Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-11
SPEAKERS GREAT ADDRESS.
peed Makes a Rousing Speech to the
People of Portland, Maine.
exhaustive Review of the Work Thus
Far Done in the Lower House.
uucb Time Lost by the Filibustering
Tactics of the Democratic
Minority.

PORTLAND, Me-, Sept. 5.-Speaker Reed
as welcomed home this evening by a
.rovd of 5000 people who packed the city
baI half an hour before the time he was
.,Jyertised to speak. Mr. Reed, who en-
tsrad ON the arm of Mayor Melcher, was
o,raeted with a storm of cheers and the
waving OF lats.
State REPRESENT ltive John H. Fogg from
This city. presided and presented Speaker
Reed who advanced to the front of the
platform and was received with prolonged
arpause, the audience rising ina body to
Welcome the distinguished speaker Mr..
Reed said:
parties have their years of depression
and their years of exaltation just as indi
viduals have their moments of depression
and good cheer Parties have periods
when they do great work and periods
When they seem to have no other hope
than the mere preservation of existence.
Since 1874, when the republican party first
hItered in its great duty of preserving
liberty and equality before the Jaw for all
citizens of the United States, republican
bouse of representatives has been rare.
This has not been because there ) no long
era republican majority, but because by
frauds too apparent to be denied, by bal
LOFT box stufiing too notorious to be disput-
cd twenty-five seats in the house have been
wrested from us under the open, defiant
declaration that the southern democratic
white man shall not only rule the black
man of the south but the white man of the
north.
1.-Two years ago, under the tremendous
stress caused by the battle set in array by
the free traders, the republican party
triumphed so signaily that even the CO.
borts of fraud were routed, and after a
few Intellectual struggles to count us out,
we had the house by the small majority of
FIVE instead of our real majority of twenty
FIVE.
Long before congress assembled, the
air had been resonant with the hopes and
threats of the minority, with declarations
that they were to rule In utter disregard OF
the will of the people of the United States.
At the very worst, no measure should pass
which did not have the sanction of their
high approval. If any man here thinks
they reckoned without their host that
they had no foundation on which to build
their hopes and their threats, he knows
little of the deep-laid schemes of many
years to render the republicans powerless
whenever they should get control. For
years rule has been piled upon rule and
decision upon decision to render legisla-
ton dependent upon the sufferance of the
minority. Filiblstering lurked In every
line. The power of obstruction was with
out limit. You will naturally ask why it
was that those who most of the time had
the majority should so strengthen the
minority. If you will consider the nature
Of the two parties the cause cannot escape
you. The democratic party
WANTS NO LEGISLATION.
1t is not charged with the pro rress of the
world All the southern men WHO control
the party want or ask for is to be 1T alone.
When the republican party comes into
power it has work to do. If that action
can be prevented what more should the
southern democracy desire? Hence all
their plans whether in power or out of
power, is conferred in obstruction.
Now, the house Of representatives is
not body quick to do business under any
set of rules. It's large numbers and the
diverse interests they represent wlll.always
make it slow and cumbersome. But sys-
tenn which enabled one member to hold
the whole house at bay until the going
down of the sun and then to hold it until
physical exhaustion set it free, and one
fifth to hold it forever, was evidently
system which rendered elections useless
and called halt to civilization itself.
"Of what use was it to summon into the
field an army of orators to explain the
questions of party policy? OF what use
was it that the great throng of journalists
aat 10 10 ha ba
needs of the hour? OF what use was an
election ITSELF that grand elimination of
the power of the citizen, if, after all,
nothing could be done without the sanction
OF the beaten party? What statesman
could there be so foolish as to battle for
power with responsibility when he could
have the same power without responsibility?
hat kind of fight is that to go into
where the victim will be victorious and
the conqueror poweress? Says the Koran;
Dost thou think O man, that we created
the heavens and the earth in jesty Are
elections a farce, and is government 10y
the people juggle? Do we marshal our
tens of millions to the polls for sport? If
there be anything in popular government
II means that whenever the people have
elected one party to take control of the
house or the senate that party shall have
both the power and the responsibility. If
That Il not the effect,
WHAT is THE USE OF THE ELECTION?
1T was with far other ideas of public
DUTY that the minority met US at the open
ing of the session. Not only were no
measures to pass which did not have their
approval, but no rules. even of procedure,
We're to be permitted except those which
seemed suitable to the beaten party. so
We begin life without any rules.
he constitution says: 1.-The house
may determine the rules of its procedure,
and does not say that it must. After two
months time the opposition found that un-
ger the parliamentary law which had been
0ulIt up by the American people in conson-
ance with their institutions, the public busi-
ness was going on every day without its
consent, and they began to clamor for the
very rue2 they had denounced. need not
describe to you the scene of disorder which
were preliminary to the establishment of
sound business principles IN the house. 1t
!, enough to say that the good work was
aQhf and the house of representatives has
4ahen large stride towards business and