St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-03
The Speaker Discusses the
Position Taken by the
House Democrats.
He Says All His Rulings Have
the Sanction Of Parlia-
mentary Law,
And Quotes From Carlisle's
Decisions to Sustain His
Stand.
Public Business Suffering
While the Filibustering
Goes Merrily On.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-Speaker Reed
to-day made the following statement
concerning the Republic an position in
the present controversy: "Mr. Carlisle
was entirely right when he said in sub
stance that the decision of the house
that quorum was cOnstltut ed to do
business when majority of the house
was present would change from the
foundation the method of doing busi-
ness. 1t certainly will do so, for 1t will
enable the majority elected by the peo-
pie to rule by their own vote and not
by the sufferance of the minority. The
rule of the majority is at the very base
of our government. If it be not the
true rule, our faith is vain and we are
yet in our sins. Look at the practical
working of the other doctrine. The
Republicans have majority of seven,
but they nave only three over quorum.
One hundred and sixty-eight is our
number, 165 is quorum. If we are to
furnish a aquorum, the whole Democratic
party, sitting idly by in their seats but
not present, dumb and silent when
basiness is to be transacted, but voting
when 1t is to be Obstructed, then there
can be but three Republicans absent on
penalty of stoppage of the public busi-
ness. Now let us see how that works.
We are allowed but
THREE ABSENTEEs.
Mr.. Rockwell is sick. 1t would en-
danger his life to come. Mr.. Wilbur is
in the same state. T. W. Browne is too
sick to be able to be there all the time.
Mr.. Caswelrs wife was dying and COM
mon decency required his presence by
her bedside. Another member must be
with his wife for reasons somewhat sim.
liar. just about this number of MEM
bers will at all times be sick or incapac-
itated. These may get we'll. bat others
fall sick in their turn. There, then, is
Our quorum, according to Mr.. Carlisle's
idea, gone entirely to pieces. though.
even after all fraud be deducted, the
people had found for the Republicans
by seven majority. ALI this time, while
we are keeping in the house other men
hardly less sick, hundred and forty
lusty Democrats sit silent in their seats
doing no public duty except to draw
their pay. Is it possible that the United
States is paying these gentlemen S1S a
day without even the poor privilege OF
counting their silent forces? Mr.. Car
isle says there is no precedent for the
decision of the house. l have person.
ally seen and heard him furnish hun.
dred. A hundred times / have heard
him declare that the number for and
against such bill was. say eighty for
and twenty against, mathematically
less than quorum, and yet declared
that bill passed, and then sign that bill,
thereby certifying under the most SOL
emn sanction of his oath of office that
the bill had properly and
CONSTITUTE oNALLY PASSED
the house. How could he have done
this if his doctrine be true that a
quorum must vote? Understand me.
Day after day Mr.. Carlisle in my pres
ence has declared that such bill had
votes for and against, by his own count
as speaker, less than quorum. and has
yet Immediately declared it passed, I'd
has signed it-thuS furnishing the only
proof the president could have that It
was passed. How could this be, except
on the plain ground that if a quorum
did not vote, the presence of a quorum
was enough? But this matter does not
| need argument. In Mr.. Carlisle's own
state, in Democratic Tennessee, in Dem
Ocratic New York. in Democratic Ohio.
| in Massachusetts and in the courts
| everywhere, as you may see by Mr.. But
| terwOrth'S speech, the doctrine Just up
held 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 ruling has been made in
| the house to suppress tilbustering
which has not the full sanction of par
liamentary law. That men should re-
sist only shows how ingrained the
wrong course has become and how nee
| eSsary the remedy. What is the house
trying to do? Why to perform its high
est function, that CT deciding the right
of member to his seat. Until 1882 no
man ever dared to filibuster against
such case. No man ought to be al
lowed to do it to-day. Yet every day
three hours are wasted in approving the
journal, when five minutes would be
ample. These three hours belong to the
public business. The people do not un-i
derstand that every wanton roll call
consumes three-Quarters of an hour.
Some Of these men are talking about
rules. They are now acting under a
body of rules which the American peo-
pie use in their assemblies. body of
rules we'll known and understood by all
those who are not wilfully ignorant.
When we first came here the Obstruc-
tlonists declared that they would die in
the last ditch against any rules thew did
not approve of, and now they are want
ing to die at ThermOpylae in defeuse of
the liberties of their country because
we don't force rules on them. If there
could be fewer deaths at Thermspylae
and more business in the house, the
country would be better off. 1t is true
that the Democratic leaders, like Mr..
Carlisle, have long since ceased to par
tlcipate In the defiance of good govern
ment, but they should now make them
selves heard affirmatively on the side of
order"
SCENES STILL IN ORDER.
The exciting scenes that character
lied the proceedings of the house last
week will begin anew tomorrow, and
Will last until the Republican members
of the committee on rules submit
Speaker Reeds new CODE 1t is the
purpose of the majority members OF
the elections committee to report
the Atklnson-Pendleton contested case
as soon as the Smith-Jackson case
is disposed of. Tie committee has
heard the evidence in the case, but has
had no meeting to decide it on its dis
posal. According to the agreement en-
tered into by the members of the com
mittee, this case would come up before
the committee on Tuesday, Feb Is, but
the majority of the members have de-
clded to call meeting and take a vote