Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-02-22
An APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE.

conduct OF Speaker Reed, the Demo
cratic members OF Congress have is
sued an address 10 the people Of the
United States reeounting his lyfanni /
cal conduct OF which the following il
u paIt
Although nearly two rnonths have
elapsed since the Committee ON Rules
was appointed il has made no report
except partial one made on the 9Th
OF December, and consequently the
House has been compelled TO conduct
its business without any rules or sys-
tenn except general parliamentary law
construed by the Speaker. The Amer
lean House Of Representatives has
been during All this time, and still is
80 far as rules for its government aro
concerned, ia precisely the same con
dition as popular meeting or polit-
ieal convention ia which the chairman
aud lIis partisans absolutely control all
proceedings. No measure can get be
fote the House Tor consideration unless
the Speaker chooses TO allow It to be
presented, aud members have no
means of knowing in advance what
they are to be called upon to decide.
This i the first time ia our history
that Legislature, Assembly OF even
a public meeting has attempted To-
transact business for any considerable
period without regular code OF rules
that prescribed the order OF proceed
ing, and the Inconvenience and in
justice resulting from such an attempt
has been foroibly illustrated in the
present instance. This personal and
partisan domination Of the House was
submitted to, though not without re
peated protests, until We became con
WINGED that il was the deliberate pur
pose Of the Speaker and his support
ers to proceed without rules, Gus
Democratic members whose seats ar,
contested and admit their Republican
opponents. When on January % thu
committee on elections called up
contested election case, the Dem
ocratic members determined that il
the absence Of rules il should not b,
considered, if they could prevent i
10y any proper parliamentary proceed
ings. Accordingly they retired tn
question of consideration and de
manded the yeas and nays, and on tn
call oil the roll RETAINED from voting
The result was that less than q con
stitutional quorum voted, but tn
Speaker, in violation OF the uniform
practice OF the House for more thar
IA century, proceeded to count mem
hers who were present but not votini
and declared the house decided 4
take the ease up. soon after this dc
cision an appeal was taken and on
motion TO lay the appeal on the table
the yeas and nays were taken and les
than n quorum voted. But TN
Speaker again counted members nc
voting and decided the motion agree
10 and his ruling thereby sustained.
1.-THE Constitution of the Unite
States provides that majority {
each House shah constitute quorum
10 do business, hut smaller numbc
adjourn from day to day aad may b
authorized to compel the attendauc
OF absent members by such penalti,
rs each House may provide. AuothC
clause Of the constitution reqnir,
each House to keep a journal of j
proceedings and provides that who
nne-iifth Of the members desire it II
yeas and nays shall he taken on an
question and entered on the journa
"Since the beginning of the govern
mcnt under the constitution, MOI
Than hundred years age, the Hou:
of Representatives and the Sena
naNC uliitiIil9 NpuSiA'aNN tifN az
clause ci the constitution quot,
above 10 mean that majority OF q
The members elect must be prcsel
aud actually participate in the tral
suction of business; and that whe
ever upon the call Of the yeas al
nays, ii appears from the journ'
which is the only official record. TIA
less than constitutional quorum voi,
On any question, the vote was nj
lily and no further business could
done until the requisite number ~
peared and voted. To maintain ord
and IA secure certainty and stabilIi
in the administration of the law, it
rule in the Jurisprudence that whe
a particular construction Of the co
stitu,ion or statute has been for
long time acquiesced in, not only
those whose duty il is 10 execute
hut also by those whose personal ~
property rights are affected by it. II
courts win recognize il as the true co
slituiion. Even il this were a
original question il would not he diff
cult TO show that the practical co