Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-03
LAW OF THE LAND. !"
Speaker Reed Declares Ills Ac-
tion Just and Why.
Carlisle Himself Has Furnished 4 Hun.
dred Precedents.
Bills he has Declared Passed When Votes
Didn't SHOW Quorum.
The Battle IN the House continues and
Weeks Hard Struggle Expected.

WAsHrSoros. Feb. Speaker Reed
today maze To q repfese entAtive of the As
sociated Press . statement concerning the
republican position III the present grea,
controversy: Mr.. Carlisle vas entirely
right when be said in substance that the
decision Of the House that a quorum WAS
constituted 70 do business " hen a ma si0rity
Of the House was present would change
from the foundation the method Of doing
business. II certainly will do 90, for IL
will enable the majority elected by the
people TO rule by their own votes and not
by the sgifrance of = minority. The rule
Of the msjority is at the very base OF our
government II 1t be not true rule our
faith Is in vain and we are yet in our sins.
Look At the practical working of the
doctrine. The republicans have ma jority
OF seven, but they have only three over a
quorum; los is our number. l65 is a
quorum. IL we are TO furnish quorum
with the whole democratic party sitting
idly by in their seats but not present, :"
dumb and silent when business is to be
transacted, but vocal when il is TO be OBJ
structed, then there can be but three re-
publicans absent on the penalty Of stop
page Of the publ C business. Now let US
see how that works. We are allowed but
three absentees. Rockwell is sick. 1t
would endanger his life to come. Wilbur
is in the same case. Mr.. T. W. Browne
is too sick to be there all the time. Cas-
wells wife was dying and common deceDcy
required his presence at her bed side.
Another me mber must be with his wife for
reasons s0mew hat similar. Just about this
number of members will at all times be
sick or incspacitated. These may get well
but others tail sick in their turn. There
then is our quorum. according to Carlisle's
idea, gone entirely to pieces, though even
after all the fraud be deducted the people
had found for the republicans by seven
majority.
All this time while we are keeping in the
house other men hardly less sick, l4O lusty
democrats sit silent In their seats doing no
public duty except to draw their pay. Is it
possible that the United States is paying
those gentlemen sl3 day without even
the privilege of counting their poor forms:
Carlisle says there is no precedent for the
decision of the House. | have seen and
heard him furnish hundreds A hundred
times have heard him declare that the
the humber for and against such bill was,
say 50 for aud 20 against, mathematicall
/. =. than a cuorum. and ve, d.clare ,h,
nill passed .rd ,hpn ugn tho h,ll ,he,ab,
cer,,tylug under the most solemn sanctiot
,f his oath of Office that tho bill had pron-
erly and consntutIonaiiy passed the House
How could he have dons tb,s ~ his d,c,,ine
no TIM. that ouorun ,,n.t vot.,
Understand ue; day after day Carlisle
in nv ur..ene. ba. II, cIar.d thst .urh hi
had vote. Tor and av,iu. nv hi. own conn,
As speaker less than quorum and ba. ~.
tmmrulul.i, declared II passen AID sigie,
thus furnishing the only pro- T the pres
ideut could have that 1t WAS la,sed How
could this be except on the pl uu gruunu
hat II IA quorum did not vote presence ui
a quorum Vas enough? Hut thi, matter
does not need argument In Carlsle's t.
Slaie, IN Gemocrauc Tennessee. IN demo
cratic New York, In democratic OHIO, H.
and IN courts every ~her.
as you msy see by But,.r.or,h', speech,
he doctrine jnst uph- d BY the House l.
he Law Of The l.nd-.nl it ought TO b. II
uod government IS mol to perish from th,
race OF the earth Nots ruting has been
uade IN The House to suppress bhou,tering
y inch has not fun sanction OF parliament
sry law. That men should resist uuL
shows how ipgralned wrolg course has
b. come no. nect sssry the remedy.
The House is tryi x u p. rform It's highes ST
func ,luus in dec ldu z the rlght OF = I'D. III