The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-08-26
A RECORD OF FAILURE.
Ex-Speaker Reeds Review of
the Last Congress.
ITS RECKLESS EXTRAVAGANZA.

600 In Fifteen Minutes-New Rules ver-
sus Reed's-A scathing Arrangement.
Copyright, 1902, by the New York Press. Pub
lished by permission.1
The barbarian army of Xerxes has re-
crossed the Hellespont with bedraggled
legions, much beaten and discounted.
Everything it has tried to do has been
failure, and its every action has been in
effect disapprova1 of all that the
Democracy professed in the last con-
gress and in the last campaign.
1t has not only grievously sinned, but
has sinned against light, and its history
is history of confessions and failures,
of admissions and retreats. That such
should be its history is not in the least
unnatural. The present must always
join onto the past, and men are so
made up that they often sacrifice good
and useful opportunity in the present, in
order not to confess to bad course of
action in the past.
When the. Democracy met together
seven months ago it was evident to
them all that there must be some change
of their old rules if they meant even to
seem to do business. But during the
last session they had said so much, had
burdened the air with so many outcries,
that they could not frankly and man.
fully adopt that system of rules which
had had the sanction of the severest
trial that ever system was subjected
to, trial in which all partisan opposi-
ton had been paralyzed, and the bust
ness of the country had gone on undis-
mayed by clamor and undisturbed by
noise. The Democracy felt that they
must somewhere have for themselves
the power they had so loudly fouted
when used by others. Nevertheless
they also felt that for very shame's sake
they must so conceal it that the world
would not find it out. But the attempt
at concealment was in vain. Everybody
now knows that the very power they so
bitterly complained of when exercised
by the speaker impartially ON all bills,
they arranged to have exercised on
special occasions by the committee on
rules, which is itself the mere creature
of the speaker, and they soon found that
before the committee on rules could ex-
ercise this power the speaker himself
must as ''tyranically," as did his prede-
cessor, override the decisions of Demo-
cratic speaker, which up to that date
had been untouched.
The speaker of the last house endured
the waste for fortnight of two precious
hours every day rather than override
decision of Speaker Carlisle that the
journal must first be read before any
other business. That ruling seemed So
intrenched in good sense as to be I'M
assailable. The speaker of the present
house, however, before even filibuster
had begun, overruled Mr.. Carlisle and
gave the proceedings of the committee
on rules precedence over everything but
the chaplain. When one thinks of the
hubbub and noise, the wrath and tur-
MOL, the loud voiced patriotism which
greeted similar action of the committee
on rules, though made decorously and
in order, one hardly knows which to
admire most, the sudden somersault
of the Democracy or their notion that
they have concealed it.
The Republicans were consistent
throughout, and offered to the Democ-
racy in majority thes control which
they themselves had exercised. They
did more than that-they offered the
complete control which every majority
ought to have, together with the right
to effecYually compel the attendance and
action of members. Of course such
power would have meant responsibility
equally large and equally comprehen-
sive The offer was refused, though
rules were adopted which sanctioned
actions on the part of the committee on
rules which were the subjects of daily
and regular denunciation when Repub-
licans were charged with the conduct
of public business.
When the rules were adopted the new
members were told by us what the re-
suits would be, and large minority,
perhaps even a majority, of Democrats
have since and often expressed sorrow
and regret that they had not had at the
beginning the sense and knowledge
which they have now acquired. Instead
of giving freedom of debate only free
dom Of opposition has been given.
luSU6du VI Juo OIucIly uApCuSolOh Va
great questions the time Of the house
has been wasted on roll calls and trivial
debate, and all the measures, of real i'm
portance have passed under suspension
Of the rules by sheer force of numbers.
As a specimen of how these rules have
operated in the way of increased DELHI
Grafton and care let me give you few
examples. Remember that this has
been the long session of Democratic
congress-. led by the very men who were
SO clamorous only two years ago for
freedom of debate. Remember also
that there was no systematic day by day
waste of time by the opposition; no per-
petual hand to hand fight actuated by
partisan feeling and spurred on by indi-
vidual anger. The minority behaved
with gentleness and modSsty, partly
because they were very good men and
partly because there were very few of
them. Under such circumstances one
could almost feel sure that deliberation,
debate and wisdom would tread every
day peaceful paths, holding each other
by their little hands, Nevertheless it