The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-03-17
THE SUPREME COURT On REEDS
RULES.

Washington Correspondence of tho Kansas City,
No, Journal.
It is a precedent and now q lawful
remedy against anarchy and revolution
by parliamentary methods. It kills fill
clustering, which has grown to be q great
public evil.
And another thing about this decision
is, there was no dissenting opinion-the
court was unanimous hard nut for
democrats to crack. The court is very
clear in saying that the words "a major
ity of each house shall constitute quo
rum to do business" means what it says.
In other words, when a majority are
present the house is in a position to do
business" And next the court says as
to this presence and its effect: "The
capacity to transact business is then es-
tablished, created by the mere presence
of a majority, and does not depend upon
the disposition or assent or action OF any
single member or fraction of the major
ity present. All that the constitution
requires is the presence of a majority.
and when that majority is present the
power Of the house arises" Again, the
court says: 1.-THE constitution has pre-
scribed no method of ascertaining the
presence of majority, and it is there
fore clearly within the competency of
the house to prescribe any method that
shall be reasonably certain to ascertain
the fact
This settles the case for all time,
affirms the legality of Speaker Reeds
rulings, and the constitutionality of the
rule permitting the chair to SO rule. The
fact then stands out by the unanimous
opinion of the supreme court that fill
clustering as practiced in the last con-
gress was abusive and obstructive, and
the doctrine held and practiced by the
democrats to prevent action and destroy
a quorum was revolutionary. That
much. after thirty years Of abuse in the
direction of filibustering, has been
gained through the clear headed action
and nerve of Thomas B. Reed and the
courageous support afforded him by
republican house of representatives.
And this decision is far-reaching, as it
goes down to state legislatures, city
councils. and all legislative bodies where
action depends on the presence of
quorum.
Perhaps it may be as well here to
state the whole record in those cases
where quorum was counted. The hall
of the house includes the hall devoted
to the uses of the house, and when a
member is in it he is present. How they
are known to be present is both easy
and legal. The constitution requires a
majority to constitute quorum to do
business, and also provides that less
number may compel the presence OF alb
sent members and adjourn from day to
day. So the rules provide that when a
quorum is not found there is what is
styled call of the house; that is, the
clerk calls the roll, and if majority re-
spond ''here'' the speaker declares
quorum. If, however, a call of the
house shows less than quorum, the
sergeant alarms is directed to bring in
the absentees; and when he reports a
sufficient number present then the house
goes on ''to do business" The filibus-
ter way was usually to answer ''here''
on a call of the house, and in minute
after, and all the time sitting in their
seats in full view of the speaker and the
house, refuse to vote or a call of the
ayes and noes constituting the response
to the one as present and the silence in
the other as absent-but sitting in the
same place all the time. Ninety-nine in
a hundred instances this is full de-
scription of the case: