The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-02
what Reed's Usurpation Means.


The republican majority of the House has
won a disyraceful victory. but it Will prove
TO be a dea-Iy won victory. The demo
cratic minority succeeded in bring
ing out clearly the extent of
Speaker Reeds usurpation Of power and
the reason for wh.ca that power was
usurped. Those fac.s are befo e the country
and will have powerful influence in de-
terlnining the political character Of the
next House.
The struggle Of the minority for its rights
IS not yet over, however. The speaker will
have t. mase many more rulings of a d N
aging character before the object of the
Republican party is accomplished. And
what is that object: 1t is nothing less than
the unseating of seventeen democrats and
the seating OF seventeen republicans in
their places. so that the republicans may
have a sufficient majority 10 put through
the House the partisan bills by which they
hope to strengthen their party. One of
these bills provides for the
federal control of congressional
elections 1t is bill aimed at the south,
ana Il it should become a law returning
boards controlled by republicans
would be appointed, and they, in
stead Of the people. would choose
members Of congress. By means of such
boards the Republican party expects to
keep itself in power
The south has had sad experience with
returning boards, and knows what TO ex-
pect from them They are instruments of
wrong and oppression. They are the means
Of usurping powesr. Only recently, in
Montana, a republ can returning board re-
fused to count the votes of one precinct in
one county, and IN that way changed the
political complexion of the legislature, thus
defeating the will of the people If return
ing DO .rds are set up in the south majorities
will count for nothing. The returning
boards will decide tie elections. They will
choose the congressman and the presidential
electors. If the blacks don't vote these
boards will do just rs Speaker Reed has
done in the House. They will say that the
blacks ought to have voted, and they will
therefore give their votes the same effect
as if they mad beer cast.
Cannot anybody see what the result of
such condition of affairs viii bes The
scenes that have been witnessed in the
House during the last few days will be wit
messed wherever the returning boards
undertake to exercise arbitrary power, and
the states in which they will attempt to
exercise such power are those of the South
The south. therefore, if the republican
schemes are successful, will again
become the scene of politic al disturb
ances. and these disturbances will be
far greater than those from which
the south suffered during the carpet-bag
period. The struggle, therefore. in which
the minority is engaged is not only against
"a usurpation of power By the speaker, but
also against contemplated usurpation of
far greater consequence usurpation that,
if attempted, would be productive of the
grave5t results.
There are those wao think that when it
became apparent that Speaker Reed in
tended to usurp the power of falsifying the
Journal and counting quorum the demo
Gratis should have withdrawn from the
House in body, and thus defeated his pur-
pose. Such a course would nave been
mistake. To have Withdrawn would only
have defeated the speakers purpose for the
time being. The democrats did what they
ought to have done. They remained at
their post of duty and made the best fight
that it was possible to make Had they
withdrawn they would not have prevented
the usurpation. They would have only de-
layed it, and the country would not have
understood the issue as fully aud clearly as
they now understand it.