Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-02-10

To SICKNESS anu the uudNOludUlG aU-
sence of half a dozen members. With
165 members necessary for a quorum,
and the liability of eight or ten mem
bers being sick at the same time, with
the exigencies that are always arising
in a body of $50 men to call them
away, it became a practical, pressing
question whether all legislation should
be defeated by the refusal of the
Democratic side to vote, or whether
an absurd, obstructive and destruct-
i've parliamentary practice should be
uprooted.
The hour had struck to test this
question and determine once for all
whether the majority or the minority
should control the House. 1t is true
that the practice of the House and
the opinions of eminent parliamenta-
rians, including Mr.. Blaine, sustained
the obstructionists. That, however,
did not render 1t incompetent for the
House to examine the question for
itself and settle it for itself.
The Constitution confers the power
on each branch of Congress to settle
its own rules of proceeding. Each
therefore is a law unto itself. The
Speaker had made up his mind to
rule, when the Democrats forced the
issue, that a member who is present
and refuses to vote is still factor in
the quorum. He is in attendance, ,"
and that is all the Constitution re-
quires. The Republicans were of
one mind with the Speaker and have
sustained him to q man. They will
continue to do so to the end. And
the end, let me here say, will be a
complete Republican victory, and the
firm establishment of the doctrine
that the majority shall control the
House. The Republican side knows
that the Democratic side is conscious
of the fatal weakness of its position
both in principle and in numbers.
Two or three things have redeemed
the contest from utter contempt and
will make it memorable. The cour-
age, GOODNESS and frmness of the
| Speaker have been worthy of all
| praise. Probably not another man
in a million could have passed the
ordeal so superbly-Bland's rant did
not disturb him; Springer's persist
ency did not shake him; Breckin-
ridges fists did not alarm him :;
| Byum's mud did not stick to him.
| The Speakers wit and brain and 300
avoirdupois proved more than match
for the entire Democratic side. "We
were almost ready to put the Speaker
out" said Democrat. They never
got over that "almost," and every
time they looked at the mountain of
| flesh and muscle in the Speakers
chair the word grew like Falsiaff's
men of Buckram.
The next redeeming feature of the
contest was Mr.. McKinley's speech
in support of the Republican position.
Mr.. Mckinley is an exceedingly mod
est man, as | have before remarked.
81 would have given a thousand dol
lars" he said to me afterwards, elf |
could have got rid Of making that
speech" AS he rose in the presence
of that magnificent audience he, too,
was calm and self-contained. It was
speech and presence not unworthy
of Edmund Burke himself. Although
given without notes the diction was
perfect and the logic impregnable.
The exposition of the constitutional
question was unanswerable while
the authorities cited brushed away
all doubts of the inherent soundness
of the Republican position. 1t was
a powerful speech and superbly de-
livered. An ovation greeted the ora
tor from the Republican side when he
concluded.
Mr.. Butterworths argument for
the Republicans was strong, racy,
brilliant. He sustained his reputa-
ton as the best man at repartee in
the house, and as a debater he stands
second to no one. Mr.. Butterworth's
speech was strong in argument as
well as entertaining. He was fire.
quently interrupted, but the inter
rupter always got well punished for
his temerity.
Mr.. Carlisle's speech was altogeth-
er the best on the Democratic side.
Aside from refusing to vote Mr.. Car
Isle has acted with moderation and
has more than once tried to check
the more hot-headen and reckless fl
ibusters.''
Marion Harland, editress of the
Home Maker, a valuable journal of
the home, has undertaken to raise
funds with which to complete mon
ument at the grave of Martha Wash
ington at Fredericksburgh, Va. The
monument was commenced in 1888,
but never completed and is now little
better than ruin. The patriotic
women of the country are appealed
to and will doubtless respond to the
call. Those sending 50 to the Home
Maker, 19 West 22d St., New York
city, will receive the journal one year,
and have IS cents given to the monu-
ment fund.
Keeping diary is not what it is cracked up to
be. Thirty days of accuracy about the limit of
the endurance; but DIR. Bulls Cough Syrup has
never yet disappointed any who has used it.