The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-05
Ex-sPEAKER REEDS VIEWS.

Extraordinary Power Conferred on the Com.
mitteo on Rules by the New Code.
WASHINGTON, Feb. AFTER the House
this afternoof fAaareed to the new code of
rules, ex-SpeSker Reed was sought out by
an AssociatedPre reporter and asked to
talk upon th6ssubject He sat down upon
one of the large sofas in the rear of the hall,
and, after few moments consideration,
said:
"The withdrawal by the Louisiana lot
terry of it's demand for new charter is one
of the triumphs of the Fifty-first Congress.
The country Will remember the pr0mptness
with which the House committee on post
office and post-roads under the chairman.
ship of Generaf Bingham, even before the
Presidents message on the subject. consid-
cred and on the 2Sth of July reported the
bill to deprive the lottery of tho use of the
United States mails. The committee on
rules very soon after set apart the 10th Of
August for decentralization by tho House,
and the bill passed that body that day.
Now that the Supreme Court has sustained
the constitutionality of the cot, even the
lottery company recognizes the futility of
it's future existence. The acts of the Fifty
first Congress are all standing we'll the test
of time"
With regard to the rules Just adopted Mr..
Reed further said that the principle of re-
sponsibility Of the government in the House
Adu OCcu uOIo Iutuicooly lcCOkulLcu III
that part of the new regulations relating
to the power of the committee on rules
than was ever dreamed of In the Fifty first
Congress. Power to enforce the will of the
House In important measures was lodged
in that committee SO that party legislation
could have full swing. while the bill of the
individual member, even if approved by
the House. was left to the mercy of the fill
buster The right of present quorum had
been denied and the farce of the member
present. but for purpose absent, had been
revived. All this. however, time and the
Supreme Court will take care of. Mean
while it will be a source of regret to the
country that more liberal measures for the
promotion of INNOCENT and useful nom
partisan and necessary legislation have not
been adopted. 1t might have been done.
and the House really wanted 20 do 1t. but
the majority. having fought q. campaign
Fifty first Congress. it was too much to ex-
pect of Door fallen human nature to make
such a confession of error.
The debate, however, has shown that the
been entirely lost What used to be called
Tyranny" and is now on the road to be-
called good sense" has been established
in the great and unexampled power con-
ferred on the committee on rules The
folly of wasting the time of the House in
the reference of bills has been forever done
away with. This, with the sound express
sions as to the folly Of the doctrines of the
rights of minorities, which fell from tho
lips of eminent Democrats during the da-
bate. show conclusively how sure reason
and sense 10 to assert itself in some measure
even after the fiercest conflict.
In conclusion Mr.. Reed said: II am dis
posed to thank the Democrats for some
progress and to hope that during the ses-
sion further wisdom may come to them. In
the new regulations the old membe who
knows the ropes has preserved much of his
obstructive power. and the veto power has
been conferred on each member who knows
how. except where the committee on rules
shall intervene. But this will do less harm
than formerly. Thanks to the examples
set by the last Congress the country knows
the House can do nil it wants to. What il
don't do now it is responsible for. The
ostrich has left Off oonceallng himself by
putting his head In the sand"