Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-02-14

to limit and define the powers Of the ma
jority and of the speaker within the
bounds OF fairness and equity:
The present Congress has now been in
session for tive months, and IN defiance of
all precedent and all reason has thus far
persisted in proceeding without any rules
whatever. The reasen Why the Republi-
cans do this Is that they have only bare
majority of ell the rmembers elected, that
they cannot always count on having a
majority present, and that their only hope
OF crowdmg through certain proposed
bills, such as a federal election law, and
alec OF sresitrsrily determining in their
own favor enough OF the numerous con-
tested elections to Congress, to supply
themselves with working majority, lies
in the absence of the usual rules, and in
thus leaving in the hands of the speaker
unlimited power to refuse to recognize
members, to put motions, and to enter
sain appeals.
The Democrats, however, relying upon
unbroken precedent and on the general
principles of common justice, demand
that the majority shall offer, and after
giving the usual opportunity for debate
and amendment, shall adopt set of
rules IN thcrusual manner. Az this en-
tirely reasonable and proper demand has
remained so long unheeded, they have at
last refused TO vote. The immediate re-
sultef this maneuvre is that the roll-call
does not show the presence of a quorum
for the transaction of business. And it
is just at this point that the Hottest fight
has been waged. From the time of the
First Congress down to the present, the
answers to she roll-call have been held
conclusive on the question of members
presence or absence. But Speaker Reed
has broken over all precedent, and motto.
ing that as a matter of fact numerous
Democrats are present, though silent, be
counts them in, directs the clerk to re,
cord thed presence, and thus makes up q
quorum. Then the Republicans having q
| majority of that quorum, can transact
business as they please, The fatal dan
gor of the speakers assumption of pow.
er is that it leaves it to Ont
man to determine beyond appeal
whether quorum is present or not
/ This is Il question which, however deter.
mined T,1DeG facte, should always be, and
has in Congress always been, determined
] finally by calling the roll. This leaves il
| to the House to say whether quorum is
present or not Mr.. Reed has also as.
sumed the power to refuse to put motions
to adjonrn until to his own mind "the
proper time" arrives, and to refuse ap.
peal TO the House from anv and Ill of his
rulings, and has actually exercised this
despotic power. Naturally the Demo.
Gratis have hotlY resented his unwarraut.
able course.
When Mr.. Blaine was Speaker, the
same plan of counting quorum was
urged upod him by " Ben Butler; but,
|
refused to accede, and stated that such a
thing was unheard of and wholly un.
justiiable and would, if enforced, bring
Congress 10 :he very brink of volca
no." In 1880, while this same Mr.. Reed
was an influential member of Republi-
can minority, he urged on a similar occa-
sion that the constitutional idea of a
quorum is not The presence of majority
of the members of the House, but ma
jority OF the members present and partic-
ipatiug in the business of the House
Mr.. Garfield and other eminent Republi-
caus have held the same views and ex-
pressed them repeatedly. If Mr.. Reed
persists in what he and the most eminent
members of his own party have hitherto
denounced as unconstitutional, the " vol
canO will certainly be III eruption before
lOnp