The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-04-20
THE FIrTy-FIRsr CONGRESS.

One of the most significant and most
enjoyable things at the banquet of the
Massachusetts Republican Club in Music
Hall last evening was Theodore Roose-
velt's analysis Of the record of the
Fifty-first Congress. He well said that
never in the history of American politics
was more slanderous campaign
waged than that against the So
called "billion dollar Congress-" in
1890. Few things Of late years have
been better fitted to make thoughtful
man doubt the future Of his country
than the attitude then taken by those
men who especially claim to be the
guardians of the conscience and intel
lect of the Commonwealth toward the
action OF Mr.. Reed and his party asso-
ciates in making it possible for the su-
preme Legislative body Of the land to do
that which is its only reason for exist
ing at all--that is, legislate.
When the Fifty-first Congress came into
being, the House of Representatives had
become mere unwieldy debating club.
The rules of procedure had matted into
q growth so complicated as to afford un-
limited opportunity for filibustering. A
resolute minority, no matter how small,
had it IN its power to stop all legisla-
tion. Mr.. Weaver kept the whole Con-
gress stationary for week, and this not
even because he objected to bill,
but because he wished another one
taken up. The methods of procedure
had become not only inept, but in the
highest degree absurd.
Few really intelligent men who had
thought on the subject at all defended
the then existing system Of Congress
sional procedure. Practically all of our
political students condemned it and de-
manded n change. in the direction of
allowing necessary business to be done
with reasonable expedition, and after
fair debate, in accordance with the will
of the majority. The Republican ma
jority took control of Congress, and un-
der the guidance of Speaker Reed pro-
ceeded to reform the system OF
Congressional procedure precisely
on the lines indicated and without an
ounce more friction than was absolutely
necessary, and than was caused by the
purely factious filibustering of the Dem
ocratic minority. Instantly and in
spirit of what must be stigmatized as
captious, short-sighted and highly I'M
patriotic partisanship, the bulk of the
political theorists who had been clam
oring for this very reform turned round
and denounced il because it was intro
duced by the party to which they were
for the time being opposed.
The two reforms introduced by Mr..
Reed against which there has been the
most outcry were his counting quorum
and his refusal to put dilatory motions.
AS for the first, Mr.. Reed has been up
held absolutely by the Supreme Court of
the United States, with the concurrence
Of its three Democratic members, in
GLIDING the Democratic Chief Justice.
Looking back at IL now, IL seems almost
impossible TO believe that there ever
could have been any sane adherence to
the theory that man should
not be counted rs present in a legisla-
tive hall. when he was running violently
mp and down the gangways of the same
legislative hall waving his arms
and shouting that be was construc-
lively absent. Yet this was pre-
cisely the position which the Demo
cratic minority took; and for taking the
opposite view Speaker Reed was fran
ticaIly denounced not only by the regu.