Evening journal., 1890-02-03
THE sPEAKERs sTATEMENT.

MIR. Reed Issues n Gard Defending His
Recent Action.
WASHINGTON, Feb 3.--Speaker Reed has
made the following statement In defense Of
his rulings on the question of quorum:
''Mr. Carlisle was entirely right when he
said in substance that the decision OF the
house that quorum was constituted to do
business when a majority Of the house was
present, would change from the foundation
the method OF doing business. We certainly
will do so, for It will enable the majority
elected by the people to rule by their own
votes, and not by the sufferance Of the
minority. The rule Of the majority is at
the very base Of our government II it be
not the true rule our faith il vain and we
are yet in our sins. Look at the practical
working Of the other doctrine The Repub-
licans have a majority Of seven, but they
have only three over a suorum-lGs is our
number-l65 is a quorum. If we are TO
furnish quorum, the whole Democratic
party sitting idly by in their seats, but not
present, dumb and silent when business Is
10 be transacted, but vocal when it is to be
obstructed, then there can be but three Re
publicans absent on penalty of stoppage Of
the public business.
''Now let us see how that works We are
allowed but three absentees Mr. Rockwell
is sick II would endanger his life 10 come.
Mr.. Wilber is in the same case. Mr.. T. NJ
Browne is too sick TO be able TO be here all
the time Mr.. Caswellis wife was dying.
and common decency requires his presence
by her bedside. Another member must be
with his wife for urgent reasons somewhat
similar. just about this number Of mem
bers will at all times be sick or incapacitated.
| These may get well, but others fall sick in
their turn There, then, is our quorum, ac-
cording to Mr. Carlisles idea, gone entirely
| to pieces, though even after all fraud be de
Quoted the people had found for the Repub-
licans by seven majority. All this time,
while we are keeping in the house other men
hardly less sick, a hundred and forty lusty
Democrats sit silent in their seats doing nc
public duty except to draw their pay.
SIS it possible that the United States is
paying those gentlemen Si3 day without
even the poor privilege Of counting their
silent formsi Mr.. Carlisle says there is nc
precedent for the decision Of the house.
"a hundred times have heard him de.
clare that the number for and against such
bill was, say 50 for and 20 against, mathe.
| matically less than a quorum, and yet de
|
thereby certifying under the most solemn
sanction of his oath Of Office that the bill
had properly and constitutionally passed
the house. How could he have done this Il
his doctrine be true that a quorum must
votel Understand me. Day after day Mr.
Carlisle in my presence has declared that
such a bill had votes for and against, by
his own count as speaker, less than quo
rum, and has yet Immediately declared Il
passed, and has signed it-thus furnishing
the only proof the president could have that
IL was passed How could this be, except
on the plain ground that il a quorum die
not vote, the presence of a quorum wal
enoughl But this matter does not need ar
gument. In Mr.. Carlisle's own state, il
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 doc
trine just upheld by the house is the law O
the land. And it ought to be, il good gov
ernment is not TO perish from the face o
the earth.
''Not ruling has been made in the hous
to suppress filibustering which has not tn
full sanction of parliamentary law. Tha
men should resist only shows how ingraine'
the wrong course has become aud how neces
sary. What is the house trying to dol Why
J to perform its highest function-that Of de
Gliding the right Of a member TO his seat
Until 1882 no man ever dared to filibuste
against such a case No man ought to
, allowed to do it today. Yet every day thre
! hours are wasted in approving the journs
, when five minutes would be ample Thes
three hours belong to the public business
! The people do not understand that ever
s wanton roll call consumes three-quarters 0
0 an hour. Some Of these men are talkin
about rules They are now acting under
4 body Of rules which the American peopl
: use in their assemblies-a body Of rules we
known and understood by all those who ar
not willfully ignorant
|. "When we first came here the obstruction
v lists declared that they would die in the las
I ditch against any rules they did not approx
q Of. and now they are waiting to die q
q Thermopyla in defense of the liberties {
/ their country because we don't force rul,
r on them. If there could be fewer deaths
> Thermopyle and more business in the hous
!. the country would be better off. IL is tru
I that the Democratic leaders, like Mr.. Ca
Isle, have long since ceased to participai
g in the defiance Of good government, bI
= they should now make themselves hear
E aisirmatiyelg on The side Of ORDER