Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-03-14
THE DEMOCRATIC ADDRESS.
Carlisle's Review Of the
Situation.


the integrity of the future legislation,
that we consider it our duty to submit
a brief statement Of the facts in order
that the propriety Of the course We
have taken may be fairly determined.
"The House met on the I'd day of
December, 1889, and organized by
the election Of speaker and other Of
fcers. On the same day, by rcsolu
ton of the House, the speaker was
authorized to appoint committee on
rules, and the rules of the last preced-
ing House were referred to that COM
mittce. The committee consisting of
the speaker himself, and four other
members, was appointed on the 5th
day of December, and Oh the 9th it
made report authorizing the speaker
to appoint all the other committees
and defining their jurisdiction. The
committee on elections to which was
referred all cases involving the rights
of members to their seats, was ap-
pointed on the 9th day of December.
Although nearly two months have
elapsed since the committee on rules
was appointed, it has made no report
upon the matters referred to it except
the partial one made on Dec. 9, and
consequently the House has been COM
PEELED to conduct its business without
any rule or system, except the general
parliamentary law as construed by
the speaker. There has been no cal
endar, no order of business, no fixed
time to receive reports from COM
mittees or for consideration of bills or
resolutions, and in fact no regular
methods whatever in the proceedings
of the House.
"The American House of Repre-
sentatives has been during all this
time, and still is, so far as rules for its
government are concerned, in pre-
cisely the same condition as a popular
meeting or political convention, in
which the chairman and his partisans
absolutely control all the proceedings.
No measure can get before the House
for consideration unless the speaker
chooses to allow it presented, and
members have no means Of knowing
in advance what they are to be called
upon to discuss or decide. This is the
first time in our history that legisla-
tive assembly, Or even public meet
ing, has attempted to transact business
for any considerable period without q
regular code of rules prescribing the
order of its proceedings, and the in
convenience and injustice resulting
from such an attempt have been forci-
bly, illustrated in the present in
stance.
UsuRPED POWERS.
The speaker has repeatedly during
these extraordinary proceedings re-
fused to entertain parliamentary mo-
tions that have been recognized as
legitimate ever since the government
was established, and when attempts
have been made to appeal from his
decisions he has refused to submit the
question to the House. By his arbi
trary rulings, sustained in some in
stancies by less than a quorum, he has
subverted nearly every principle Of
constitutional and parliamentary law
heretofore recognized in the House.
"This personal and partisan domin-
alton of the House was submitted to
though not without repeated pro-
tests-until we became convinced that
it was the deliberate purpose of the
Speaker and his supporters to proceed,
without rules, to oust the Democratic
members whose seats are contested
and admit their Republican opponents
whether elected or not.
"On Wednesday, Jan. 20. the COM
mittee on elections called up con-
tested election case and the Demo
cratic members determined that in the
absence OF rules it should not be con-
sidered if they could prevent it by any
proper parliamentary proceeding. Ac-
cordingly they raised the question OF
consideration, demanded the yeas and
nays, and on the call of the roll re-
Trained from voting. The result was
less than q constitutional quorum
voted, but the speaker, in violation of
the uniform practice of the House for
more than a century, proceeded to
count members who were present,
but not voting, and declared that the
House had decided to take the case
up. From this decision an appeal was
taken, and ON q motion to lay this ap-
peal on the table the yeas and nays
were taken and less than a quorum
voted, but the speaker again counted
members not voting, and decided that
the motion was agreed to and his rul-
ing thereby sustained.
THE coNsTITUTION's MANDATE.
"The Constitution of the United
States provides that a majority of
each House shall constitute q quo
rum to do business; but a smaller
number may adjourn from day to day,
and may be authorized to compel the
attendance OF absent members in such
manner and under such penalties as
each House may provide Another
clause of the constitution requires
each Huasc to keep . journal of its
proceeding, and provides that when
one-fifth of the members present de-
sire it, the yeas and nays shall be