New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-06
HONOR TO THE HOUSE.

HONOR ~ me HOtNE'
Discipline and leadership have their reward.
The Republicans of the House have accom-
pliShed magnificent work, which it was hardly
believed they could possibly accomplish within
a single session. Fraud in a score of districts
had made the majority so scanty that at the
outset il was questioned whether it could hold
the quorum necessary for the passage OF any
disputed BILL Democrats of large experience
publicly boosted that they were organized to
flibuster a year if necessary but that frauds
in returns should not be righted, and no 1arhi
bill or Election bill should be passed. These
threats helped Republican discipline Leaders OF
Sagacity and power were selected, MI Kecd Ill
the chair, Mr. Mckinley on the floor and others
for important committees. Six months OF work
have given the country complete and long
needed reform of the rules, SO that the tyranny
of the minority no longer exists, and the ma
iority intrusted by the people with response
bility can perform IFS duties just decisions as
to a number of contested seats, so that the
men actually chosen by the people are now
making the laws the bravest and most states
manike Tariff bill ever passed by the House;
Silver bill which would expand the currency
largely and vet with safety; and, finally. the
in spite of a minority at once foolish and
frantic.
No such work had been done by any other
legislative body for many years. The modern
collapse of parliamentary methods has MADE
lawmaking we'll nigh impossible in Great bnt-
ain or France but the American House has
solved the seemingly inSoluble problem by
few changes of the rules. Men made shame
less by partisan frenzy talk of dictatorship, but
the fact is plain To all that the new rules give
absolutely no power 10 the Speaker unless he
is sustained by a majority in the House. With
q splendid discipline for which nothing but
high patriotic purpose can account Republican
REPRESENTATIVES have sustained their leaders
in all these measures, even though some OF
them have had the strongest possible motives
for desiring different action from that upon
which the majority decided. Every Republican
supported the change in the rules every ne
publican but one in the House supported the
Tariff bill. every Republican but seven sup
ported the Silver bill. and ont of hundred ana
seventy-thrce Republican members OF the House
only two voted against the Election bill. These
votes proved not only the discipline OF the Re
publicans, but the fact that sagacous leadership
!
iority of the House was prepared to support
Large legislative bodies usually hard 10
manage But in the Senate only one OF these
great measures has been touched, and on that.
one minority of Republicans joined with the
Democrats for free silver coinage. The larhl
bill waits, and the Election bill has still to be
considered, and yet the Senate has not SO re-
! formed its methods that the majority has any
| power to control business or to reach vote on
anv question. But the same wise leadership
and patriotic feeling in the Senate may yet
enable that body TO share with the House The
honor of the most useful session on record, and
secure final action on all these great measures
in accord with the earnest wishes OF the Re
| publican party.
If is interesting TO observe how labOri0uSy
the opponents of the Republican policy have
cheated themselves by false reports about Inc
wishes Of Republican members AT the outset
il was solemnly predicted that there were a
great many Republicans who would never suS-
tain " Speaker Reeds revolutionary rules" but
| every one of them voted for the rules afOrc-
said Then for months there were printed al
most daily in Free-Trade papers accounts OF
| many Republicans who would never support the
Mckinley bill, but the "many" dwindled TO
one. 1t was the open boast of the frce-coinage
men in the House that they would beat the
Silver bin of the Republican caucus. But
they have tried twice and failed. Down to The
very close of the voting selicheatcd Democrats
reckoned upon the support of score or more
Republicans in defeating the Election bill, and
they are raging about their disappointment
still. Next. the same stories arc told about
the action of Republicans in the Senate, and
by Democrats and Free Traders are generally
believed. But the Republicans OF the Nation
do not expect to have cause for indignation Ill
the conduct of those to whom they have IN
trusted the grave responsibility and high honor
Of the Scnatorship. Probably Democratic re-
ports only mean more Democratic self-decep-
ton.