Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-05
To His Maine Constituents to lndorse
His Course as the Speaker
of the House.
THOSE CHANGES In THE RULES
Will Influence and Make NObler All of the
Legislation of the Next
Hundred Years.
THE NECESSITY FOR THE FORCE BILL.
Avery Seanty AllusOn to the MultitudinOus OratOry
Of the Senate.

PORTLAND, Me, September 4-Speake
Reed arrived here this evening and imme
diately proceeded to make the following
speech to his constituents:
Parties have their years of depression anC
their years of exaltation Just individual
have their moments of depression and of gooC
cheer Parties have periods when they dC
great work and periods when they seem to have
no other hope than the mere preservation Of
existence. Since 1874, when the Re
publican party first faltered in iii
great duty of preserving liberty ant
equality before the law for all citizens of the
United States, a Republican House of Repre-
sentatives has been rare. This has not been be
cause there is no longer Republican majority
but because by frauds too apparent to be de
MED, by ballot-box stuf1ng too notorious to be
disputed. % seats in the House have been
wrested from us under the open, defiant, dec
laraton that the Southern Democratic white
man shall not only rule the black man of the
South, but the white man of the North.
Two years ago, under the tremendous stress
caused by the battle set in array by the free
traders. the Republican party triumphed so
signally that even the cohorts of fraud were
routed, and. after few Intellectual struggles
TO count us out, we had the House by the small
majority of instead of our real majority of %.
THREATS OF THE MINORITY.
been resonant with the hopes and threats of the
minority with declarations that they we've to
rule in utter disregard of the will of the people
of the United States. At the very worst no
measure should pass which did not have the
sanction of their high approval. If any man
here thinks they reckoned without their host,
that they had no foundation on which to build
their hopes and their threats be knows little of
the deep laid schemes OF many years to render
the Republicans powerless whenever they
should get control.
For years rule has been piled upon rule and
decision upon decision to render legislation de-
pendent upon The sutferance of the minority.
FlHbusterinE lurked in every line. The power
of obstruction was without limit. You will ask
why those who most of the time had the ma
lcrty should so strengthen the minority. If
you Will consider the nature of the two parties
Tie cause cannot escape you. The Democratic
party wants no legislation. 1t is not charged
with the progress of the world All the
Southern men who control the party want or
ask for is to be left alone. When the Repub-
lican party comes into power it has work to do
If that action can be prevented what more
should the Southern Democracy desire? Hence
all their plans whether in power or out of
power, are centered in obstruction.
Now the House of Representatives is not a
body quick TO 60 business under any set of
rules. Its large numbers and the diverse inter
Csts they represent will always make it slow
ard cumbersome But system which enabled
one member to hold the whole House at bay
until the going down OF the sun, and then to
hold it until physical exhaustion set it free
and one-fiith to hold it forever was evidently
system which rendered elections useless and
called a halt to civilization itself.
ONE VIEW OF THE SITUATION.
OF what use was it to summon into the field
an army Of orators to explain the questions of
party policy? OF what use was 1t that the great
thronC of journals set themselves to explain 20
the people the needs of the hour? OF what use
was an election itself, that grand elimination
OF the power OF the citizen, if after ALL nothing
could be done without the sanction of the
beaten party? What statesmen could there be
SO tooHsh as to battle for power with response
bility when he could have the same with
out responsibility? What kind of a blind
is that to go into where the victim will be
victorious and the conQueTor poweTlesSP Saws
the KORAN: ''Dust thou think, o man. that we
created the heavens and the earth in jest?'
Are elections farce, and is Government by
the people 4 jugglc? Do we marshal our tens
of millions to the polls for sport? If there be
anything in popular government it means that
whenever the people have elected one party to
take control of the House or the Senate that
party shall have both the power and the re-
sponsibility. If that is not the effect what is
the use Of the election?
1t was with tar other ideas of public duty
tnat the minority met US at the opening of the
session. Not only were no measures to pass
which did not have their approval, but no rules
even OF procedure were to be permitted except
those which seemed suitable to the beaten
parry. So we began life without any rules
The Constitution says: The House NAV de-
termlne the rules of its procedure" ard does
not say that II must Alter two months time
the opposition found that under the narlia-
mentary law which had been built up by the
American people in cOnsOnance with their in
sttuuons, che public business was going on
every day without their consent and they be-
gan TO clamor for the very rules they had de-
noupced.
THE SCENES OF DISORDER
need not describe to you the scenes of dis.
order which were preliminary to the establish
mont of sound business principles in the House
II is enough to say that the good work was
done and the House of Representatives has
taken a large stride toward business and the
performance of Guty. VIII You. my old friends
and neighbors. permit me just one word which
Is purely personal Any time these last eight
months have been the subject of much indis-
crlminate praise and much mdiscriminate blame
Iheone is Just as much deceived as the other
Great events do not turn npon one man. The
House OF Representatives, was ready and ripe
for change and the people stood ready to ap-
prove. What all the world wanted was easy 10
do. am not greatly proud to be Speaker of
the House. but am proud with all my heart
10 be Que Of that magnificent majority of the
House of Repres enlalives OF the Fittv-first
Congress, which for nine long months has
never for one moment faltered in its DUTY
When We cleared the deck for action there
was plenty of work to do, and we have done 1t
10 the full measure of satisfaction. We have
achieved ali thai the Republican party prom
lsed and more. Most platforms are but glitter
ing generalities, good enough for the campaign,
but our last platform has been treated by the
House of Representatives like deed of trust.
We promised the people that the tariff should
have fair and exhaustive treatment. that the
principle OF protection should have full recog-
milton. and in these important bills we have
kept the promise TO the hope.
KEEPING THE PROMISE.
By the administrative bill wise and discrim-
mating effort has been made to secure to our
60,
benefit of the rates of duty imposed bylaw. By
virtue of that bill we hope We have made yalua.
tions and duties alike in all ports.
Two years ago the Democracy in the House
admitted that owing to the change in the
methods of manufacturers the whole woolep
industry was tottering to a fall unless woolens
and worsteds were put upon a footing of
equality. Nevertheless, for the purpose of
adding to the votes of the Mills bill they sacri-
feed the wool industry, which needed immedi-
ate attention. Without delay and without
waiting to strengthen their own tariff hill nv
the support of the worsted men, Major Nc.
KinleY and Governor Dingley pushed through
the measure of justice which has rescued SO
many Of our woolen mills from disaster and
ruin.
But these bills, useful as they are. were but
the forerunneTs of that tariff BILL over which
the Senators are now pouring the multitude
nous waves OF oratory. The Mckinley bill was
not made in the closet, and was not the product
of one man who tried to know everything II
any tariff bill was ever the result of the beliefs
of the whole people of the United States the
Mckinley bill was that bill. Another great
achievement of the House of Representatives
is the silver bill. 1t was necessary to provide
such increase of currency would supply the
loss of circulation of national banks such in
crease. too, as would provide growing people
the money they need for more prosperous busi-
ness. The mining camps, the great pioneers of
civilization in the far West, deserved also all |
the encouragement they could have consistent |
with sound currency and genuine bi-metalism. |
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