New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-10
CALLING FOR 4 STRAITJACKET.

Scarcely has a Republican Congress adjourned
not vet has the chorus of objurgations with
which Democrats pay honor 10 Speaker Keed
fidelity died away when Democrat deliberate
" nroposes that the next House shall be muzzlcd
in order to prevent it from diSgraclng itself ana
DESTROYING the Democratic party. Having ap-
nlied highly imaginative arithmetic 70 the COM
putation of appropriations made by the last
Congress. and concluded that they amounted to
more than one thousand millions Representative
Savres states that he does not expect the next
Congress to be kept back from the same course
unless there can be a small committee createn
with advisory power 10 restrain all the other
committees and the House itself. The anxiety
of members to please constituents is so great
their tendency TO help each other through by the
kissing" process is so strongly developed that
extraordinary measures must be devised to re-
strain them Mr.. Sayres has had experience,
and he knows how true it is that the members
who struggle for increased appropriations belong
not to either party exclusively, but constitute
large proportion OF both
What is really proposed is a suppression OF
the legislative power. II the advisory commit
tee is to be clothed by the rules with no power
TO restrict either the other committees or the
members Of the House. it Will be mere waNl"
Of time and nerve force. But if 1t be clothed
with such power, then in the same proportion
the House composed Of the direct representa-
tivcs of tho people, will be deprived OF power.
Having obtained Democratic House. it seem,
the first necessity is to mlzzlc IT, While Mr..
Randall lived his great personal influence and
large experience, together with the rules which
n, r.
power at pleasure, gave him curious position
as the savior of his party from Itself Us worst
tendencies were often kept in check, after
a fashion which many legislators do not even
now comprehend, and yet il was never within
the power of Mr. Randall himself 70 keep the
appropriations within the limit which he thought
they should not exceed Thus the latest Dem
ocratic Congress was the most extravagant and
wastciul the country had ever seen, and went
far beyond any other in the amount OF appro-
priationS, war expenses, of course, being cx-
ccptcd.
After railing at Mr.. Reed because he proposed
and carried rules 10 limit mischief making 10y
minority after declaiming for year with
great violence that ii was an outrage 10 deprive
representatives Of the people Of any part OF their
powers, even though Of powers only to block
the wheels Of government, 10 prevent lcglSla-
tion. to defeat majority Of the people, and to
iniurc the country these same Democrats are
now proposing to tie their own hands and feet
lest they should do mischief. Whether they
need restraint perhaps they best know.
But the people are well aware OF the fact
that the tendency TO extravaganza in appIOpria-
lions will need some check. There is not much
reason to suppose that committee can or will
apply any effective restriction unless that com
mittee is clothed with powers Jas yet unknown
70 the legislative system Of this country. Nor
is it to be forgotten that the added appIopria-
tons are in most cases asked with passionate
carncStneSs by large bodies of citizens. When
members strain all their powers night and day
to carry through particular Appropriation
is safe to say that they do at least believe that
a considerable body of their constituents desires
il. If they so believe, what is the virtue of the
representative system Of government if those
whom the people choose TO make their laws must
first Of all be deprived of power to make them?