictator that
has been pictured by his assailants. But
mild as were his remarks and gentle as
was his manner, those assailants were most
effectually crushed.
With a modesty foreign to Carbon he
disclaimed the credit which has been ac-
corded by his friends no less than the
blame which has been heaped upon him by
his enemies, all of whom have attributed
to him greater power than he possessed
or could have exercised had he been so
minded. He recalls what all should re-
member. as 1t is a patent fact of most
recent history, that for two months at the
beginning of this session the house over
which he presided proceeded without rules
through Difference TO the rights of minor
ity. This, although the leaders of that
minority had boldly proclaimed in ad-
vance their purpose TO use every possible
parliamentary expedient to block and pre-
vent any legislation to which they might
be opposed.
This tolerance of the Speaker and the
majority whose chosen servant he was
the minority responded TO by the
most fragrant abuse of their par
lamentary privileges. No alterna-
tive was left the majority except a cow
ardly surrender or the preparation of q
code of rules that would enable them TO
exercise their power and duty to enact
needed legislation. In the usual manner a
committee was appointed. a code OF rules
prepared. and these were duly adopted,
not by the sole will OF the Speaker, but by
the votes of a constitutional majority.
The Speaker. rs is his prerogatiye and
bounden duty. has enforced those rules.
No act has been passed which might not
hsve been defeated by the aid of q dozen