New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-09
RTSIfING BUSINESS


Always more or less amusing tho present
House of Representatives is never so funny rs
when it sets itself seriously to work upon some
sort of claptrap legislation with which to fool
the people and make political capital Ii would
not be so funny, Of course, if il was done in
dead earnest. and there was any danger Of its
being carried through the Senate and recev-
ing the Executive approval. That would make
rather serious business, for the country, and it
would cease 10 be amusing or funny.
Within the last three or four days they have
entered cncrgctically and with great sudden
ness upon programme for the speedy dispatch
Of business and an early adjournment. The
first performance in this high daddy, hurrah,
shut-your mouth and lct-hcr-sde movement
was on Monday Of this week when Mr. Hatch Of
Missouri. moved to suspend the rules and pass
the Anti-Option bill The time for debate was
Limited 70 thirty minutes, and was controlled by
Mr. Hatch on one side and by Mr.. Cummings. Of
Ncw-YOrk, on the other. Mr.. Hatch having
very briefly opened the debate, Mr.. Cummings
first gave three minutes of his time to Mr..
Herbert, OF Alabama, then ono minute to "A
member from Louisiana, two minutes to a MEM
Der from Maryland, extended one minute fur
thcr under pressure, one minute 10 a Mis-
souri, member, thice-quartcrs Of a minute to
another from NcwY FORK, one minute to another
from Illinois, quarter of minute to one from
Ohio, whole minute 10 a Michigan member.
a minute 10 one from Minnesota two minutes
t, Il specially favored member from Tennessee,
half minute to n colleague from New York
leaving for Alr. Cummings himself only time
to say that while "TOm Reeds Congress gave
six days discussion TO the Force bill a Dem
Ocratic Congress refuses more than fifteen min
utcs on a side for the discussion Of a bill more
grossly unconstitutional than was even the
Force bill" Then Mr.. Hatch divided up in
similar small fractions the seven minutes re-
naming at his disposal and the House passed
the bill by two-thirds vote
Docs any body inquire what the bill was
which these gentlemen rushed through with
a half-hours consideration sliced up in frac-
tons of a minute? Whether it was a bill of
any importance or one involving any serious
consequences? WE'LL Mr.. Cummings has al
ready been quoted as to his view of its CON
stitutionality. Mr.. Herbert said it was "a d.
rect violation of the fifth amendment to the
Constitution; Mr.. Boatncr said it was "more
vicious in principle than any ever before re-
ported by Democratic committee in the his
tory of the Government Mr. Rayner said it,
was I" one of the most dangerous measures that
ever yet made its appearance in the parlia-
mcntary proceedings of the body Mr.. Cobb
regarded it as 'One of the most dangerous
measures ever introduced into an American
Congress-; Mr. Warner said it was "unconsi-
tutiOnal," "a lie upon its face and "back
with communism Mr.. IIarter protested
against it as the representative of distinctive
agricultural district; Mr. Castle said it was
"a bill for the purpose of depreciating all the
products raised by the farmer Mr.. Patterson
said it was prostitution of power " in the last
degree insidious," and Mr.. Covert said, in a
burst of metaphor, that it was an iconocastic
attempt to tear down the temples of industry
Of his country
All these are Democrats. And these quota
tons express only Democratic opinions of
measure which this Democratic Congress passed
by a two-thirds vote after discussion of thirty
minutes This is the kind of legislation they
rise up and put through in half an hour after
dawdlng along for six months, doing nothing
but quarrelling among themselves, and dodg-
ing the important public questions upon which