The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-10
FEBRUARY

in the quorum; If he keeps calling for the
yeas and nays or raising points of order. or
moving to adjourn for the evident purpose of
obstructing business, the Speaker is COM
manded to ignore him by the peremptory
rule. mo diatory motion shall be enter
tanned by the Speaker" The practice of
having long bills read for the purpose of
killing time, as was done by the filibuster in
the last Congress, already referred TO, win be
done away with by the rule recurring the
fling of new bills with the Speaker, to be by
him referred. The ARRANGEMENT In regard to
the morning hours is also changed so that a
bill cannot be killed by the easy expedient of
filibustering two hours.
These are the main points on which the
rules prepared by the Republicans will dis
courage the filibuster. 1t is not expected
that they will stop flibustering wholly. That
of course cannot be done without rules that
would violate the practices Of general paria-
mentary law and the principles of fair play.
But they will take away from the filibuster
the superior advantages which he has hith-
erto enjoyed for trigging the wheels.
Mr.. Carlisle and Mr.. Randall do not of
course, approve the rules Mr.. Carlisle Is
leading the minority, and of course wants to
block the majority in every way he can. Mr.
Randall has always believed that the major
ity should not rule any farther than the mi
nority might wish to consent. He is the
father of the filibuster and is proud of his
progeny. Mr.. Randall is too feeble to ap-
pear on the floor, but his place can be in
measure filled by Roger @. Mills, who con-
sders Filibuster Democratic god and him.
self as the prophet of that god
Rage In the South.
Speaker Reeds stand in the counting of a
quorum of Democrats refusing to answer the
call of yeas and nays has called forth the
most bitter and Incorporate, as we'll as ridic-
ulous TRADES from some of the Bourbon
papers of the South. The decision mpst
have stepped very hard upon some of their
plans. to judge of their language. For in
stance, the Charlotte Chronicle. published at
Charlotte, Virginia, indulges Ia the follow
ing abusive but laughable bombardment:
Mr.. Bynum knew the Southern character when
he said 1t would not DO for = Southern man to say
Reed Pray, why could1 Southerner? Are we
so afraid OF the yankee 1reeDoOter, and do we so
fear that he will again seek by tyranny to disrupt
wrong? Mr.. Bynum has had warrant in history
for his remarks, but they have never had sound
reason.
This country is threatened today by Tom Reed,
of Maine, and a lawless party who are seeking to
loot the Treasury The object is primarily power
selves upon this country by persistent usurpation
and heir hope is that the South is too cowed by
the last war, to prevent their Revolutionary and
dangerous purposes. Give the Speaker power to
count quorum and you unbar the doors OF the
federal treasury, and loose as dishonest set of
partisans as this country ever saw.
The abuse of Mr. Reed for counting a quo
rum attains its full measure of absurdity
when it is compared with the following Rule
SO of the Virginia House of Delegates, which
is now and has long been Democratic:
Upon division of the House on any question,
member who Is present and fails to vote shall on
the demaud if any other member, be counted on
the negative of a question and when the yeas and
nays are taken, sh Il IN addition be entered upon
the journal as present and not voting.