Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-01-03
QUICK ACTION GOVERNMENT

Speaker Reed is chairman of the
house committee on rules and is devotine
some of his time in the holiday recess to
the consideration of the rules to be
adopted for the government of the pres.
ent house. The rules need modification.
AS they 10Y exist the majority does moi
rule, and it Is possible, in fact has been
customary, for a few obstructionists to
completely clog the Legislative wheels
Such a condition is dangerous as we'll as
expensive. This government is founded
upon majority rule and it should be car.
ried into the administration of all law.
making bodies. Mr.. Reeds purpose with
respect to this matter has been plainly
stated, and it is hardly too much to ex,
pect a change in the rules, the republic
a II having the necessary strength to
accomplish it. Before he was chosen
speaker Mr.. Reed publicly said:
The house will meet without rules and
must make them. They must be made by
the majority of the house, for no one else
S"A W any IOoSlDlIlt.l ludkC lllCIl. 10
suppose that the opposition will refuse to
90 their legislative duty until they can
dictate the rules is the widest dream of
parliamentary instruction that ever pre-.
scented itself to human vision. But whether
they venture on This action or not, the
whole subject needs the sunlight of public
opinion. IT the American people do not
get a congress such as they wish and legis-
latlon such as they need it is entirely their
own fault, | do not mean that they might
have elected better men and are therefore
to blame. They are at fault il they 40 not
see that the work is done after the men are
elected: Public opinion is the ultimate
governing power, and if the people were
thoroughly in earnest to prevent the waste
OF time and the injustice of delay involved
III bad rules and worse practices they
"onld ind that their servants would no
more defy them than they would Him who
put into their nostrils the breath of llfe.'
What is most needed now is quick
action government. 1t takes altogether
too long to get ever the most meritor-
1ous measures through congress or the
most deserving claims allowed at the
departments. Pension claims are held
up for years-not ~infrequently until after
the beneficiary party is dead. Righteous
appropriation bills are allowed to be-
come dusty and brown in the senate or
house pigeonholes, while the treasury is
full to overlooking and the vaults burst
ing with the surplus. The tariff needs
revision-higher duties on some things
and less on others are required; public
buildings for government use are wanted
IN many cities-which would prove of
great economy to the government; appro-
prlatlons for irrigation experiments look
ing to the reclamation of millions
OF acres of lands, are demanded by
the people; the coast defenses must
be improved; the navy improved; subsi-
dies given, that our merchant marine may
be built up; encouragement given to
trade with other North and South Ameri-
can republics and a more liberal policy
towards internal improvements. Let us
quit talking about civil service reform.
Give us a "quick-acting" government
and it will matter but little whether John
Smith or John Jones is postmaster. The
republicans now have the president, both
branches of congress, the supreme court
and the confidence and support of at
least one-half the people. Now let some
thing be done. If it is necessary to
change the rules of congress in order to
facilitate legislation, let the change be
49, TrJ
made. What is the use of sending rep
resentatives to Washington to introduce
bills for the success of which there is no
prospect because of the decentralization
office way of ~transacting the government
business. Thousands of just measures
die with the adjournment of each con-
gress for the simple reason that they
could not be reached "under the rules"
The best rule is majority rule.