The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-08
R0N0Rs TO GAR REED.

THE HERALD wishes to enter mild pro-
test against the hero-worship, which, un-
der the guise of mere congressional eti-
quette, Hon. THOMAS H. REED is receiving
from number of Democrats at Washing
ton. We do not object to his being placed
upon the committee on rules, nor to the
other assignments made for him by Speaker
CRISP. He is entitled to full mead of
consideration as representative of an in
telllgent constituency. But because he has
come into certain notoriety, and is there
lore somewhat conspicuous, is no good rea-
son why Democrats should follow him
around and treat him with the same
degree of courtesy as though their
differences with him related merely to
variance of views on the questions separat-
ing the leading parties. Mr.. REED is more
than partisan. Thro' the Demo era tic
minority in the last House of Representa-
tlVes he insulted a majority of the people of
the United States and trampled under foot
the dearest rights of all. He held tyrant's
power and used it like tyrant If in this
he acted for the citizens OF his congress
sional district, or for the Republicans of
the House, to them alone let the privilege
be accorded of honoring him and binding
his brows with the laurels of triumph.
Democrats should have no obsisance for
such as REED.
Western men, particularly, will not soon
forget the part eX-Speaker REED took in
! the defeat Of the free coinage bill in the
last Congress. This act, that degraded a
lT11a fol, 4
| the people and marked another vict DRY for
! the creditor states of the NORTH east, was
shameful in the means which accomplished
1t. The Senate was in favor of the free
| coinage of silver, for by decisive majority
| 1t passed the bill and sent II to the House.
And the House was in favor of it, too, and
majority was anxious to pass it. Why,
then, was it not passed? Simply because
Mr.. Speaker REED and his friends were
resolved il should not pass. The unjust
and supplementary rules which the Re
publican majority adopted on the sugges-
ton and impulsion of Mr. REED enabled
J them to have their way about it. These
rules were brutal contrivauce to ham
string the Democratic minority and divest
it OF its ancient and legitimate parliament
airy rights, so that the majority might ride
rough-shod over them.
1t was here that the western Republicans
found that they had been ensnared in their
own traps. They had, in submitting TO
caucus domination, lost their liberty of
action. They mad made themselves serv-
ants. When the silver bill came from the
Senate, a majority of the House, composed
of nearly all the Democrats and the Re
publicans from the west, stood ready 10
vote for 1t, and it could have been passed
in an hour. But the Repu blicans had de-
livered their constituents and themselves
to the speaker by assisting to adopt a sys-
TEN of rules which made him despot over
the House. When they attempted to re-
sist his viii they found themselves with
ing and struggling helplessly in the very
machinery they had invented to crush the
Democratic minority.
This is not Democratic view only. 1t is
the intelligent Republican view, also. Sen
ator TELLER, OF Colorado a Republican,
in referring to the defeat of the silver bill
in the House, said: at is impossible to Sc
cure the free coinage of silver at this ses-
sion of Congress, not because do not be-
lieve there is not majority in its favor in
the House, but because, uadcr system
which cannot speak of patiently, the voice
of that majority is stifed and cannot be
heard"
This is but one phase of the despotism OF
the Republican party under THOMAS b.
REED. is he such man as any Dem crat
should honor?