The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-06
WHO WILL RULE?

When in 1888 the Republican party OBJ
tanned bare majority of three in the
House, which consisted of 1876 members,
this majority was treated by the party in
power as an absolute guarantee from the
nation that the Republicans were the peo-
pie. Then began proceedings, the like of
which were never known before. Demo
crat after Democrat was unseated in favor
of Republican contestant. No presidents
were adhered to; no rights of the minority
were not even considered.
Finding it difficult to proceed rapidly
with the partisan measures under consid-
Grafton, new rules were adopted in
defiance of the spirit of republi-
can government, and at utter vari-
ance with the genius of Ameri-
can ideas. The right of free speech
was denied in the House of Representa-
tives, and the presiding officer boosted that
the House was no longer deliberative
body. Debate on the MCKINLEY bill as il
finally came from the Senate was limited to
two hours, time during which it is barely
possible to read the text of the measure.
The majority knew no limit or modera-
ton, and decided that majority of those
voting could decide a measure, provided
that quorum was present at the time the
vote was taken. Thus, if two members
voted for and one against measure, the
others not voting. the bill would pass. The
majority did not need its own majority
present to pass a measure; if there were
only one more Republican present than the
number of Democrats present, out of
a total of 163, then the 50 Republicans pres
ent could pass the bill. Therefore bill
would become law by the affirmative vote
of one member more than one-fourth of the
total N embership in the House, even if all
present took part in the proceedings.
Then was brought up bill intended to
perpetuate the rule of the partyin power
and Democrats were insolently informed
that the vote of the people that had given
the Republicans beggarly majority OF
three, was demonstration that the people
had forever decided in favor of Republican
rule. The bill was rushed through the
House and is now pending in the Senate.
1t IS little wonder, then, that the sover.:
eign people repudiated by their vote the
, party in power, and elected Democratic
majority of nearly one hundred and sixty
, majority unprecedented in our history
a as an emphatic rebuke of the revolutionary
. methods of the Republican party.
9 And there is good reason to believe tina
. the Republican defeat was not given for tn,
purpose of reforming but of destroying tn,
party. The party, its methods and falls,
/ economic theories, are now discredited b,
the large majority of the electors of thi
nation, whose will is supposed to be law
!, The party cannot be trusted to deal witt
the tariff, with reciprocity, with elections
with the revenues. 1t has failed in it
: treatment of every present national issue
/; But the party leaders have learned moth
e ing from their defeat, not even that self-evi
dent fact that the people are their masters
and returning to the legislative body il
which the people no longer want them
they now attempt to reverse the will of tn
!, sovereign people by pushing to a speed,
: accomplishment the bill to disfranchis
S Democratic voters. They talk of the ReI
II resentatives-electa as if they were usurpers
d ard hasten to attempt their dislodgmen
1t from the national legislature, as the
d would seek to drive out foreign foe.
IS Now will come the struggle between tn
: rulers of this countryside voters, an
their past servants whom they have dis
:. charged, to see whether or not the peopl
e shall continue to rule.