The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-06

pieces, according to Mr.. Carlisle's idea.
Even after all fraud is deducted, the
people have found for the Republicans
by seven majority. All this time, while
we keep in the House other men hardly
less sick hundred and fifty lusty Dem
ocrats sit silent in their seats doing no
public duty except to draw their pay.
L. it possible that the United States is
paving these gentlemen $l3 day with
out even the poor privilege Of counting
their silent forms?
"Mr. Carlisle says there is no prece-
dent for the decision of the House. |
have personally seen and heard him fur
nIsh hundred A hundred times
have heard him declare that the number
for and against such bill was. say 80 for
and 90 against-mathematicslly less
than a quorum-and yet declare the bill
passed, and then sign the bill, thereby
certifying under the solemn sanction Of
his oath of office that the bill had prop
erly and constitutionally passed the
House. How could he have done this
if his doctrine be true that a quorum
must voter Understand me. day by
day Mr.. Carlisle has declared in my
presence that such bill had votes for
and against, according to his own count,
as speaker, less than a quorum. and has
yet Immediately signed &c, thus furnish
ing the only proof that the President
could have that it was passed. How
could this be, except on the plain ground
that quorum did not vote? The pres
ence of a quorum was enough.
But this matter do & not need argu
t. M TarliaIafa in
Democratic Tennessee, in Democratic
NV York, in Democratic Ohio, in M ts =
sachusetts, in the courts everywhere, rs
you may see by MIR. Butterworth's
speech, the doctrine just upheld by the
House is the law of the land. And it
ought to be if good government is not to
perish from the face of the earth. Not
a ruling has been made IN the House TO
suppress filibusterinR that has not the
full sanction of parliamentary law.
That men should resist only shows how
ingrained the wrong has become and
how necessary the remedy.
what is the House trying to dop
Why, to perform its highest function,
that of deciding the right of a member
to his seat. Until 1882 no man ever
dared TO filibuster against such case.
No man ought to be allowed to do it to-
day. Yet every day three hours are
wasted in approving the journal, when
five minutes are ample. These three
hours belong to the public business.
The people don't understand that every
wanton rollcall consumes three. quarters
of an hour.
"Some of these men are talking about
IUka, hara tho oh
structioDIsts declared they would die in
the last ditch fighting against any rules
they did not approve of. And now they
are wanting to die like those at Their
mopyia in defense of the liberties of
their country because we do not enforce
rules on them. II there could be fewer
deaths at Thermopyl@ and more bust
ness in the House the country would be
better off 1t is true that the Demo-
ic leaders, like Mr.. Carlisle, have long
since ceased to participate IN defiance of
good government, but they should make
themselves heard affirmatively on the
side of good government"
On Monday the Republicans had a
quorum OF votes recorded and thus the
occasion of backbone" in the speaker
was removed. But the fact remains
that the foundation of our theory of gov
eminent is majority rule. Upon the ma
jorIty rests the responsibility of legisla-
tion. When the members of the mi
nority become obstructionists they have
no right worthy of respect, and Speaker
Reed will be sustained by the non-par-
lisan public sentiment in his efforts to
expedite the business of congress,