The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1890-02-14
DEMOCRATIC DEFENSE.
MIR. CARLISLE REPLIES TO
THE ABATEMENT OF
SPEARER REED,
Exposing she Rank Injustice
and UnfairMess of His Re-
cent Rulings.

| AAA PuSAHB AWe Ahmk m WANhgs
and Unfairness of His Re-
cent Rulings.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Mr. Carlisle
has prepared for publication the fol
lowing statement OF the present posi-
ton of the Democratic members oil
the house, which is to be signed by
all of them:
The present situation 10 the house
of rcpI pIesentatives is so anomalous and
the unprecedented decisions of the
speaker are so full of danger to the
inteb rity of future legislation that we
consider 1t our duty to submit briel
statement of the facts in order that
the propriety of the course we have
taken may be fairly determined.
The house met on the Cd day OF
December, 1889, aud Immediately or,
ganized by the election of a speaker
aud other officers. On the same day,
by u resolution Of the house, the
speaker was authorized to appoint a
committee on rules, and the rules of
the last preceding house were referred
to that committee. The committee,
consisting of the speaker and four
other members, was appointed on the
9th Of December, and on the 9th il
made report, authorizing the speaker
TO appoint all the other committees
and defining their jurisdiction,
The committee on elections, to
winch was referred all cases involving
THE RIGHTS OF MEMBERS
to their seats, was appointed on the
9Th day Of December
Although nearly two months have
elapsed since the committee on rules
was appointed it has made no report
upon the matters referred to It, ex-
cept the partial one made on the 9th
day of December and consequently
th" house has been compelled to con.
duct its business without any rules or
system except the general parIiamen-
taFy law as construed by the speaker,
There has been no calendars, no order
Of business, no fixed time TO receive
reports from committees or for the
consideration of bills and resolutions.
and in fact no regular methods what.
ever in the proceedings of the house,
The house Of representatives has
been during all this time, and still is
so far rs rneS for its government are
concerned, IN precisely the same con.
dlllon as a popular meeting or po.
IltlcaI convention, in which the chair
man and his parlisans absolutely con
troll all the proceedings. No measure
can get before the house for consider.
alton unless the speaker chooses to al
low 1t TO be presented, and members
have no means Of knowing in advance
what they are to be called upon TO
discuss or decide.
This is the first time in our history
that a legislative assembly or even q
public meeting has attempted to trans
act business for any considerable
period without regular code of
rules prescribing the order of its
proceedings, and the Inconvenience
and injustice resulting from such an
attempt have been forcibIy illustrated
IN the present instance.
The speaker has repeatedly during
these extraordinary proceedings re-,
fused to entertain parliamentary mo.
tons that have been recognized as le-
gltlmate ever since the government
was established, and when attempts
have been made to appeal from his
decisions, he has
REFUsED TO SUBMIT THE QUESTION
to the house.
By his arbitrary rulings, sustained
IN some instances by less than a quo
rum, he has subyerted nearly every
principle Of constitutional and paria-
meDlary law heretofore recognized in
the h0nse.
THIS personal and partisan DONNA.
ton Of The house was submitted to mn
III we became convinced that il was
The deliberate purpose Of The speaker
and bis supporters TO proceed without
rnlcs to onst the Democratic members
whose seats were contested and admit
their Republican opponents, whether
elected or not.
On Wednesday, Jan. 20, the com.
mlltee on elections called up a con.
tested election case, and the Demo.
cratic members determined that in the
absence Of rules j. should not he con
sidered if they copld prevent it by
any proper parliamentary proceedings
Accordingly, they raised the question
Of consideration, demanded the yeas
and nays, and on the call Of The roll
refrained from voting, The result
was that less than & constitutional quo.
rum voted, but the speaker, in viola
tiop Of The uniform practice Of the
house fer more than century, pro.
eeeded 70 coupt members who were
present bpt not voting, and declared
that ihe hopse had decided % take
the case qp.
From this decision an appeal was
takep, and % > motion to lay ibis ap-
peal op the table lLe yeas and nays
were taken ana less than d quorum
voted, but The speaker again counted
members not voting and decided That
the motion was agreed ID, ana bis
ruling was thereby sustained.
Pbo constitution of Tie United
States provides that 4 majority Of each
hoqse "sball constitute h quorum 10
40 business, BOT smaller pumber
Pay adjourn from day to day and nay
be authorized y
COMPEL THE ATgEHpANeE or ABSENT
NEMBERs
- such manner and ppder euch pen
altles AZ each hqase may progideb
Another clause of tAe constitution
requires eaeb house 70 keep 3 journal