The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-02-27
THE RULES ARE GOOD,
Hereafter the Majority Will Not BE Go,
erned by the Minority.

Hereafter the Majority VIII Not BE Gov
erned by the Minority.
The House committee on rules has
made its report, after a long waiting,
due to courtesy to the dilatory Demo
Gratis constituting the minority of the
committee. True to their policy of de-
lay, the Democratic caucus resolved to
ask for ''more time to consider what
they will do about the code of rules. 1t
is fully in evidence that they do not
propose to allow any business to he done
by the House in which party questions
are involved if they can prevent it.
Fortunately, the new rules, which will
be adopted in s,ite of any opposition the
Democratic members may make, put it
out OF the power OF the minority to de-
lay legislation by purely dilatory par
liamentary tactics. The more impor-
tant changes made over the old rules
are as follows:
The Speaker will not be expected to entertain
dilatory notions the Speaker TO decide what is
dilatory.
Providing for ascertaining whether there is q
quorum present when the vote does not show
one. This rule authorizes the Speaker to count
members present but not voting In making up
n quorum; it provides that the clerk, under the
direction OF the Speaker, shall note the names
Of members not voting, and hand the list to the
Speaker to be rcad.
The elimination Of motions to take a recess
or adjourn over to n day set.
When any proposition is under consideration
not more than one motion to adjourn will be nj.
lowed.
Fixing n quorum in the committee Of the
whole at 100 instead O. las, us at present.
All public bills are TO be handed to the Speak,
er and by him referred under the rules, and not
TO be offered in the open House, as has hereto.
fore been the custom. By this rule bills may
be introduced at any time.
The House calendar Is to be dispensed with
and all bills will go either to the private calen-
dar or TO q union cnlendar-thnt IL, the com.
mittee OF the whole on the state OF the union
calendar.
House bills ameaded by the Senate to be
taken up at once upon being returned to the
House. The ommitt OF the whole has the
right TO close debate on any paragraph or
amendment thereto without reporting to the
House.
The old morning hour is to be restored rer the
consideration OF bills reported by the commit
tees. AT the close OF sixty minutes, II the mat.
Ter Is unSisposed OF, q motion may be mhde to
go into committee Of the whole to take up o
given measure, to which an amendment shall
oe In order-that is, substituting some other
~bill-which motion, II lost, the morning hour
continues until the subject matteri is concluded,
without regard to the time consumed.
Every body must admit that the
changes which put 1t in the power of
the majority to avoid the waste OF time
by n factious minority, through all
sorts of dilatory parliamentary tactics,
Is an improvement. Especially is the
new rule 20 be commended which counts
every rIeplber who is in the House as
present, whether he sees fit to vote or
not. To say that a man is to be consid-
cred as absent because, for partisan rea-
sons, he refuses to vote. is simply an
'hsurdity. The sober common sense Of