Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-31
BUrrERwoRrH's SPEECH.

desDoLic sway Of single man, whom the ma
iority in power had placed in the chair OF tne
House of Representatives. lApplause On sne
Democratic side.
BUTTERwORTH'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Butterworth, of Ohio, said that this
Question went to the power of the majority to
rnIe in this country. Members determine to-
day whether the Constitution contained in
itself the element of suicide. This was gov
ernment OF the people. Expressed in another
Way il was the government OF the majority
The majority must exercise that authority In
Hesitation and government which was in keep
ing with the furtherance of the provisions OF
the Constitution. The majority of the House
must 90 that 1t had been argued that it was
for member to answer to himself and to his
constituents alone whether ne would vote and
discharge his DUTY here or not. He utterly
denied the soundness Of that proposition.
That would have done when it was held that
members were ambassadors from the States;
it would not do in January, 1880
| TApplause on the Republican side.]
| He was not here to legislate
simply for himself and for his constituents
He was here to legislate for the whole country,
| and the whole country had the right to exact
| of him that he be in his place and perform his
| duty, and for this reason the Constitution pro-
| yided that those who were present might bring
! the absentees into the chamber-not to serve
their constituents, but to all the people of
| the country, whose servants they were [Ap-
thar members must be not only present, but
matchmaking. He was of the opinion that the
gentlemen were participating yesterday; II
| they were not, what were they doing? What
| did they mean by participating? Silence was
| eloquent. Their silence, if 1t had been the
| last day of this session and the army appropri-
alton bill had been pending, would have been
more eloquent to the people than their COM
| bined voices.
MIGHT BLOCK BUSINESS.
Suppose, said the speaker, the minority
should decide that they would not participate,
and refuse to vote for general appropriation
bill. What would be the effect of their action?
| Under the Constitution the Government could
not use a penny, though the wheels of Govern
ment stood still in the presence of an unex-
ampled and unqualified surplus and overtaxed
people. Gentlemen on the other side sat here,
| in the flesh and body present. He saw them
| nav the country saw them-and yet, the coun-
| try might starve to death by their inaction.
| Was that revolutionary or not? If that was
not revolutionary, would the gentlemen point
him to method and instrumentality that would
| put its fingers more definitely with death grip
| on the throat of the country? The
| Speaker might as well sit down on his
legal friend from Alabama, and say;
II am not participating" The under lndl-
| yidual would have the liVeliest appreciation OF
the tact that he was not actively participating,
though he might be as silent as milestone.
[Laughter.l The idea OF members not partlcl,
| patlng when they were sitting in their chairs
drawing from SO to Sl2 day! [Laughter.l He
insisted that by every rule of common sense
the members were participating. Laughter
| '"They also serve who only stand and wait
ILaughter.J If gentlemen on the other side
| might say what measure they would not CON
slider they might also say what measure they
| would consider. The Speaker had not only
discharged the duty which devolved upon him
| in this matter, but one which he could moi
avoid under his oath of Office If he would.
THE RULE FOR IT.
A member on the Democratic side suggested
that there was no rule for what the Republi
cans we're attempting to do.
"Yes we have rule" Mr.. Butterworth re
torted land you have discovered it" [Shout
of applause on the Republican side that wert
taken up and repeated in the galleries.l
The Speaker interposed, saying: "APplaust
| on the floor is not entirely suitable, but ap
plause in the galleries is entirely unsuitable
| and must be stopped"
Nr Butterworth concluded as follows: "Tht
right of the minority, which the fathers pro
yided for was the right to amend, or to d'
whatsoever they wished to perfect Legislation
But the sovereign will of the people is repre-
sented in the majority, and until that righ
wise, the decision of the Speaker must be up
held as vindicatlng the rights of all the peoDl
of this country" [Applause.l
Mr.. Mckinley moved to lay on the table S,.1 I'M y
disapproval were heard on the Democratl
side, but Mr.. Mckinley persisted in his motion
and Mr.. Springer moved that the House ad
iourn. On q rising vote the result was an
nOunced as, ayes 124 noes l49
Mr.. Springer demanded the yeas and nays
and when they were called the result was an
refused TO adjourn, and the question recurre'
on the motion to lay the appeal on the table, OF
which question the yeas and nays were de
manded from the Democratic side.
i THE SAME OLD STORY.
4 The clerk proceeded with the call, no Demo
crat responding, and most of them leaving
their seats and retiring to the cloak rooms
The Speaker, however, followed the roll-call
and noted down the names of Democrat
present but not voting. The non-voting mem
pers were again called (as is the custom), bu
still no Democrats responded. When the Vot
was completed the Speaker took the returl
from the tally clerk and said: "The clerk vii
record the following names of members presen
and declining to vote" and he read out tn
names of Bland, Brickner, Carlisle, Clarke. o
Alabama; Crisp, Culbertson, of Texas: Enloe
Flower, Gelssenheimer, Goodnight, Herbert
Holman. Lane, tanham. Mansgr' ; si McAdoo
| Stewart, of Georgia; Stone. OF Kentucky; Ill
man, Turner, Of Georgia, and Wheeler, OF Ala
bama. He then announced the vote as 162 yea
J and none in the negative and declared that tn
motion to lay the appeal on the table wa
carried.
clamations of indignation on the Democrat
side but in the midst of the tumult and uI
roar the Speaker recognized Mr.. Mckinley 70
motion to adjourn; put it, and declared
carried; but before he left the chair (ami'
shouts of "Shame" from the excited Demo
crats), he paused long enough to give MI
Springer a chance to say that he had demands
the yeas and nays. The speaker said he ha
heard no request for the yeas and nays, but
the gentleman from Illinois said that he ros
in his place and called for them, the Speake
would recognize the demand. And so MI
Springer had the poor satisfaction OF havin
the yeas and nays called-yeas l94, nays s.
And SO the House adjourned until tomorrow
the Republicans jubllant az their success!
and the Democrats correspondingly depressed