Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-19

ana wyoming last year. Ihey woulu
have had more rope, and have done more
self-hanging. The trouble with politi-
clans is that they think the people are
all without conscience, sense or patriot
ism. The people resent the imputation.
Reeds Rules and Republican En-
dOrsement of Them.
Strange is the general endorsement OF
Speaker Reeds autocratic rulings by the
Republican press of the country. The
party is not by any means unit on the
question, for there are very many peo-
pie in the party who prefer common
sense and personal consistency before
agreeing with all that any man in the
party may do. There are probably
more people in the party than ever
were in any other who are blind wor-
shippers of very small heroes. The
press is of this last class. Common
sense and consistency may 60 to the
mischief, for them; their only
aim is to throw up their caps
for the man the accident of the hour
may bring to the front, and for any mad
measure that he may propose. If one
could take the files of the papers that
are now the loudest in their praise of
Speaker Reed, and look back to 1870 or
thereabouts, he would find they were at
that time doing the same lusty bowling
for Blaine, Reed and Garfield as they
are now. In those years the Republi-
cans were in the minority in Congress,
and they we're maintaining their rights
by the same methods the Democrats
have recently been pursuing. Blaine,
Reed and Garfield were their doughty
champions in those days. Here is what
Garfield said in regard to the privilege
of the Speaker to decide quorum pres
ent:
The chairman of the committee of the
whole or the Speaker of the House is tc
see with his own eyes that there is a
quorum present? Who is to control his
seeing? How do We know but that be
may see forty members more for his own
purpose than there are here in the
House? And what protection have gen.
tlemen if the Speaker says he sees a
quorum if he cannot convert that seeing
into list of names on the call of the
roll by the clerk? 1 think nay friend
from Virginia will see that he lets in the
one-man power in far more dangerous
way than ever has occurred before in
any legislative assembly of which he
and l have any knowledge. Sir, the
moment you get over the line, the mo.
ment you cross the boundary of names,
the moment you leap over the iron fence
of the roll, that moment you are out in
the vague and all sorts of disorders may
come in.
As it has been denied that Reed ever
held such views as these, it may be we'll
to be specific in the exhibit that shall
contain what he really did say. Here il
is in form, taken from the Congressional
Record of the Forty-sixth Congress, sec
ond session; Vol. 10, Part 1, pages 57S
$40. Mr.. Reed, addressing the Chair
said:
Mr.. Chairman, if it was my purpose to
reply to the gentleman who has Just
taken his seat, it seems to me that it
would be suitable and proper reply to
say to him that the constitutional idea of
quorum is not the presence of ma
jority of the members of the House, but
a majority of the member present and
participating in the business of the
House. 1t is not the visible presence of
mem mbers, but their judgments and their
votes, that the Constitution calls for.
I prefer, however, in the short time
which l have, to discuss the question
upon different basis. This privilege,
which the Republican, minority of the
House at the last session availed itself of,
is privilege which every minority has
availed itself of sioce the foundation of
this Government. What is the practi-
cal upshot of the present practice? 1t is
that the members of the minority of this
House upon great occasions demand
that every bill which is passed shall re.
celve the absolute vote of majority of
the members elected. They do this in
the face and eyes of the country. If
they demand upon any frivolous oc-
casion that there shall be such an ex-
trsordinary vote as that, they do it sub
| lect to the censure of the people of this
land. This practice has hitherto kept
this House in proper condition upon this
subject, 30 that thers has been no i'm
proper impeding of the public business.
1t is valuable privilege for the coun-
try. that the minority shall have the
right by this extraordinary mode of pro-
ceeding to call the attention of the coun-
try to measures which party in a mo-
ment of madness and of party feeling is
endeavoring to force upon the citizens of
this land. And it works equally we'll
with regard to all parties, for all parties
have their times when they need to be
checked, 30 that they may receive the
opinions of the people who are their
constituents and who are interested in
the results of their legislation. sav as
a practical matter the results hitherto
throughout all our history have justified
the construction which those upon this
side of the House have put UPON the
matter, and which has been put equally
by members of the other side in times
pact.
Blanche, Tray aud Sweetheart, the
whole pack of Republican organs in those
days were in loud cry, giving tongue to
their Joy over these utterances of their
leaders. circumstances do greatly alter
cases.
THE wheat crop of Southern California
this year will be the largest by far ever