The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-18
fsnoaIal corre,pondeneel

flbustcring congress. The last congress
vas noted FOR its absence Of filibustering.
Hence the Reed house and the Crisp house
have given the country examples Of the
two extremes. and observing and thinking
men are now considering which one they
like best and which mode Of government
of the popular branch OF congress is most
conS1cive to good legislation. For the
polielcs of this question do not care q rap.
But see very clearly that 10 is the sense
Of the conservative men OF both parties
that while perhaps Reed went too far 10
surprising obstruction Crisp did not go
half far enough, and that the wisdom Of
the future, profting by the experience OF
the past, will adopt rules Of procedure en-
bracing a happy mean between these two
extremes.
On the surface Of things, in making
contrast between the two methods, one IS
likely 20 have most admiration for the
Reed rule. There were instances in which
the rights Of the minority were oyerrid-
den. 10 is true. but on the whole the major
ity was considerable Of the interest of the
minority and above an the majority was
able 10 DO business and TO take response
bility therefor That is what a majority IS
for. These two congresses have taught us
that O minority may have too much night
sud privilege as easily as too little.
Reed gave the minority small show
They were granted as much time for de-
bate as be and his lieutenauts thought
best. and no more. Then debate stopped
and business began. There was no fill
clustering. Dilatory motions, made not
for the purpose OF securing further debate
or for saving any rights % amend, but sim
ply TO delay and obstruct were not enter
tained. Il was strictly business Debate
a reasonable time, said the Reed rules, and
then act No motions TO adjourn, made
for the purposes Of delay; no motions that
when the house adiourns it be TO meet on
Friday. with q substitute for this making
It Monday, and another substitute forthat
substitute making 81 Tuesday, with sep
arate call Of the roll on each motion.
Nothing OF that sort would Reed tOler-
ate, and though the Democrats and few
Republicans thought at the time he was
going too far, history will be sure 10 say
that be was more than half right. lie re-
fused 10 entertain motions TO adjourn that
were made for purposes Of delay; he count
ed ouOrums if be could see enough noses
in sight or hats in the cloakrOOms. In
some OF bis methods he incurred the dan
ger Of imposing upon the individual rights
of members, the danger of noting men rs
present and not voting who were not pres
ent at all. There were INSTANCES of this
sort, mere mistakes, and while they did
not affect the principles at issue they did
serve temporarily TO discredit the system
and to rouse opposition and passionate re-
sistance Reed was denounced as "a car,
not so much because he introduced a new
system, as because the application of the
system was faulty and led him 20 walk too
much upon the toes of individuals.
In the Crisp house we have had the other
extreme. For ten days the house was in
deadlock on the Worlds fair items in the
sundry civil bin. The senate had made
an appropriation Of 100000 for the fair
The house at first disagreed 10 the amend
ment Of the senate and afterWard agreed
70 il. Thus the appropriation was placed
In the bill. But those who were opposed
TO il at once moved a reconsideration of
the vote by which the house had agreed;
and then began flibusteriBg against the
very motion which they had themselves
made. For two weeks or more the house
was at the mercy Of the obstructionists
Though the appropriation had been placed
In the bill by a majority of both houses Of
congress, a small minority of one house
decreed that it should not remain there
Though the number Of filibusters was
very small-at first forty or fifty and final
ly dWindling TO a dozen or scOre-they
were as completely masters of the stu
alton as if they had large majority
Their modus operandi was very simple
In the rules Of the present house it is
provided that a motion to adjourn is al
ways ia order. Time and again the house
came back 20 the question Of reconsidera-
ton Of the Worlds fair item, but was al
ways met with a proceeding like this:
Mr. Cumming move that when the
house adjourn it be to meet on Friday
next.
Mr. Bailey-I move tosubstitute forthat
Saturday.
Mr. Outhwaite-And move as a substi-
tute for the substitute that when the
house adjourn it be to meet on Thursday.
OF course all this was fooishness. The
house did not want TO adjourn, as every
one knew. If st adjourned at all If
wanted 70 meet on thefolowing day. But
that made no difference. There was moth
ing TO do but 10 vote on each of these
propositions. The number of filibusters
being one-tifth the total number voting.
they called for the yeas and nays A roll
call of the house requires about thirty-fye
minutes. The first Of these motions was
voted down by, say, 5yeas to l67nays That
expressed the wish of the house pretty en-
phatically, but it did not matter. A sec
ond roll call must be had: that being
beaten, then o third And after all three
had been voted down by overwhelming
majorities, there was nothing ia the rules
10 prevent the same men making the iden-
teal motions again and again, aud requir-
ing the house 10 sit there and vote upon
them one after another.
OF course, in practice, It occurs that as
soon as flbustering is started large per
centage of the members become disguised,
and knowing that nothing in the line Of
business can be done leave the house.
Soon there Is not a quorum present. and as
Boon as this has appeared the filibusters
have a new string to play upon. They
make the point Of no quorum, and then no
motions are in order except a call Of .he
house or "a motion TO adjourn. A call of
the house is designed to bring members
into the hail. and IL nearly always does
bring enough 10 make quorum, but there
Is no way Of keeping them there, and be-
fore roll call is finished by the reading
clerk the men who answered 30 their
names have disappeared again and there
Is no more Of quorum present than there
was before