Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-11
PARTY POLICY.
Hon. W. L. Wilson's Views-The Duty OF
the Next Congress.

a n ar
but hi> delight 40 what seemed the /
,agacity ~ his leaders has doubtless .
given way Co the reflection. that for a
party as FOR au Individual, the straight
path is the safe path No one can now
doubt that the political legislation. ac-
comp shed or threatened by the Rcpub-
liclu party, boo the first session OF the
Fifty first Congress vas the chief cause
90 the great disaster that bcfell the par
% In lis appeal 90 the country AZ the
November election.
By political legislation mean, not
only Che admission OF States with much
less than the requisite population FOR
Statehood, merely % increase the Re
publican vote iu Congress and in the
Electoral College; the Force bill, that
aims 90 take from the people the con
duet oi their own elections aud the c0m-
missioniug % their own representatives,
and 90 commit both 20 irroS ponsible
agents % the Republican party: but also
measures, prOiessediy general OF patri-
Ot.c. which were really payments OF
campaign debts, or Intended 10 bind
special classes % the party that favored
OF enshriued them at the expense Of the
peop.s.
The mcagre majority by which the
House was organized was ample for
business session, or for the disposal Of
general legislation, but wholly mad
equate for u session dedicated TO partisan
work, Aud so, by the vulgar, partisan
eXpedieut OF BUSTING opponents, enough
Democrats were unSeated To increase
that majority from eight 10 twenty
four. But even this was not "a safe
working majority" Tor the political SEES
sion. The chief obstacle yet lay in the
rules OF the House, which had grown
out of It's past experience, and by long
usage become It's fixed law Of procedure.
The chief virtue Of rules in parlia
meutary body, Is indeed their chief
aim, as stated boy Mr.. jefferson in his
manual, is ito protect the weaker party
from the Irregularities and abuses
which the wantoneSs Of power is too apt
20 suggest 10 strong and successful
maiOritieS.'
For tive months tho House avoided
the adoption OF any rules and was
guided by the Speaker according 10 his
shifting view OF parliamentary law or
| party necessity, the meaning of all Of
which became clear rs soon as a con-
| tested election case was ready for ac-
ton.
The Constitution provides that a ma
| ioritY OF each house shall constitute a
| quorum 20 do business, and that ON any
Question, at the desire Of One-liith Of
/ those present, the yeas and nays shall
/ Doe entered on the journal. From the
/ beginning OF the Government, through
| the uubrOken practice of fifty Congress
es, IL was held that the meaning OF
| these provisions was that the yeas and
nays entered on the journal at the re-
Spouse of members TO the roll-call were
| the only test and the only competent
evidence of the presence Of quorum
on any question, and that il the mem-
berS refused TO vote there was no way
to compel them TO vote or TO count them
I 90 make quorum.
Now the Supreme Court holds that a
contemporary exposition OF the ConSti-
tuition, long acquieSced in fixes It's con-
struction even FOR that Court. II any
/ Exposition had become fixed 10y long ac-
quieSceuce, II any practice had ripened
/ by ceutury'S observance into a law Of
the House, IL was this Interpretation Of
a constitutional quorum. The minority
were Justified ia relying on il as a
vested right; part OF their just and
constitutional protection.
10 enabled them 10 temper the harsh
use OF the previous question to Stille de-
bate and % delay partisan or vicious
legislation, in the sight OF the country,
until those who We're pressing il fur
nished quorum to pass it. 1t was a
temporary barrier to haSty action, use
fu TO the country, without seriously
/ impairiug the rights OF the majority.
/ for 20 imposed no griev0uS or protracted
hardship on them. Their remedy was
simple and generally a rapid one-to
bring in their members and make u
quorum.
Surely il such a law Of the House"
was 90 be overthrowu 10 should have
been by the House itself, after full and
free debate. IL was overthrow by the
arbitrary act OF the Speaker alone, aud
I that i'm contested election ease, for
partisan ends. This was the more exaS-
perating % the Democrats, both because
/ &c forcshadOwed what was to follow
and because no one had more clearly
stated or more clearly defended 10 Con-
eress and elsewhere the Constitutional
idea of quorum than Mr.. Reed, or
testified more fully 10 Its value as
privilege to the country against tempo
rary partisan fury and to It's full juStit-
cation by its results in all history"
After the revolutionary ruling OF the
Speaker, and by means of it, code Of
rules was framed which confirmed the
Speakers mode Of counting quOrumS,
aud under the pretext OF SuppreSSing
flibuStering suppressed the minority by
stripping them almost of their tradi-
tiOnal rights. To accomplish this more
power and discretion were vested in the
Speaker than can safely be trusted to
the Chairman OF any free assembly. But
those who surrendered their own rights
In order 20 destroy the rights OF their
opponents met the retributiOn that
quickly follows such faith,eSSneSS.
Like the horse in the fable that took
rider ON his back TO help him yanquish
his enemy. and thus lost his own liber-
ty. the majority soon found itself be-
Striden by a rider who showed no dis
position 90 dismOunt and could not be
shaken of.
The servant had become the master
What have been the fruits OF this revo-
luton?
The dignity of the House has been
lowered its proceedings constantly
married by acrimonious debates and
scenes Of disorder, because the Demo
Gratis bring 20 every days session a
ranking sense of having been degraded,
both as a party OF opposition aud as in
dVidual representatives Of the people.
Fiibusteriug has not been suppressed,
but immensely stimulated, and law
making has taken on, more aud more,
the methods of legislative DEGREES. De
bate has been stiled, and the House,
where alone under our Federal system
the people are Immediately represented,
has sunk into mere enacting body TO
vote. without discussion, on the work
of It's committees, and 20 pass that work
on 20 the Senate for public and adequate
debate
I have made this recital to draw from
10 two lessons IS TO the responsibility OF
the majority of the next House.
The first peril is OF political legiSla- |
tion. looking not 10 the good OF the 1
country, but 10 the supremacy OF par |
rs: aud the second is that the majority /
I'm the next House will have no higher |
duty to the people and 20 poSterity than /
Co restore the lost rights Of the House;
Co revive the Constitutional method OF /