The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-02-06
PHn RHVoLUrloA INaUaUAApnD
IN OOnda nhs.

ara partlsan6, aud discuss the merits I
the parliamentary controversy, now n
Ing on In tho House OF liepTesentl
tiyeh, aa Gitizens and patriots,
Let uh aee II we cannot reach som
common ground OF agreement on th
questions involved, that will aid ua
arrive NJ u Just conclusion as 10 IA
right OF the question Ia issue,
First, who Ia tho Speaker OF IN
House or representatives, that b
should hold his individual viii aboY
all lRWY
He In not an officer elected by thl
people OF the UniJed Stateai but is sim
ply a member OF Congress, like thl
member from Columbus, or Canton,
lilo IL elected Speaker, simply anl
solely 70 preside over tho deliberations
OF The House, 10 enforce order, 10 do
clare tho result OF all official acts OF
that body, and 10 enforce the rules, m
adopted by the House.
Outside OF this there 10 nothing In
yOlYed In his position aH speaker,
lie IL the servant Of the House, aud
In no sense its master.
~ hhNH' PlNpunlhloln MN NAll bNlH
mlnly all agree without argument,
Ihe present hOuse0f Representatives
~ Republican by u small majority, but
that majority has seen no, for partisan
purposes alone, not ~ adopt any rules
Tor ltH own government, Hence The
speaker Ia operating Without rules,
The hepuDllehL majority are prOp0a'
ing 70 unheat some fifteen or sixteen
Democrats, who are holding duly Au'
thentlcated certificates OF election from
thelr respective constituencies, and who
have been sworn In 40 members Of Con-
greaa, Ia order 10 Oust these men from
their seats, the Republicans held u
secret caucus 10 decide on u course OF
action, Az that caucus the Speaker was
present, hnd u scheme was enacted by
which all these men are 10 be 6ummar-
lily voted out OF their seats, aud the Re,
publican cOnteBtOra seated In their
places and IN the absence OF rules the
speaker OF the House enters into con
aplracy with the majority tOylolate the
rules and traditions Of Congress for one
hundred years, and by the exercise OF
arbitrary power unseat q certain num-
ber OF Democrats, and seat In their
places an equal number OF Republicans,
who by all the forms Of law were not
elected,
This is the exact status.
What does Mr.. Reed and the Repub,
llcan majority sayY They defend their
conduct on the ground that certain
Democrats are present In the House
and not voting, aud that the Speaker
has q right 10 declare them present In
order 10 make a quorum.
While II Is true that these Democrats
are present, the Speaker Of the House
has no right 10 say when they shall
vote, no more than he has the right TO
say how they shall vote.
Here Is the giat Of the whole matter.
SO far as voting IN concerned, the Speak
or OF the Ilouge has no power whatever
over q member 10 say that he has, Is
u monslrouB doctrine. The right OF a
member 10 vote, or not 10 vote is q
right delegated by the people who
elected him, and 10 him alone. No
Speaker, orany other authority, has any
right TO control that vote.
When the Speaker OF the House of
Representatives orders the vote Of Mr.,
Breckenridge 10 be recorded when Mr..
Breckenridge declares he did not vote
the Speaker Is guilty Of usurpation
for which he ought TO be hurled from
his seat,
The voters Of Kentucky who elected
Mr., Breckenridge 10 Congress, dele.
gated no power TO any other person TO
cast n vote for them.
There are erc0nsderatl0ns equally
important and vital, which go 10 the
question OF the rights of n minority In all
representative governments. Parlia.
mentary law, from ts first inception,
over six centuries ago has always
recognized the rights Of the minority.
IL was the abs0lutsm OF King John,
which created the vigorous demand for
popular rights In England In the 18th
century and which eliminated In the
signing Of the great Magma ChaIta, on
the field Of Runnymede. From that
hour 10 this there has been q steady, but
sure growth OF the principle
of popular rights In all representative
governments of the English speaking
race, In this country our Magma
Charta 10 our written constitution, ard
we do not need TO depend upon tradi'
ti0n In order TO define the limits 10 the
authority Of our executive officers, At
the very organization of our legislative
system English parliamentary law was
recognized and adopted, and we have
added TO IL the experience and tradi.
ti0n Of hundred years Of Congress.
si0nal life, always deepening and broad.
ening the principle that the minority
have rights, TO be preserved and en-.
forced as sacredly as those of the
majority.
r. you doubt this, read the utterances
on the floor Of the House Of that grand
commoner John Quincy Adams, OF
Massachusetts,, President, U. s. Senator,
and for seventeen years u representa-.
tive in Congress, No grander charac
ter ever appeared In Congress, no pro.
founder student Of the constitution;
nor more able exponent OF the rights
of the minority In q parliamentary body.
1t Is unfortunate for this county TO.
day, that amid the entire body of 1877
Republican members of Congress, there
Is not found one man TO rise to the
occasion, and save the Republican party
from It's shameful prostitution to par.
tisan desperation, in outraging every
principle Of fair play, and perpetrating
outrages upon the minority unpar.
alelled in all our history Of desperate
parliamentary struggles.
This may seem like violent language,
but does not the case demand itY
We maintain that, in the absence Of
rules, the speaker has no right to cause
q record to be made that o member Of
Congress is present and participating
when the member is present and not
participating.
We claim there Is no power In any
parliamentary body, either through It's
Speaker, or by q majority of Its mem.
bers, TO compel a member to vote on
any proposition.
A member of Congress is responsible
rnr hio nll1niul lira m hia onnai iIuants