Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-08-18
TOM REEDS CRITICISM.

TOM REEDS CRITICISM.
He Reviews the Works of the Democratic
Congress just Closed.
from New York Press]
The army of Xerxes has recrossed the
Hellespont with bedraggled legions,
much beaten and discounted. Every
thing it has tried to do has been failure
and its every action has been in effect a
disapproval of all that the Democracy
professed in the last congress and in the
last campaign. 1t has not only grievous-
ly 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. Instead of giving freedom of
debate, only freedom of opposition has
been given. Instead of the orderly dis
cussion of great questions, the time of
the house has been wasted on roll calls
and trivial debate and all the measures
of real Importance 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 in
creased elaboration and care, let me
give you few examples On the 9th day
of June, after session of six months,
Mr.. Holman was forced to rush through
the house the legislative, executive aud
judicial appropriation bill, carrying 1922,
600, 900, occupying Is Record columns of
the finest type, covering thousands of
items and containing 10000 words, I'M
der suspension of the rules, with Is
minutes debate on either side. One min
ute to every 10000 words and 40 seconds
to every $1,0O0,000. On the same day
was passed, under similar suspension of
the rules, bill to admit Arizona as a
state, proposition hitherto never
seriously discus sed. Fifteen minutes
were allowed each side. On the same
day, also, New Mexico had bill passed
to admit h. state, with IKE Hrnita-
lions as to debate. just think of it.
Fifteen whole minutes to discuss such a
question as that! The question of the
admission Of New Mexico is not at all a
political question, or if it is, the politics
sink into insignificance compared with
the complex question arising out of the
nature Of the population and its relation
to the rest of the Union. On this ques-
ton the wisest men of both parties. even
in New Mexico, hesitate and this Demo-
cratic house illustrates the freedom of
debate and the wisdom of deliberation by
deciding the whole matter in 30 minutes.
This is wisdom shOd with the shoes of
swiftness. On the same day, also, under
similar suspension of the rules and
with Is minutes of debate on either side,
the anti-option bill was passed. Fifteen
minutes Of debate on the anti-option bill
in house of 1872 members! Why, one
senator and he new man, took five
hours to state his views and during the
time listened to him he did not seem to
be wasting words. Here was bill thar
may disarrange the commerce of the
world-a bill on which hangs 10 years.
and this bill has passed the house on the
theory that the house has only Is min
utes of wisdom to be bestowed on either
side of the question. Against these bills
there has been no factious opposition
and not even hint of proposed delay.
They have never been debated before aD6
attention has never in any way beer
called to either of them. No public dis.
cussion of them had taken place outside
and the excuse that the subjects were
familiar could not be urged. 1t was sim
ply wanton incompetency.
The time of the house had been so
wasted by lack Of system and want Of
leadership that debate was impossible
and deliberation unattainable. The
great appropriation bill went its way I'm
explained and the anti-option bill wal
hustled through as vote catcher, not
withdrawing the lurid and, strange tt
say, accurate declaration of Amos J
Cummings Democrat, New York; tina
it was more unconstitutional than tn
force bill. This could easily be, since
the force bill was not demonstrations
at all, and was allowed six entire day
for discussion. Six days for the fore
bill, 80 minutes for anti-option. ST,
days was called ''gagging" in the las
house; 80 minutes is collaboration ant
to repeal in effect all the careful work
extending over 80 many years, of Sena
tor Edmunds and Randolph Tucker il
regard to Utah, was passed under sus
pension of rules. In fact, all the impoI
tant bills have been passed that way
Even what Democratic Mr.. Pierce o
Tennessee called the "popgun tariff
bills were, many Of them, passed unde
suspension. 10 be exact, just over hal
of them were passed that way. Thi
was the fact, though such bills have
right of way on other days. Bindin
Irvine, bagging for cotton and its ma
chinery and the wool bill we're the onl
ones which had normal passage.
Some one may say that this action o
the tariff bills was because the Republ
cans filibustered. We did filibuster, an
that because it was sinful waste of put
lie time to be eternally maunderin
around about bills that nobody wante
or believed in. If anybody asks why "
ourselves suppressed filibustering il
dulged in, the answer is very plain. W