New-York tribune., 1891-12-26


The theory of parliamentary government and of
ell government in the United States Is that the
majority shall rule. If the minority has the
power to prevent action the part Of the majority
the majority no longer rules, and as the minority
ex vi termini is unable TO govern, representative
government as we understand it has become
dismal farce.
THE FIRST POINT IN THE PROBLEM.
The first point, then, in the problem is as to the
rights and the position of minorities. great
deal was said about the rights of minorites
two years ago, and from some OF the arguments
then advanced one might have inferred that whle
minorifies had rights which might be greater or
less majorities had none. AS matter OF fuhda-
mental law the reverse is much nearer the truth.
Under the Constitution of the United STATES the
only right actually secured to the minority ID
Congress is the right TO call the yeas and nays ana
have them recorded. In other words. the Consutu-
ton contempates only government by majority
and secures to the minority simply tue righU 10
make the votes of their opponents matter Oh
public record. Such other rights as minoriues
have in practice are those which have peeh CON
ferred upon them by the rules of the House. whicn
arc themselves the work Of majority. In other
words apart from the single constitutional right OF
calling for the yeas and nays, minority has only
~
and those rights arc the result Of custom and public
opinion As a matter of justice, Of common assent
and of long practice among English-speaking
neonle a parliamentary minority is entitled TO falr
play and 10 an opportunity for reasonable DEBATE,
that is TO the opportunity to discuss any measure
before the house and sufficient time to call public
attention to it.
1t is difficult to see that any minority is en-
titled to more than this: fair recognition IN dis
cussion, fair treatment in committees and reason
able opportunites for debate Yet, on this founda-
ton. and thanks to the intricate fabric OF rules.
which has been gradually and unsystematicaly
built nm minortes in the House of Representatives
finally reached q point where they were able to
arrest ell public business and completely TO stop
action on the part Of the majority Inc EVIL al
last became so great that minority OF one py an
ingenious use of the rules could stop all legislative
movement 1t seems incredible that anybody
should have seriously opposed movement to break
down a system wrong and so dangerous Us 'his'
Yet the reform of the rules Of the House, which,
in their de eopment and in the presence OF the vast
growth of business, had reduced the body TO con-
dition of legislative inanity bitterly resisted at
the time, and its scope ana meaning are hoV We"
understood even now.
THE NEED OF CURTAILING DEBATE.
II il worth while to restate the simple and fundac
mental propositions Oh which that reform rested.
The first duty of legislative body is to legisate
Debate is purely secondary. Our political system
has been called government by debate, but II you
permit debate to stop legislative action, you have
all debate and no government. DEBATE Is bighS
important but if either debate or legislation must
be sacrificed, the public interest demands that
the laws should be enacted even II the
talk about them has TO stop There is not, now
ever. the slightest need for extreme measures
ALI that is necessary is TO bring debate withln
suitable limits, and 10 do away with obsolete or
inefficient rules which serve no purpose but that
Of obstruction.
The first test of any successful Government
is that it should march. If minority OF the
parliamentary body can prevent all movement
that particular kind Of government has ceaseu
- march. The object of the reform in the House
rules was TO enable the Government to move.
The argument is simple, but it seems complete
Obstruction is, ,.however, not the only evil that
has arisen from the overgrown power of the
minority. A minority which is able under the
existing rules and conditions of business TO stop
legislative action by the majority, destroys In SO
doing responsible government, and no popular
government can be safe and sound where Official
responsibility is lost or even obscured. In the
est few years we have had good deal OF DIS
cussion about responsible government In the
United States. 1t is good thing to have our
own methods of government discussed In any
way, for the time is not so very far behind us
when the most highly educated people appeared
TO think that the institutions and constitutional
government of the United States were hardly
worth serious consideration. In this recent discus
SION most of the writer's belong to the school
which prepares itself by consideration OF
thoHc md
which, having formed standard or a system in
this way, proceeds 10 apply them to the United
States. They start with the sound proposition
that responsible government is all-lmportant
and that we need more of it Than we have. They
then proceed 10 find their remedy in schemes to
sraft portions of the English system upon ours
This mode Of treatment not only shows de-
plorable lack of originality but is thoroughly
unsound both historically and scientifically.
There is no need to enter into comparison of our
constitutional system with that of Great Britain.
The end and object of both is government by the
people, but the methods adopted TO reach THAI
end and TO carry on the Government are widely
different Whether our system Is better than that
OF England is not to the purpose. We think 1t is;
but the point here is that it is different. Like
all stable and successful political systems, that OF
the United States has grown gradually and In con-
forInity with the conditions and the desires OF
the people. No one questions that Improvements
can he made. AS a matter of fact. our con-
stitutional system has grown and broadened and
improved from the beginning. Bat reforms and
improvements must be made in our own way and
in, conformity with the laws of our growth and
being.
CERTAIN SUGGESTIONS ANSWERED.
The suggestion that we should improve
our system by borrowing something from the
English is the product of the merely initiative
mind which is unable to that such borrowing
at this stage is impossible and would be both
impractcable and undesirable, even if it were pos
sible For example, there some most excellent