Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1891-03-03
MISC ANXIOUS.
Congressman VIM. [. Wilson S
Views.

1 - - M
| Hon. VIM. T. W'fis6n In n ysfSsr n, iha New
ixy,s I4,5, t.s =
III ~ a =. .' =. ~ say -
fdence of his party. came to Washington a
the opening of this, Congress to learn; the In
tentions Of the leaders. He bore homo the ex-
nltant report that the Republicans Intended to
\ improve their control Sof GougreEs and thC
| Presidency by passing enough political legisla-
ton to last them for many years. HIS grasp
of the situation was correct, but his delight ~
what seemed the sagaelty OF his leaders has
Doubtless given way 70 the reelection that. for
party as tor an Individual, the straight path
is the sale path. NO one cAn now doubt thai
the political legtslston, accomplished OF
thTeatcnea py Sne hepn5ncan party IN the
nrst session OF the Fitty-nFst Congress was the
chleL cause % INC teat nlststeI tnht oeieil She
party IN ttS appeal 70 the country at the NO
vember ciecteu !.
ny flolltcHt - les nps ylliy tne
admission OF states Win mqch less than INC
requisite population Tor Stetehood, merely %
increase the kepubilcAu vote IN Congress and
IN the Electoral Colleges the Force Blll, that
aims to take from the people and 10 commit
both to irresponsible agents OF the Repdb dbl.can
party; but also measures profesecdly general
or patriotic, Which We're really payments OF
campaign debts, or intended TO blnd special
classes to the party that favored or enriched
them at the expense of the people.
The meagre majority by which the House
was organized was Rmple Tor business ses=
sion, or Tor the disposal OF general Legislation,
slNh = ssottrAuAl
to partisan work And So by the vulgar, par
tisau eSpedieht of oustiug opponents, enough
Oelnocrats were nnseated 10 slncfease that
maj ortty from eight to twenty-topr. But even,
this was not "a safe working majority for a
political session. The chief obstacle yet lay tu
the rules of tho House, which had grown out
OF its past experience, and by long usage be-
The chief virtue Of rules in q parliamentary
body, as indeed their chief aim, as stated by
Mr.. Jefferson In his mammal: is ITO protect tile
weaker party from the irregularities and
abuses which the wantouness Of poweris too
apt to suggest 70 strong and successful major
ities." sSt&
For two months the House avoided the
adoption of any rules and wps guided by the
Speaker according TO his shifting view of par
liamentary law or party necessity. the mean
Ing OF all OF which became clear as soon as o
contested election case was ready for action.
each House. shall constitute quorum to do
hnsiness, and that on any question, at the de-
sire of 1ne-htth OF those present, the yeas and
nays shall be entered on the journal. From
the beginning OF the Government. through the
iunhroken practice of the fifty Congresses II
Yns held that the meaning of these provisions
was that the yeas and nays entered ON the
journal at the response of.members to the roll
call were the only test and the only competent
evidence of the presence of a quorum on any
question and that II, the members refuse TO
vote there was no w1y to compel them TO vote
or to count them to make q quorum.
temporary exposition or the Constitution, long
acquiesced in, fixes its constructions even for
that Court. II any exposition, had become
fixed by long ucquiescence, if any practice had
of the House, II was this interpretation of a
constitutional quorum. The minority were
| justified In relying, ON 1t Us q vested right; q
part of their Just and constitutional protec-
tiou. se1
tenabled them to tanner the harsh rse of
the previous question to stiile debate, and to
delay partisan or vicious legislation, In the
sight of the conntfy. iutiI those who were
pressing it furnished q quorum. 1t was a
temporary barrier to hasty action, useful to
the country, without seriously impairing the
rights of the majority for IL inDosed No riay-
ous or protracted hardship on them. Their
| remedy was a simple and GENERALLY a rapid
one--to bring In their menlbeFs and mako a
quorum.
Surely If such n claw nf the Hcusc" was ia
be overthrown it should have been by the
| House itself after full and free debafh n
| was oyerthrown by the arbitrary act of the
Speaker nlonee aud thatin contested election
case for partisan ends This was the move
exasperating to the Democrats both because
| 1t forcshadowed what was to follow and 10.
cause no one had more clearly stated or more
strongly defended in Congress and elsewhere
SIR. Reed or testified more fully 10 sfts vaiue
as a privilege to the country n olinet teTnuorary
partisan fury and to It's full iuAtiicati6n by its
resnIts in nli historytits p - - ~ - r
After the i reyolntionary rhJino of the SNEAK.
cr, and by means of 1t, a code of rules was
framed which confirmed the Sbrats serJs Int5e al
counting duortifTlsI md under the pretest oi
suppressing filibustering suppressed tho minor
ity hy strippirg them OF almost all their ira.
ditionul fights To accomplish this more
power aud discretion were vested In the
| sneaker than can safely he trusted To thf
/ chairman Of auy free assenbIy But those " fo
surrendefed their own RIGHTS In order 10 de.
| stroy the rights of their opponents met sthe
1 iretribntion mat ouicllv follows surh faith
1 Iessuess Like the horse in the fable that took
| a rider ON his back TO help him yat0uIsb hi,
| jority soon found itself bestridden Iiy q ridsl
could not be shaken of. $50 = ''''s'
TIE servant had become the naster What
| have been the fruits of this revolution?
| The dignity of 1.-THE Hotise has been Ioyyered
nions debntes and scenes OF disorder because
/ the Democrats bring to every daV's session a
ranking sepse of having been degraded both NJ
| a party of opposition and az indIvidnaI Fepre.
| sentatfves Of the people. FiIibustering has
not been suppressed. bnt Immensely stirnn.
| lated, and law making has taken on, more
and more the methods OF legislative decrees.
! Debate has been stifled. aud the House. where
alone under our Federal system the people are
Immediately represented. has sunk into mere
cuacting body to vote. without discussion, or
the work of It's Committees, and 20 paeR that
work on to the Senate for pubiic and adequate
debate.
have made this recital 70 draw from It TIVE
| in the next Horse.
The first is the pgSil of political legislntion,
| looking not to the goO3 St the country. but 70
/ the supremacy OF Q parts% and tue second Il
that the majority in the peat House viii have
no higher duty TO the petsPleN and to posteTity
than To restore the lost rights OF the House; to
receive the Constitutional method of counting
quorum, and 70 adopt again rules that viii