The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-05
REED TALKS ON TIE RULES.
He is Disposed to Give the Democrats
Credit for Some Progress.

He is Disposed to Give the Democrats
Credit for Some Progress.
WASHINGTON, Feb. AFTER the House
this afternoon adopted the new code of
rules. ex-Speal1er Reed was sought out by
an Associated Press reporter and asked to
talk upon the subject. He sat down upon
one Of the large sofas in the rear OF the hall,
and after a moments consideration said:
THE withdrawal by the Louisiana lot
terry of its demand for new charter is one
Of the triumpbs of the Fifty-first congress.
The country will remember the prompeness
with which the House committee on post
offices and postroads, under the chairman
ship of Gen. Bingham. even before the Presi-
dents message on the subject was considered,
and on July 2S, reported bill TO deprive
the lottery of the use OF the United States
mails. The committee on rules very soon
after set apart Aug. 10 for its consideration
by the House, and the bill passed that body
that day. Now that ths supreme court has
sustained the constitutionalIty Of the act
even the lottery company recognizes the
futity Of its future existence. The acts of
the Fifty-frst congress are all standing
well the test of time"
With regard to the rules Just adopted,
Mr. Reed further said that "the principle
irresponsible government in the House had
been more ruthlessly recognized in 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-
The power to enforce the will of the House
was lodged, in important measures, in that
committee 50 that party legislation
could have full swing, while the bill of an
individual member, even il approved of by
the House, was left to the mercy of the fiji
buster The right of a present quorum
had been denied, and the farce of
member present for the purpose of being
absent had been revived. All this time and
tine supreme court will take care Of. Mean
while it will be a source Of regret to the coun-
try that more liberal measures for the pro-
motion of innocent useful and non-parsisan
and necessary legislation had not teen
adopted. 1t might have been done, and the
House really wanted to do it, but the ma
jority, having fought the campaign some-
what on the abuse of the rules of the Fifty
first congress, 1t was too much to expect of
poor human nature to make such confess
sion Of error
Debate, however, has shown that the
good example Of the last two years has not
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 conferred
On the committee on rules. The folly of
wasting the time of the House in the refer
ence Of bills has been forever done
away with. This, with the sound
expression as to the folly Of the doctrines of
tnerights Of minorities, which fell from the
Nsot eminent democrats during the debate,
snow conclnsively how sure reason and
sense is to assert itself in some measure, even
stter the fiercest conflict. 1 am disposed to
thank the democrats for some progress and
70 hope that during this session ful ther
WISDOM may come to them. In
sue new regulations an old me ~
UeF' who knows the ropes ha;
preserved much of his obstructive power and
'ue veto power has been conferred on each
member who knows how. except where the
Ummlttee on rules shall intervene. But this
WIN 90 no less harm than formerly. Thanks
" tne example set by the last congress, the
country knows that the House OF Represen-
S0v @sves can do all it wants to do. What il
o.al, ount 40 now it is responsible for. That
l! os,fich has left off concealing himself by
putting his head in the sand u