Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-02-13

Stripped OF all di>guses, the question
involved N the rulings OF Speaker Reed
on the point, of a quorum aud dilatnry
IN tion-, i simply Whether the majority
shall rule in Congrr-. and IN the country.
Within few years the minority lu The
National House have adopted the almost
unprecedented and revolutionary tactics of
preventing the majority from coming 70
vote Oh any proposition, and therefore
defeating it by making motions 10 adjourn,
to take recess, and ID Il the Time Of adj
jnurumrnt one after the other, or when
these were not available, by refusing TO
vote and then making thr point that no
quorum had voted So far has this revO-
lutiouarN course been carried, that al the
beginning of this session of Congress, the
southern leaders of the democratic minor
ity made no conccallucnt of their purpose
to prevent hs such ulIDusterlng means the
republican majority from doing anything
which the minority do not desire to have
done.
Confronted with this revolutionary pur-
pose Of the minority, the republican lead
Ell, in the House addressed themselves on
the assembling of Congress to detls-
ing means Of checkmating il, and car
rSlng out the fundamental idea Of our
system Of governmrnt,viz The rule OF the
majority Ina>much az the old rule of the
House recognized the tnree motions refer
red to as always in order, and thus armed
minority Ttyolutioni>t- with The means Of
def Siug the majority. IL became necessary
that the House should not adopt the usual
method Of adopting these rules until other
wise ordered-bccau>e this would render
il Impossible to amend them-but should
do it, business under common paTllamen-
tary law, tas most popular assemblage>
du) until new code of rules could be
framed and adopted.
The framing of code o I rules which
would give the majority the right TO do
business, and at the same time preserve TO
the minority all the rights that belong TO
= minority, viz. the opportunity for rea-
Sonable debate aud to offer amendments,
ha> nrce-,arii, taken some time, but there
has been 10 delay beyond "hat The situa-
iion has demanded Aud there will be no
delay in repairing the proposed rules to
the House and securing action on these be-
yund v hat the situation requires.
Finding that the majority of the House
were determined To temporarily do bust
ness under general parliamentary law,
which does not admit Of dllat"ry motions
to stop business. the Democratic minority
at once re.orted to the expedlent OF sitting
in their SEATS aud refusing Ia vote, so as
To leave the Republican majority (reduced
by sickness of Republicans to three less
than a quorum of 1867 without quorum
of their own, and then making the point
that no quorum had yoted-thu> actually
dcpriving the majority Of the right 10 act
on the right of member TO a seat. and
stopping all business, even the adoption of
rules Ia stop hiibustrring If it should be
held that ia order To make a quorum the
presence Of a sufficient number Is insult
ficent unless they vote.
With this issue before him, Speaker
Reed has ruled, and the House on appeal
has sustained the ruling, that the presence
of the constitutional members makes q
quorum, and has consequently announced
quorum present by counting four or
mole Democratic members present and not
voting in addition to the l6l Republicans
who have voted. And over this decision
one absolutely essential to enable the
majority to adopt rules to determine the
right to seats in the House, and to thwart
the revolutionary course of the Democrat
ic minority-the House and the country
have been stirred to 4 degree not seen for
many years.-LetcistOn Journal.