New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-06
I |
TIE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY 15s-wHAT 1T WAS
PLEDGED To Do-TIE SPEAKER AND HIS
Co,l MITTFEs- 20 NOTHING RULES ADOPTED
HOW DEMOCRATIC PLEDGES WE'RE BROKEN
-, RECORD or COwARDICE AND INCAPACITY
-nY,voCRAT1C ECONOMY COMPARED WITH
RrpUpICAx ExTR.vAGANCET NECESSARY
APPROPRIATIONS REFUSED OR POSTPONED
pAonpEGLY METHODS OF LEGIsLATIoN-THE
GAG RULE APPLIED PRIVATE CLAIMS lG'
yorrn 49, HOW PENSION CLAIMANTS WERE
TREATED - ELECTION CONTESTS -ABoRT1vE
IxvEer1C hTIoSc.
Washington. Aug. Q epecal.-Thc IIouse ~ Rep
reuresnniaivcs which. on account VI oos' an" oV
,,cge ov.r tho Speakcr,hp did not effect an orgnhl
zouon u,,tu Tuesday December 2. 1901. Is p'cnom
cna lo,i, IN one respect nj least IN 'o''' - "'
.,t,rc. no les thar 235 w'rr Democrats ut
me date Of organization. giving them clear MAJORITY
-, ~ o,cr ou othcrs-a majority which was suhs"
,r.r,lv Increased 10 40 by unscatlng k"pnDn'hh
ucprc.en,yIvo and putting Democ'nt In his place
, ,,o r,rc farmers Alliance members have uniformly
acted and voted with ne Democrats except IN me
election Of speaker and other Officers OF the HnSe'
the actual crec,iv" minority over IN" h"pnonclhS
has becn l5s or % In excess Of fwoth'rus OF inc
total member hip.
b,s ,naiort, came into power pledged 70 DO certain
filings: First II was pledged 20 repeal the ""ilou'
rg nc, OF $500 and substitute therefor law framed
ID, free trade lines. tariff for revenue oIiv soc
ond 10 pass bill 10 repeal the silver hc ~ I7"o anu
TO substitute one providing for the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver such every Democrat In The PR
cdi,g uousc gave twenty two had voted for. third
II WIS pledged 10 ECONOMY" ana Ind promised to
reduce appropriations at least SlOoOu0cD rs com
,,,red with those voted at thc first session ~ IN"
nlnbn" Congress fourth. 10 destroy the policy of
rrcipr tciiy which first hnlng n "a concession T.
free trade" Il had subsequently denounced ~ sham
and dcnson: hhh. TO repeal the law granting
bonnis 10 domestic producers OF sugar. ana e'Ath 10
repeal the ocean Mil act.
with these pledges fresh and hot on their lips. ana
r.,nac dv after day in their newspapers. The Demo
c-ts DELHI riely chose for speaker OF the lioiS' q"
Representatives man who WI, opposed to such a
revision Of the tarif that for which the party had
been c.amOing for years, aud 10 which II had D'rh
,olcmnlv pledged and committed by the uitcranceS of
nil ~, lenders. This choice bitterly resented bv
| great many Democrats both in aid Dat u ConGrcs'
who REGARDED II NJ conspicuous act Of bad faith and
one which bodrd injury ard probable disaster 10 a."
pariv Their belief strengthened. and In Their
opinion justified In large degree bv the composition
Il tho Committee on WAYS and Means. AT TIE head Of
which was plnccd a nan who had never commanded
the confidence. ard respect of his own party rs
political LEADER and who had taken n prominent
OF Influential part I'm legislation. The majority
81 the committee Wa also weakened bv actpnal dls
.cpsions a. well by th' appointment Of several ncw
ma incIpcrl-nccd ncmhers. whilo the minority
composed y some Of the sbc,t and most experienced
Republicans In the lIou,' ~ Representatives.
The Committee on Cuiuag" on the other hand, with
NJ bland at IFS head. evidently chosen with .
view 10 carry out the pledge II the party in respect
10 free and unlimited coinage Of silver eight Of ;le
thirteen members cling strong free coinage m"n The
Committee on Appropriations also. With Judge Il1l
rian at It's head wa, thought 10 be which conld
be depended on not only r. pare rs bll, + the
lac lui 10 exercise such supervisory jurisdiction N
would keep Gown the total, Of appropriation bills ~
ported by Other cnmml toes Economy was TO b
tho vatcyord and IN order 10 make It more potent
and effective Judge Holman persuaded The IIous" 10
ahopi formal resolution early In the session. bra
ing Itself T. carry ont his programme.
The committees In,iug been appointed. the ma
0ry pioreccd 70 frame md adopt code Of rucs for
the govcrnm.n, o, the House Of Ecpres"r taryc'-a
code which was approved By the conceive WI com
Of a Democratic caucus. The Dom0crat' apparently
mindful OF their bvn capacity for mistakes and mis-
chief and also m not TO DO anything which coud
be regarded ~ AN approval Of the sane ana sluary
rules under which the Republican nrj ntv In the hN'
to1grs hat boon cnal,s o cnrfy on the w'lh OF Fs''
laon. adopted n code which bound IN" ml'"fIN hi'o
foot they went 80 far in their anxiety to protect
the rights Of tAc minority rs - enable the hcp'ph'hS
with thr aid of y small D'Trrltic faction. to control
The majority. Matters M last csme 10 Such pass
tina; The majority actually found Itself coIneil'd 10
suspend lis rules in order 10 carry measures IN
favor Of witch Il WAS unit II became virtually lm-
pc ,lb, % transact business under the rules For
this state ~ affairs The Republicans were III no wise
responsible Therc good deal q hllbiis''nue
during the session. bat II was carried on mainly by
Democrats against Democrats. and owing 10 tie laTgr
number Of members Of the majority who prslStenty
abscntcd themselves and refused 10 attend 10 their
legislative duties. nlmos; from the beginning OF the
session. fllbusternG was encouraged rs II never had
been before In the history Of Congress ONLY Tie Tor
bearance OF the Republicans. who realized that with
Republican senate and Republican President The
Dcmocrac majority In the House could do utte mr. no