Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-02-03
sPEAKnn REEDS cAnD.


He Defends HIS Position ana Explains
she Point Made by mr.. Carlisle.
WASHINGTON, D. o., February 2.-Speaker
Reed made to day to representative Of the
Associated Press the following statement
concerning the Republican position in the
present great controversy:
"Mr. Carlisle was entirely right when he
said, in substance, that the decision of the
House that quorum WAS constituted to do
business when q majority Of the House was
present would change from the foundation
the method of doing business. It certainly
will do so, for It will enable the majority
elected ky the people to rule by their own
votes, and not by the suferancs of the
minority.
...s :. as Of the :. the h,
our faith il in vain and We are yet in our
sins. Look at the practical working of the
other doctrine. The Republicans have
majority of seven, but they have only three
over q quorum; 1913 Is our number, 1856 is
quorum. five are to furnish quorum the
whole Democratic party citing idly by in
their seats but mot present. dumb and
silent when business ID to be transacted. but
vocal whom it is to be obstluoted, then there
can be but three Republicans absent on pom
atty of stoppage Of the public business. Now
let Us see how that works. We are allowed
but three absentees. Mr.. Rockwell is sick; 1t
would endan1er his life to come. Mr.. Will
bur il In the same case. Mr.. T. w. Browne
is too sick to be able to be here all the time.
Mr.. Csswell's wife was dying and common
decsncy required his presence by her bedside.
Another member must be with his wife for
reasons somewhat similar.
st.Tnak nhout this number of members will
at all times be sick or incapacitated. These
may get well, but others fall sick In their
turn. There then is our quorum, according
to Mr.. Carlisle's idea, gone entirely to pieces,
though even after all 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 40 lusty Democrats sit silent in their
seats doing no public duty except to draw
DIS it possible that the United States is
paying those gentlemen $13 day without
even the poor privilege of counting their
silent formal
.'Mr. Carlisle says there is no precedent
for the decision of the House. I have per-
dred. A hundred times I have heard him
declare that the number for and against such
bill was, say, 80 for and 20 against, math-
ematieally less than quorum, and yet
declare that bill passed and then sign that
bill, thereby certifying under the most col
emn sanction of his oath of Office that the
bill had properly and constitutionally
passed the House. How could he have done
this if his doctrine be true that a quorum
must votea Understand me. Day after day
Mr.. Carlisle, In my presence, hes declared
that such bill had votes for and against by
his own count es Speaker less than quorum
and was yet Immediately declared passed
and has signed it-thus furnishing the only
pre- of the president could have that it was
passed. How could this be except on the
plain ground that if a quorum did not vote
the presence of q quorum was enoughs
"But this matter does not need argument.
In Mr.. Carlisle's own state, IN Democratic
Tennessee, in Democratic New York, In
Democratic Ohio, in Massachusetts and in
the courts everywhere as you may see by
Mr.. Butterworth's speech the doctrine just
and 1t ought to be, If good government is
not to perish from the face of the earth. Not
ruling has been made in the House to sup
press fllibustsring which mas not the full
sanction of parliamentary law. That men
should resist only shows how insrained the
wrong course hes become and how necessary
the remedy.
"What is the House trying to dot Why,
to perform its highest function, that of de.
Gliding the right Of q member to his seat.
Until 1882 no man ever dared to flibuster
against such case. No man ought to be
allowed to do 1t to. day. Yet every day three
hours are wasted in approving the journal
when Eve minutes would be ample. These
three hours belong to the public business.
The people do not understand that every
wanton roll call consumes three quarters Of
an hour.
"Some of these men are talking about
rules. They are now acting under body Of
rules which the American people use in their
assemblies, q body of rules we'll N and
understood by all those not wilfully ignor.
ant.
"When we fist came here the obstruction
lists declared that they would die in the last
| ditch against any r1les they did not approve
| and now they are wanting to die at Their.
mopyl~ in defence Of the liberties Of thei,
country because we do not force rules or
them. If there could be fewer deaths a
Thermopylse and more business in the nous.
| the country would be better off.
| SIT il truo that the Democratic leaders
like Mr.. Carlisle, have long since ceased t
| participate In the defiance of good govern
ment, but they should now mako themselves
heard afirmatively on the side of order"